Final Exam Flashcards
What effects do sedatives have on GABA?
Sedatives make GABA work overtime. By upping its level of activity in the CNS, sedatives allow GABA to produce a much stronger effect on your brain activity.
Sedative drugs binding site:
GABA (w/ a variety of subtype receptors)
Benzodiazepines facilitate the
binding of GABA
Benzodiazepines act on __ and bind at __ and __.
amygdala; insula and orbital-frontal cortex
What is the amygdala responsible for?
anxiety
What are the insula and orbital-frontal cortex responsible for, respectively?
behavior and fear related responses
What is the difference between anxiety and panic?
duration and intesity
Are Benzodiazepines GABA agonist?
yes
When are benzodiazepines NOT used?
-panic
-PTSD
-GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)
-when fine motor skills are involved
-if a person uses alcohol
-for mid-adolescents
GABAergic
any chemical that modifies the effects of GABA in the body or brain
Benzodiazepines chemically block:
GABA-A
True or False: Benzodiazepines are low in toxicity.
true
About how many benzodiazepines are available in the US?
15 to 20
What are the most commonly used benzodiazepines?
- Ativan
- Volume
- Xanax
When does benzodiazepine peak concentration?
1 hour
How many stages do benzodiazepines go through to be metabolized? List the steps.
3 steps:
1. oxidatively metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzymes
2. conjugated with glucuronide
3. excreted almost entirely in the urine
What are benzodiazepines metabolized into?
nordiazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam
What is considered a low dose of benzodiazepines?
5 to 10 mg
Buspar/Buspirone
-antianxiety
-serotonin drug
-5HT1AA agonist
-treats anxiety and depression
-used to treat GAD
What are some benefits of taking Buspar/Buspirone?
-doesn’t produce a lot of sedative effects
-very little cognitive effects
-can be taken w/ alcohol
-very little potential for addiction
-most of the drug is metabolized at first pass
About what percent of Buspar/Buspirone makes it into the bloodstream?
~5%
How can the efficacy of Buspar/Buspirone be improved?
by drinking grapefruit juice
What are the 4 main antidepressants?
- MAO inhibitors
- tricyclics
- SSRI
- SNRI
What are the 2 different types of depression?
- major depressive disorder
- dysthymic disorder/persistent depressive disorder