Lecture 10 Anxiety Disorders and Anxiolytics

Question 1

When is anxiety an anxiety disorder?

Answer 1

Anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder when it becomes maladaptive, persistent, and distressing to the individual.

Question 2

Anxiety deconstructed is made of?

Answer 2

Fear i.e. panic phobia

Worry i.e. anxious misery, apprehensive expectation, obsessions

Question 3

Name 4 Anxiety disorders

Answer 3

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder

Also phobias & OCD

Question 4

GAD

Answer 4

Generalized anxiety disorder

Question 5

PTSD

Answer 5

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Question 6

SAD

Answer 6

Social Anxiety Disorder

Question 7

What is believed to be the neural basis of pathological fear and anxiety?

Answer 7

Believed to arise from overactivity of the amygdala and its connections to the prefrontal cortex (Anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex

This results in overactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis

Question 8

HPA

Answer 8

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal

Question 9

What does the hippocampus and amygdala regulate?

Answer 9

The emotive functions of stored memories

Question 10

What is the primary neurotransmitter of anti-anxiety medications?

Answer 10

GABA

Question 11

What does GABA mean?

Answer 11

Gamma aminobutyric acid and is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Question 12

What is GABA produced from and by what?

Answer 12

GABA is produced from glutamate by the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase

Question 13

GAD (enzyme)

Answer 13

glutamic acid decarboxylase

Question 14

What terminates GABA action?

Answer 14

Presynaptic also glial GABA transporters

Question 15

GAT

Answer 15

GABA transporters

Question 16

GABAa receptor

Answer 16

Ligand-gated cl- channel made from 5 subunits

activated by GABA, benzodiazepines, sedatives alcohol

Question 17

GABAb receptor

Answer 17

G-protein coupled receptor

often found on presynaptic terminals

Question 18

GABAc

Answer 18

Ligand-gated ion channel, primarily found in the retina

Question 19

Name a positive allosteric modulator for GABAa receptors

Answer 19

Benzodiazepines

Question 20

Name 5 benzodiazepines

Answer 20

Diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, midazolam, flunitrazepam

Question 21

Barbiturates do what?

Answer 21

Act as GABAa PAMs at a different site than BDZs

Extremely dangerous when combined with alcohol

Question 22

Name 4 non-BDZ treatments of anxiety disorders

Answer 22

Anticonvulsants (Gabapentin)
SSRIs & SNRIs (Effexor and cymbalta)
5-HT1A partial agonists (Buspirone)
Noradrenergic receptor ligands (aloha-1 antagonists and beta blockers)