Lecture 4

Question 1

the arousal system is made of neurons that release which neurotransmitters

Answer 1

• acetylcholine
• histamine
• dopamine
• norepinephrine
• serotonin

Question 2

increasing firing of the neurons or the synaptic levels of the neurotransmitters will promote (related to sleep)

Answer 2

wakefulness

Question 3

decreasing firing of the neurons or the synaptic levels of the neurotransmitters will promote

Answer 3

sleep

Question 4

when the arousal system is firing

Answer 4

the sleep center is not firing

Question 5

the arousal system is activated by

Answer 5

hunger signals and sunlight
- particularly blue light

Question 6

during the day the brain uses energy in the form of ATP and waste product is

Answer 6

adenosine

Question 7

sleep is promoted by

Answer 7

adenosine
- accumulates when the brain is awake and is cleared when the brain is asleep

Question 8

what is attention

Answer 8

selection of information for focused conscious processing
- required for most forms of cognition

Question 9

important parts of the brain for attention include the

Answer 9

cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus

Question 10

attention requires a certain level of arousal, which is determined by

Answer 10

neurons in the reticular activating system

Question 11

what is the reticular activating system

Answer 11

determines where we are on the spectrum of wakefulness

Question 12

for simple tasks, the more awake you are

Answer 12

the better you will perform at this task (linear relationship)

Question 13

for complex tasks what does the curve look like

Answer 13

resembles a bell curve, meaning the more awake you are to a certain point the better you will do
- if you are too aroused you will perform worse (panic)

Question 14

norepinephrine neurons are located close to

Answer 14

dopamine neurons in the mid brain and send their axons throughout the cortex

Question 15

t/f norepinephrine neurons have a repuptake mechanism

Answer 15

true, known as the norepinephrine transporter (NET)

Question 16

another name for norepinephrine

Answer 16

noradrenaline

Question 17

what are psychostimulants

Answer 17

drugs that promote wakefulness and attention
- often increase motor activity as well

Question 18

t/f caffeine is not a psychostimulant

Answer 18

false, it very much is

Question 19

how does caffeine act

Answer 19

It acts by blocking the adenosine receptor in the brain. This prevents the adenosine signal that triggers sleep. It also indirectly promotes signaling from adrenaline and norepinephrine because it amplifies the signal from those transmitters.
- is an antagonist of the adenosine receptor

Question 20

is caffeine addictive

Answer 20

no it is not, but people do develop dependence and tolerance to its effects

Question 21

adverse effects of caffeine

Answer 21

dry mouth, agitation, nausea/heartburn, diarrhea, insomnia, racing heart

Question 22

have fatal overdoses of caffeine happened

Answer 22

yes, rare but they have happened

Question 23

what are the two ways caffeine increase vigilance

Answer 23

1. antagonist of the adenosine receptor
2. inhibitor of phosphodiesterase enzyme

Question 24

explain how caffeine is an antagonist of the adenosine receptor

Answer 24

• Adenosine is the byproduct of metabolic activity in the brain – when neurons fire they consume ATP (energy) and it is converted to adenosine.
• Adenosine binds to the adenosine receptor to induce sleepiness. Blocking the adenosine receptor prevents the signal to induce sleep.

Question 25

explain how caffeine is an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase enzyme

Answer 25

• Norepinephrine is one of neurotransmitters that promotes alertness/vigilance.
• When norepinephrine binds its receptors (adrenergic receptors), it causes the production of a signal called cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP is degraded by phosphodiesterase enzyme. Caffeine antagonizes the enzyme that degrades the cAMP, so it amplifies the signal from norepinephrine. This is also why caffeine causes similar symptoms to adrenaline (dry mouth, rapid heart rate).

Question 26

t/f caffeine is not an antagonist of phosphodiesterase

Answer 26

false, caffeine is an antagonist of phosphodiesterase

Question 27

Caffeine amplifies the arousal signals of norepinephrine by

Answer 27

antagonizing the enzyme that breaks down the cyclic AMP signal. More cyclic AMP = more alert/awake

Question 28

most psychostimulants are

Answer 28

DAT and NET blockers

Question 29

cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, methylphenidate and modafinil are all

Answer 29

psychostimlants that act by blocking the DAT, NET, AND SERT

Question 30

t/f Modafinil mechanism is not understood, not as effective as others

Answer 30

true

Question 31

cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, methylphenidate and modafinil are all addictive depending on

Answer 31

dose, route of administration and individual differences

Question 32

effects of cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, methylphenidate and modafinil

Answer 32

wakefulness, euphoria, suppressed appetite, insomnia, agitation, restlessness, dry mouth, racing heart, GI upset, constipation, GRANDIOSITY, PARANOIA, PSYCHOSIS
- last three are for really high doses

Question 33

what is attention deficit disorder

Answer 33

• Difficulties with voluntary attention, increases in involuntary
  attention (distraction) & impulsivity.
• Memory impairments, problems with executive function
  (planning ahead, prioritizing).
• Hyperfocus when interest level/adrenaline is high.

Question 34

why is ADD treatment important

Answer 34

to reduce comorbidities with depression & anxiety, academic failure, criminality.

Question 35

what are the drug treatments for ADD and ADHD

Answer 35

they are psychostimulants
that increase the levels of neurotransmitters dopamine and
norepinephrine in the brain. They either prevent the clearance of
these neurotransmitters or they cause the neurotransmitter to
be reverse-transported into the synapse.
- there are also lifestyle changes that can improve symptoms for people with ADD

Question 36

what is narcolepsy

Answer 36

a sleep disorder where disruptions in sleep architecture prevent quality sleep, and extreme sleepiness during the day occurs. People can also experience the muscle paralysis that accompanies sleep (during their waking hours)

Question 37

what is modafinil used for

Answer 37

narcolepsy

Question 38

what does modafinil do

Answer 38

• increases arousal/alertness. It is used to treat the daytime sleepiness that occurs and it also prevents muscle paralysis.
• Increases alertness by increasing the levels of norepinephrine, dopamine and histamine.
• It inhibits DAT and NET, but it is much less effective than drugs like cocaine (even at high doses it doesn’t block the transporters very well). The mechanism of action remains unclear.

Question 39

Amphetamine (Adderall), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and modafinil (Provigil) all increase

Answer 39

arousal, and increase performance on certain types of tasks…those that require high levels of arousal.

Question 40

Amphetamine (Adderall), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and modafinil (Provigil) can interfere

Answer 40

with some forms of cognition, like creative problem solving
- except modafinil maybe