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Brain and behaviour > Lecture 6 > Flashcards

Lecture 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

Drug administration routes

A

Enteral: via the digestive system (slow)

Parenteral: not via the digestive system (faster)

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2
Q

Types of enteral methods

A
  • Oral: through the mouth (most convenient)
  • Rectal: through the rectum (weak bases)
  • Gastric: through the stomach (weak acids)
  • Buccal/sublabial: between the lip and gum
  • Sublingual: under the tongue (hydrophilic)
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3
Q

Types of parenteral methods

A
  • Subcutaneous: under the skin
  • Intramuscular: into the muscle
  • Intravenous: into the artery (hydrophilic)
  • Inhalation: into the lungs
  • Transdermal: through the skin (patches)
  • Spinal or intracranial: into the spinal cord or brain
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4
Q

Drug dosage based on administration routes

A

With each obstacle eliminated en route to the brain, a drugs dosage can be reduced by a factor of ~10 to induce the same effect.
E.g., orally 1000 ug = inhaled 100 ug = intravenous 10 ug

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5
Q

Blood-brain barrier

A

To be able to act in the brain, the drugs must be transferred from the blood stream to the extracellular fluid

  • Only very small uncharged molecules can pass through the blood/brain barrier
  • Active transport system for amino acids, glucose and fats.
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6
Q

Areas without blood-brain barrier

A
  1. Pineal gland: allows entry of chemicals that affect day-night cycles
  2. Pituitary: allows entry to chemicals that influence pituitary hormones
  3. Area postrema: allows entry of toxic substances that induce vomiting.
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7
Q

How are drugs eliminated by the body?

A
  • Catabolised (broken down)
  • Excretion
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8
Q

Catabolised drugs

A

Liver
Kidneys
Intestines

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9
Q

Excreted drugs

A

Urine
Feces
Sweat
Breast milk
Exhaled air

  • NB: Drugs that are not excreted can accumulate in the body and become toxic
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10
Q

7 ways in which drugs influence the synapse

A
  1. synthesis
  2. storage
  3. release
  4. receptor interaction
  5. inactivation
  6. reuptake
  7. degradation
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11
Q

Agonist/antagonist - neurotransmitter

A

Agonist: substance that mimics or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist: operates against the effects of the neurotransmitters

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12
Q

Psychopharmacology

A

The study of how drugs effect cellular function in the nervous system of the brain and the neural mechanisms through which they influence behaviour

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13
Q

Classifications of psychoactive drugs

A
  1. Psycholeptics: substances that inhibit psychological functions
  2. Psychoanaleptics: substances that stimulate psychological functions
  3. Psychodyleptics: substances that disorganise psychological functions
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14
Q

Types of psycholeptic drugs

A
  • Sedatives and hypnotics (alcohol)
  • Anxiolytics (benzodiazepines)
  • Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine)
  • Mood regulators (lithium)
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15
Q

Types of psychanaleptic drugs

A
  • Antidepressants (TCAs, SSRIs)
  • Stimulants (cocaine, caffeine)
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16
Q

Types of psychodyleptic drugs

A
  • Narcotic analgesics (heroin)
  • Hallucinogens (LSD)
17
Q

Sedative-hypnotics & anxiolytics (psycholeptics)

A
  • Act as GABA agonists

Binding of sedative-hypnotic drugs acts like GABA causing increased chloride conductance.
Binding of anti-anxiety drugs enhances binding effects of GABA.
Because of their different actions, these drugs should never be taken together.

18
Q

Antipsychotics (psycholeptics)

A
  • Act as dopamine antagonists.
  • Block the dopamine receptor leading to decreased effect of dopamine
19
Q

Antidepressants (psychoanaleptics)

A

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

  • Inhibit degradation of serotonin (SE = activating)
  • Tricyclic antidepressants (1st gen): inhibit reuptake of SE
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (2nd gen): SSRIs inhibit reuptake more selectively for SE.
  • 1st gen typically have more side effects than 2nd gen.
20
Q

Stimulants (psychoanaleptics)

A

Cocaine

  • dopamine agonist
  • block reuptake of dopamine

Amphetamine

  • norepinephrine + dopamine agonist
  • promote release and block reuptake of NE and DA
21
Q

Narcotic analgesics (psychodysleptics)

A

Highly addictive, affect multiple neurotransmitters and receptors.

22
Q

Hallucinogens (psychodysleptics)

A
  • Nonspecific amplifiers, influenced by intention
  • Anandamide endocannabinoid and THC phytocannabinoid act as neuromodulators to inhibit release of glutamate and GABA
23
Q

Disinhibition theory - drug behaviour

A

Alcohol impairs judgement and (rational) decision making (frontal cortex) but spares (subcortical) instinctual behaviours (aggression, desire).

24
Q

Behavioural myopia (nearsightedness) - drug behaviour

A

Tendency to respond to a restricted set of immediate and prominent cues while ignoring more remote cues and possible consequences.

25
Q

Learning - drug behaviour

A

Drug induced behaviour is learned and context dependent, specific to culture, group and setting.

26
Q

Wanting-and-liking theory

A

With repeated drug use, wanting a drug and liking a drug progress in opposite directions.
Wanting is associated with drug cues, e.g., room or social activity.
Liking is likely mediated by a small localised set of nuclei controlled by opioid and endocannabinoid systems.

27
Q

Types of drug tolerance

A
  • Metabolic tolerance
  • Cellular tolerance
  • Learned tolerance
28
Q

Drug sensitisation

A
  • More likely to develop with intermittent exposure
  • Linked to conditioning of novel cues
29
Q

Hormones

A
  • Neurotransmitters, chemical messengers.
  • Mostly produced by glands (endocrine system)
  • Released to the blood circulation
30
Q

Hormone release

A
  • Regulated by neurohormones released in the brain (hypothalamus)
  • Gland is stimulated to produce releasing hormone (ACTH by pituitary gland)
  • Endocrine glands release their own hormones.
  • Hormone has its effect elsewhere in the body
31
Q

Chemical classes of hormones (2)

A

Steroid hormones
Peptide hormones

32
Q

Steroid hormones

A
  • Testosterone, cortisol
  • Synthesised from cholesterol in glands
  • Bind to steroid receptors on the cell membrane or in cell
  • Can directly influence gene transcription.
33
Q

Peptide hormones

A
  • Insulin, endorphins
  • Synthesised by cellular DNA
  • Bind to metabotropic receptors
  • Indirectly influence cell physiology or gene transcription.
34
Q

Functional groups of hormones (3)

A

Homeostatic hormones (maintain balance)
Gonadal hormones (sex hormones)
Glucocorticoids (stress hormones)

35
Q

Homeostatic hormones

A

Maintain state of internal metabolic balance

36
Q

Gonadal hormones

A

Testosterone, estrogen.
Control reproductive functions and induce gender effects on brain development

37
Q

Glucocorticoids

A

Cortisol, corticosterone.
Secreted in times of stress

Fast pathway (seconds)

  • Hypothalamus
  • Spinal cord
  • Adrenal medulla
  • Epinephrine

Slow pathway (minutes-hours)

  • Hypothalamus (CRH)
  • Pituitary gland (ACTH)
  • Bloodstream
  • Adrenal cortex
  • Cortisol

The bodies response to stress is the same whether the stressor is exciting, sad or frightening.

Brain and behaviour (14 decks)

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