MECHANISM OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ACTION Flashcards
what are 4 strategies to help alleviate mental illness?
lifestyle
social support
psychotherapy
antidepressants
what are the 4 dopamine pathways?
mesolimbic
mesocortical
nigrostriatal
tuberoinfundibular
what is the function of the nigrostriatal pathway?
initiation and control of movement
what is the function of the mesolimbic pathway?
reward and reinforcement
what is the function of the mesocortical pathway?
cognition, planning and motivation
what is the function of the tubero-infundibular pathway?
Inhibits the release of prolactin hormone from the pituitary gland
what behaviour does noradrenaline influence?
sleep
wakefulness
attention
feeding behaviour
where is noradrenaline most commonly released from?
neurones originating from the locus coeruleus in the brainstem
where is serotonin released from?
neurones originating from the Raphe nuclei in the brainstem
what does serotonin influence?
mood, emotional behaviour, sleep and the feeling of being satisfied
where is GABA released from?
inhibitory neurones throughout the CNS
what is GABAs mechanism of action?
It binds to a GABA-A receptor, which allows an influx of Cl- across the post-synaptic membrane which hyper polarises the neurone
what are positive schizophrenic symptoms?
hallucinations
delusions
thought disorder
what is the aim of treatment for positive symptoms?
To decrease dopamine transmission as they’re associated with the mesolimbic pathway.
what are negative schizophrenic symptoms?
lack of motivation, reduced speech, reduced emotion, social withdrawal
what is the aim of treatment for the negative schizophrenic symptoms?
To increase dopamine transmission as they are associated with the mesocortical pathway.
what is the cause of schizophrenia?
unknown