Module 4 - Psychopharmacology Flashcards
Psychopharmacology
The study of all drugs.
The goal of psychopharmacology is to understand how different drugs impact nervous system functioning. They study both theraputic and drug about.
Drugs
An exogenous chemical not necessary for normal cellular functioning that significantly alters the functions of certain body cells when taken in reletively low doses
Drug Effects
Observable changes in an individuals physiology and behaviour
Sites of Action
The locations there drug molecules interact with molecules on or in cells to affect biochemical processes
Pharmacokinetics
The process by which drugs are absorbed, distributed within the body, metabolised and excreted
Absorption
Drug is administered and absored through tissues.
They can be absorbed by; Injection, Oral, Inhalation, topical Administration
Intravenous Injection
Injected into the vein (very fast)
Intraperitoneal Injection
Injected into the petitoneal cavity (fast)
Withdrawal Symptoms
Intramuscular Injection
Injected into a large muscle
Subcutaneous Injection
Injected into the space beneath the skin
Oral Absorption
Most common form of consumption.
Swallowing the drug
But can also be sublingual by placing it under the tongue
Topic Administration
When the drug is placed on the skin and absorbed.
Includes insufflation (snorting) when the drug is absorbed through mucous membrane
Distribution
When the drug is distrbuted throughout the body and blood
Drugs only exert effects at their sits of action
For drugs influencing behaviour, sites are on sells of the CNS
Therefore, drugs must pass the blood-brain barrier to impact behaviour
Lipid Solubility
Determines how quickly drug molecules reach sites of the action in the brain
Lipid soluble molecules can directly cross the blood brain barrier.
The more lipid soluable, the quicker the impact
Blood-Brain Barrier
Compensatory Mechanisms
Metabolism
The drug is changed to an inactive form by enzymes
Excretion
The drug is excreted in urine by the kidneys
Dose Response Curve
We can measure how effective a drug is by measuring the dose of the drug and the effect
The point of maximum effect is when increasing the doses no longer increase the effect
Margin of Safety
The difference between the dosage which produces and indended therapeutic effect and the dosage which produces unintended toxic side effects
Therepeutic Index
We can quantify the margin of safety using the therapeutic index.
Drug dosage that causes toxic effects in 50% of the sample
Drug dosage that causes therapeutic effects in 50% of the sample
Sits of action
Drug Affinity
Tolerance
