Mood and Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Define affect?
Subjective experience of emotional state?
Weather analogy
Define mood?
Pervasive and sustained emotion between the sad-happy continuum
(Climate analogy)
When does a mood disturbance become pathological?
Persistent and severe
Disturbance in activity
Disturbance in thinking
What are the three core symptoms of depression?
- PERVASIVE low mood
- Slowed activity
- Slowed thinking
Name various biological features associated with depression?
Loss of libido
Early morning wakening
Diurnal variation
In the classification of mood disorders what are the four common patterns observed regarding the course of the mood disorder?
Single episode
Recurrent depression
Bipolar affective disorder
Chronic depression
What is the most prevalent anxiety disorder?
Generalised anxiety disorder
When does anxiety become pathological?
Increased intensity of significant stress
Increased frequency of significant stress
More impairing of significant stress
Name the five diagnostic classifications of anxiety disorders?
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobic disorder
- OCD
- Mixed anxiety and depression
How do TCAs work in the treatment of depression?
They inhibit 5HT and Norepi uptake in the synaptic clefts
How do MAOIs work in the treatment of depression?
They inhibit the metabolism of 5HT and Norepi
Where in the brain does neurogenesis take place?
Dentate gyrus
Hippocampus
Where is 5HT found?
Raphe nucleus in the reticular foremation
Which resilience increasing receptor does 5HT activate?
5HT 1A
Lower levels of 5HT leads to what two adverse affects?
Increased response times to happy and neutral targets (not to sad ones)
Impaired recall to happy and neutral memories (but not sad ones)
Which transporter is the principle site of action of many antidepressant drugs?
5HTT
Transcriptional activity of the 5HTT gene is modulated by what?
A gene linked polymorphic region - 5HTTLPR
Short promoter regions of the gene linked polymorphic regions leads to what outcome?
Less production of 5HTT
Long promoter regions of the gene linked polymorphic region leads to what outcome?
More production of 5HTT
Activation of which receptor by 5HT causes the reduction of impulses fired on to 5HT-1A post synaptic cells?
1A somatodendritic auto-receptors (on the cell body of the raphe cells)
Activation of which receptor by 5HT causes the reduction of 5HT released per impulse on to 5HT-1A post synaptic cells?
1D terminal auto-receptor
Activation of which receptor by nor-epi causes an increase of impulses fired onto the 5HT-1A post synaptic cells?
a1 post synaptic nor-epi receptors
Activation of which receptor by nor-epi causes the reduction of 5HT released per impulse on to 5HT-1A post synaptic cells?
a2 terminal hetro-receptors
Which substance causes the reduction in function (impairment) of the 5HT-1A post-synaptic receptors?
Cortisol
Which brain region is inhibitory of the H-P-A axis?
Hippocampus
Which brain region is excitatory of the H-P-A axis?
Amygdala
What is the basic mechanism of action of anti-depressants?
To increase the functionality of the mechanism of resilience against chronic adverse stimuli (via increasing levels of 5HT acting on post synaptic 5HT-1A receptors) making it easier for patients to overcome stress
