Nervous System Drug Classes

Question 1

Blocks the reuptake of serotonin, increasing levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft; treats depression and anxiety

Answer 1

SSRIs

Question 2

Blocks the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, increasing levels of both in the synaptic cleft; treats depression and anxiety; primarily in the CNS

Answer 2

SNRIs

Question 3

Blocks the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, increasing levels of both in the synaptic cleft; treats depression and anxiety; can also work in the PNS and some work with acetylcholine

Answer 3

Tricyclic antidepressants

Question 4

Inhibits the monoamine oxidase enzyme, preventing the destruction of monoamines such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine; treats depression and anxiety

Answer 4

MAOIs

Question 5

Regulate levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine to restore imbalances; modulates sodium and iron channels and regulates neuronal activity; treats bipolar disorder, depression, and mood swings

Answer 5

Mood stabilizers

Question 6

Increases inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA to decrease activity in the brain; works for epilepsy and other conditions like bipolar disorder

Answer 6

Anticonvulsants

Question 7

Decreases levels of dopamine in certain areas of the brain; treats psychosis disorders like schizophrenia and conditions like agitation or mania

Answer 7

Typical (1st gen) antipsychotics

Question 8

Decreases levels of dopamine and serotonin in certain areas of the brain; can also affect norepinephrine and histamine; treats schizophrenia, bipolar, agitation, Tourette’s

Answer 8

Atypical (2nd gen) antipsychotic

Question 9

Modulates specific GABA receptors (GABA-A) to increase frequency of chloride channels and increase the flow of GABA, leading to sedating effects; treats anxiety and insomnia

Answer 9

Benzodiazepines

Question 10

Promotes sleep by blocking the neuropeptide orexin that promotes wakefulness on the OX1R and OX2R receptors; treats insomnia

Answer 10

DORAs

Question 11

Directly increases GABA by binding directly to receptor sites; can also block sodium and calcium channels; can be used for epilepsy, anesthesia, insomnia

Answer 11

Barbiturates

Question 12

Works as an agonist for catecholamines like dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine to increase activity in the brain; increases focus and planning in the pre-frontal cortex; treats conditions like ADHD

Answer 12

Stimulants

Question 13

Primarily works as an agonist for norepinephrine to increase focus and attention; treats ADHD

Answer 13

Non-stimulants

Question 14

Modulates neurotransmitters by blocking sodium, potassium, and calcium channels, or increasing GABA to decrease neuronal activity; treats seizures

Answer 14

Anticonvulsants

Question 15

Blocks sodium channels to decrease excitability of neurons; treats epilepsy

Answer 15

Hydantoin anticonvulsants

Answer 16

Catechol-o-methyl transferase inhibitors (COMTs)

Answer 17

Cholinesterase inhibitors

Answer 18

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonists (NMDAs)

Answer 19

5-HT1 agonists / Triptans

Answer 20

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)

Question 21

Lower levels of serotonin and narrows blood vessels in the brain, which can decrease the transmission of pain signals; treats migraines

Answer 21

Ergot alkaloids

Question 22

Increase levels of GABA or disrupt channels to promote sleep; can also reduce excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate; used for sleep for surgical procedures

Answer 22

Anesthetics

Question 23

Directly or indirectly increase levels of dopamine by stimulating receptors, promoting the release from storage vesicles, or modulating activity; treats Parkinson’s Disease, but can also treat depression, ADHD, restless legs syndrome, or schizophrenia in some cases

Answer 23

Dopamine agents / dopaminergic drugs