Neurotransmitters & Medication Flashcards
What are the 4 conventional antipsychotics?
Chlorophyll filled Thor’s hands (CFTH)
1) Chlorpromazine
2) Fluphenazine
3) Thiothixene
4) Haloperidol
What are the 4 atypical antipsychotics?
“CORQ” - Clozapine, Olanzapine, Respirdone, and Quetiapine
What are the 5 tricyclic antidepressants?
Amitriptyline, Doxepin, Imipramine, Clomipramine, and Nortriptyline
What are the 4 SSRIs?
Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine, and Sertraline
What are the 3 MAOIs?
Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, and Tranylcypromine
What are the 6 anxiolytics (benzodiazepines)?
Diazepam, Alprazolam, Oxazepam, Triazolam, Chlordiazepoxide, and Lorazepam
What are the two types of acetylcholine receptors?
Muscarinic and nicotinic
What is acetylcholine’s function in the peripheral nervous system?
To cause muscular contractions via the neuromuscular junctions
What are common tricyclic side effects?
1) Sedation
2) Cardiotoxicity
3) Ataxia
4) Impaired concentration
5) Agitation
6) Severe hypotension
7) Fever
8) Cardiac arrhythmia
9) Delirium
10) Seizures
11) Coma
What are acetylcholine’s 3 functions in the central nervous system?
1) REM sleep
2) Regulation of the sleep-wake cycle
3) Learning/memory
What are the main side effects of conventional antipsychotics?
1) Anticholinergic effects - dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, constipation, tachycardia, and delayed ejaculation
2) Extrapyramidal effects - parkinsonism, akathisia, and acute dystonia (muscle spasms in the head/neck)
3) Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (rapid onset of motor, mental, and autonomic symptoms including muscle rigidity, tachycardia, hyperthermia, and altered consciousness)
What are the functions of dopamine (a catecholamine)?
Dopamine is associated with personality, mood, memory, and sleep.
1) Schizophrenia - Caused by elevated or oversensitivity to dopamine
2) Tourette’s - Caused by elevated or oversensitivity to dopamine in the caudate nucleus
3) Parkinson’s - Caused by degeneration of dopamine receptors in the substantia nigra underlying tremors, muscle rigidity, and other motor symptoms
4) Drug reinforcement - Dopamine reinforces stimulant, opiate, alcohol, and nicotine use by elevating dopamine in the mesolimbic system (areas in the midbrain and limbic system)
What are the functions of norepinephrine?
Norepinephrine plays an important role in mood, attention, dreaming, learning, and certain autonomic functions (like blood pressure)
What are the functions of serotonin?
Serotonin usually exerts an inhibitory effect and has been implicated in mood, hunger, temperature regulation, sexual activity, arousal, sleep, aggression, and migraine headache.
1) Elevated serotonin = Schizophrenia, ASD, and food restriction associated with Anorexia Nervosa
2) Low levels = Aggression, depression, suicide, Bulimia Nervosa, PTSD, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
3) Serotonin & dopamine = Social phobia
What are the functions of GABA?
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and plays a role in eating, seizure, anxiety disorders, motor control, vision, and sleep.
1) Low levels = Anxiety disorders
2) Huntington’s = Degeneration of GABA cells in the basal ganglia
What are the functions of glutamate?
Glutamate is excitatory and plays a role in learning/memory via long-term potentiation. Excessive glutamate (excitotoxicity) produces seizures, stroke-related brain damage, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders
What are the functions of endorphins?
Endorphins are inhibitory neuromodulators that lower the sensitivity of postsynaptic neurons and can prevent the release of substance P, which explains their analgesic properties.
Endorphins are associated with pleasurable experiences (e.g., the “runner’s high”), emotions, memory and learning, and sexual behavior too.
What are catecholamines?
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine made by adrenal glands located on the kidneys and released in response to stress or stimulus
What is the catecholamine hypothesis?
The catecholamine hypothesis predicts that some forms of depression are due to lower-than-normal levels of norepinephrine
What are anticholinergic effects?
Anticholinergic effects include:
1) Dry mouth
2) Blurred vision
3) Urinary retention
4) Constipation
5) Tachycardia
6) Delayed ejaculation
Anticholinergic effects are commonly caused by any antipsychotic
What are conventional antipsychotics used to treat?
1) Schizophrenia (particularly positive symptoms)
2) MDD with mania, delusions, and hallucinations
3) Organic psychoses
What are atypical (novel) antipsychotics used to treat?
1) Schizophrenia and other disorders with psychotic symptoms
2) Bipolar that is not responsible to mood stabilizers
3) Depression and suicidality
4) Alcohol and drug addiction
5) Hostility
6) Motor symptoms associated with Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, etc.
How do atypical antipsychotics work?
They block D4 and other dopamine receptors as well as receptors for serotonin and glutamate
How do conventional antipsychotics work?
They block D2 dopamine receptors
What are the main side effects of atypical antipsychotics?
1) Anticholinergic effects
2) Lowered seizure threshold
3) Sedation
4) Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
5) Agranulocytosis
- They are less likely than conventional antipsychotics to cause extrapyramidal effects - parkinsonism, akathisia, and acute dystonia (muscle spasms in the head/neck)
What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
Rapid onset of motor, mental, and autonomic symptoms including muscle rigidity, tachycardia, hyperthermia, and altered consciousness
What are tricyclics used to treat?
Tricyclics are particularly useful for treating depression with vegetative and somatic symptoms (e.g., decreased appetite, weight loss, sleep disturbances, psychomotor retardation, and anhedonia). Tricyclics can also be used to treat:
1) Panic disorder
2) Agoraphobia
3) Bulimia
4) OCD
5) Enuresis (especially imipramine)
6) Neuropathic pain (especially amitriptyline and nortriptyline)
How do tricyclics work?
Tricyclics block the reuptake of norepinephrine, serotonin, and/or dopamine