Pharmacology of the Nervous System Flashcards
What is pharmacology?
study of how chemical agents can influence the function of living systems
What is a better definition of pharmacology?
Chemical substance that interacts with a specific target within a biological system to produce a physiologic effect
What 3 questions do you need to ask yourself when considering how individual drugs produce their effects?
What is the target of the drug?
Where is the effect produced?
What is the response produced after interaction with this target?
Why do people take heroin?
Euphoria
Analgesia (pain relief)
Cough suppression
How can side effects be produced by drug action?
Drug action:
On other targets in the same tissue or other tissues
On the same target in other tissues
Dependent on the dose of the drug administered
What is pramipexole?
dopamine receptor agonist
What specific quality do the ‘safest’ drugs have?
Drugs which have a large difference between dose required to induce the desired effect and the does required to induce side effect/adverse effects
What type of molecule are the majority of drug targets?
Proteins
What are the 4 main classes of drug targets?
Receptors
Enzymes
Transport proteins
Ion channels
What are the 4 most commonly prescribed drugs and what class are their targets?
Atorvastatin - Enzyme
Amlodipine - Ion channel
Salbutamol - Receptor
Citalopram - Transport protein
What 2 purposes do drugs act on targets for?
Enhance activation - stimulate an effect
Prevent activation - block an effect from being produced
Name 3 CNS neurotransmitters, which have a very similar structure
Dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin
What is a side effect?
Effect produced by the drug by the drug that is secondary to the intended effect
What is a side effect called if it has a negative health consequence?
Adverse effect
What drug can be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease?
Pramiplexole (activates the dopamine receptor)
