Physio and Psychopharm Flashcards
Dopamine (MMSLR)
Mood, Movement, Sleep, Learning, Reinforcement effects of drugs
Abnormal levels related to:
- Parkinson’s
- Huntington’s
- Tourette’s
- ADHD
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
Acetylcholine (MAAM)
Muscles (skeletal, smooth, cardiac), Attention, Arousal, Memory
- Low levels in the hippocampus associated with memory loss in Alzheimer’s
- Cholinesterase Inhibitors - Reduce the breakdown of Acetylcholine and temporarily reverse or slow down memory loss with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease
Glutamate (MMEL)
Movement, Memory, Emotions, Learning
- Involved in LTP - essential for the formation of long-term memories
- Excessive glutamate = excitotoxicity:
- Stroke
- Seizures
- TBI
- Huntington’s
- ALzheimer’s
Norepinephrine (SLAAMM)
Sleep, learning, Attention, Arousal, Memory, Mood
Abnormal levels associated with:
- ADHD
- Mania
- Depression
Loss of norepinephrine neurons in the Locus Coeruleus is linked to the non-motor sxs of Parkinson’s:
- Depression
- Cognitive deficits
- Sleep disturbances
**Catecholamine Hypothesis: some forms of depression are due to deficiency of norepinephrine while mania is due to excessive levels
Serotonin (HAAMPSS)
Hunger, Arousal, Aggression, Mood, Pain, Sleep, Sex
Low levels:
- Depression
- Increased risk for suicide
- OCD
- Bulimia
- Migraines
Excessive levels:
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- Anorexia
GABA (MMMS)
Memory, Mood, Motor Control, Sleep
Abnormally low levels of GABA:
- Anxiety
- Mania
- Insomnia
- Seizure disorders
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
*Benzos enhance GABA and reduce anxiety and induce sleep
Locus Coeruleus
- Nucleus in the pons
- Involved with physiological responses to stress and panic
Endorphins
- Inhibitory neurotransmitters
- Effects are similar to opioid drugs
- Contribute to feelings of pleasure, well-being, and reduce perception of pain
- Produced by the pituitary gland in the hypothalamus during running and exercise
Hindbrain Structures
Cerebellum
Pons
Medulla Oblongata
Medulla
- Involuntary throat and mouth movements - swallowing, coughing, sneezing
- Regulates vital autonomic NS: respiration, HR, BP, digestion
Brain injuries, certain diseases, and other drugs can disrupt the functioning of the medulla and result in death
Pons
- Connects the 2 parts of the cerebellum (helps coordinate movements on 2 sides of body)
- Connected medulla to cerebellum
- Connects cerebellum to forebrain
Involved in:
- Arousal
- Sleep
- Regulation of respiration
Cerebellum
- Coordinates and sequences complex voluntary movements initiated in the motor cortex
- Maintains posture and balance
- Processes and stores procedural memories
Damage can cause ataxia:
- Lack of muscle control
- Impaired balance and coordination
- Slurred speech
- Blurred or double vision
Midbrain Structures
Reticular Activating System, Substantia Nigra, and Superior and inferior colliculi
Reticular Activating System
- Alerts cortex to incoming sensory info
- Role in: Sleep & wakefulness, Attention, Behavioral arousal, consciousness
Lesions in the RAS can cause: comatose state
Extends from the medulla to the midbrain
Direct electrical stimulation of the RAS or stimulation by sensory input can awaken a sleeping person and cause an awake person to become more alert
Substantia Nigra
Plays a role in:
- Reward seeking behaviors
- Drug addiction
- Motor control (thru connection to basal ganglia)
Degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in the Substantia Nigra contributes to the motor sxs associated with Parkinson’s Disease:
- Slowed movement
- Tremors
- Muscle rigidity
- & other motor sxs
Frontal Lobe
- Execeutive cognitive functions
- Expressing emotions
- Speech production (Broca’s area)
Damage to Dorsolateral area
- Damage to dorsolateral:
- Perseverative responses (inappropriate repetition)
- Depression, decreased range of emotions
- Impaired attention, working memory, judgment, abstract thinking
Damage to orbitofrontal area
Disinhibited syndrome:
- Behavioral disinhibition, distractibility, emotion lability, inappropriate euphoria, and acquired sociopathy (risk taking behaviors, lack of empathy and insight, and a persistent need for immediate gratification)
Damage to mediofrontal area
Apathetic-Akinetic syndrome:
- Decreased motor behavior and verbal output
- Lack of motivation and goal-directed activities
- Apathy and indifference
Broca’s Area
Damage results in Broca’s aphasia (expressive aphasia)
- Slow, labored speech (primarily nouns & verbs)
- Impaired repetition
- Anomia (inability to recall the names of familiar objects)
- Relatively intact comprehension of written and spoken language
Parietal Lobe & Damage
- Somatosensory cortex
Processes sensory info related to: touch, pressure, temp, pain, body position
Result of damage depends on the location:
- Somatosensory Agnosias:
- Tactile agnosia - inability to recognize objects by touch
- Asomatognosia - Lack of recognition of one or more parts of the body
- Anosognosia - denial of one’s own illness or disability - Contralateral Neglect - neglect of one side of the body
- Gerstmann’s Syndrome:
- Usually caused by damage to the dominant (usually left) hemisphere:- Finger agnosia
- Right/Left disorientation
- Agraphia - loss of writing skills
- Acalculia - loss of math skills