Psychopharmacology Flashcards
What are the 4 types of psycho treatment?
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Chemical
- Drugs/medicines (+ Immunotherapy)
- Electrical Stimulation
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Structural rearrangement
- Surgery & orthopaedics
- Talking therapies
What are the ways used to classify drugs?
- Based on chemical structure
- Based on what illnesses they treat
- Based on their pharmacology
What are the pros of classifying drugs based on what illness they treat?
- Easy for Drs to choose a drug as docs make diagnosis
What are the cons of classifying drugs based on what illness they treat (2)?
- Many psychiatric medicines work in several disorders
- Most psychiatric disorders have multiple symptoms and a single medicine might not treat them all
What are the chemical targets of psychomedication (4)?
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Receptors
- Agonists or antagonists
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Neurotransmitter reuptake sites
- Most neurotransmitters are recovered and recycled via reuptake sites
- Many psychiatric drugs block these reuptake sites so increase neurotransmitter concentration in the synapse to enhance post-synaptic receptor activity
- Some switch the reuptake site direction to enhance release
-
Ion channels
- Some drugs block channels so reduce neuronal excitability
-
Enzymes
- Usually they block enzyme activity
Which are the fast acting neurotransmitters (excitatory & inhibiting)?
Responsible for content of memory, movement, vision etc.
Excitatory: Glutamate
Inhibitory: GABA
Which are the slow acting neurotransmitters (5)?
Responsible for emotions, drives, valence of memory etc.
- Dopamine
- Serotonin
- Noradrenaline
- Acetylcholine
- Endorphins and other peptides
What is the impact of excess glutamate (2)?
- Epilepsy
- Alcoholism
How is epilepsy by excess glutamate get treated?
Perampanel
How is alcoholism by excess glutamate get treated?
- Acamprosate
- Ketamine
What is the impact of GABA deficiency?
Anxiety
How is anxiety from GABA deficiency treated?
Benzodiazepines
What is the impact of serotonin deficiency (2)?
- Depression
- Anxiety
How is depression and anxiety caused by serotonin deficiency treated?
- Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
What is the impact of excess dopamine?
Psychosis
What effect may a medication have on a chemical target (4)?
- Full antagonists - block a chemical target
- Partial agonists - lower max efficacy than full agonists
- Full agonists - activate a chemical target
- Inverse agonist - activate a chemical target on an opposite direction
