Psychopharmacology Flashcards
What does ADME stand for?
- administration/absorption ~ how the drug gets into the blood
- distribution ~ how the drug gets to the brain
- metabolism ~ how the drug gets broken down - enzymes
- elimination ~ how the drug leaves the body
What are the 5 methods of drug administration?
- Injection ~vein, muscle, skin
- Inhalation
- Mucus membrane absorption ~ snorting
- Ingestion
- Transdermal ~ through your skin
- from fastest to slowest (mostly)
What happens along with speed?
- the fastest techniques get the most of the drug to the brain but has less filtration
- fastest techniques are frequently the shortest lasting techniques
What are the 5 ways a drug messes with synaptic communication?
- neurotransmitter synthesis
- neurotransmitter storage
- neurotransmitter release
- binding of the neurotransmitter
- reuptake/breakdown of the neurotransmitter
What happens to the brain mechanisms/circuits?
- dopaminergic circuits
- mesolimbic “reward” system
~ nucleus accumbens (linked to serotonin)
~ ventral tegmental area (VTA) (linked to serotonin too)
~ locus coeruleus, amygdala, hippocampus, insula all linked as well
What is addiction?
- continued compulsive use of drugs despite adverse health or social consequences
~ multiple lead to addiction - mental side
What is dependence?
- physical need for the substance
- biological changes lead to dependence
What is tolerance?
- the body became more efficient at metabolizing the drug
- the cells may change their structure to become more resistant to the effect of the drug
What are withdrawals?
- when the body expects the drug to come, but the drug does not come
What neurotransmitters are catecholamines?
- dopamine
- norepinephrine
- epinephrine
What neurotransmitters are indoleamines?
- serotonin
- melatonin
What are the other neurotransmitter families?
cholinergic ~ Ach
- Glutamate/GABA
- ATP
-Endorphins, Enkephalins, Substance P
What does Catecholamines do?
- the NTs come from the same starting material
- Tyrosine -> L-DOPA –> Dopamine–> Norepinephrine
–>Epinephrine
What does Dopamine do?
- a few different circuits
~ higher level functions like Learning and Memory - Pleasure ~ addiction
- movement systems
What does norepinephrine and epinephrine do?
- both activate the sympathetic nervous system
What does epinephrine do?
- Epinephrine gives a shorter, more immediate, physical increase in energy
What does norepinephrine do?
- norepinephrine gives a milder, longer lasting increase
~ both physical and mental
~ attention, focus, and confidence
What is the cycle of Indoleamines?
- Tryptophan –> 5HTP –> Serotonin –> Melatonin
What does Serotonin do?
- think depression
- spread throughout the brain (not clustered like other NTs)
- sleep, mood, appetite
What does Melatonin do?
- sleep
- hormone from the pineal gland
What does Cholinergic do?
- use Acetylcholine as their NT
- found at the neuromuscular junctions ~ movement
- possibly involved in learning and memory
~ linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
What does Glutamate do?
- most common excitatory NT in the CNS
- linked to many many functions
What does GABA do?
- most common inhibitory NT in the CNS
- linked to many many functions
What does ATP do?
- pain perception
- autonomic nervous system
~ bladder, heart, gut, vas deferens - by products are also NTs
~ ADP, AMP, Adenosine
What are the other NTs and what do they do?
- Endorphins, Enkephalins, Substance P(pain)
What does an agonists do?
- they INCREASE the effect of the NT
what does an antagonist do?
- they DECREASE the effect of the NT
If the NT is INHIBITORY, what does it do?
- agonist lead to MORE inhibition
- antagonist lead to LESS inhibition
If the NT is EXCITATORY, what does it do?
- agonist lead to MORE excitation
- antagonist lead to LESS excitation
What are the 3 reasons people use drugs?
- Medical: useful for nausea, pain, anxiety, among other things
- Recreational: used to relax, get “high”
- Ritual: connect with spiritual forces
What stimulants are mainly out there?
- cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, caffeine
What depressants are mainly out there?
- alcohol, heroin, fentanyl, opioids
What hallucinogens are maninly out there?
- marijuana, ecstasy
What areas does cocaine and methamphetamine effect?
- primary on catacholamines
- Dopamine: highly addictive and psychosis
- Norepinephrine and Epinephrine: physically stimulating (physical and mental)
- also impacts serotonin and acetylcholine system
What is the long term affect of coke and meth on dopamine?
- to much dopamine: paranoia and anhedonia (lack of pleasure)
What is the long term affect of coke and meth on serotonin?
- to much serotonin: insomnia, depression (sleep and mood problems)
What is the long term affect of coke and meth on norepinephrine and epinephrine?
- to much: exhaustion, lethargy, and low blood pressure
What is the long term affect of coke and meth on acetylcholine?
- to much: tremors, memory lapses, confusion
- links to memory and movement
What does Nicotine do?
- primarily acts on dopamine and acetylcholine receptors
- Dopamine: highly addictive
- Acetylcholine: reaction time - short term increase, long term decrease
- tremors long term
What does caffeine do?
- primary acts on adenosine receptors
- helps with pain
- mildly stimulates catecholamines: energy and focus ; mildly addictive
What does alcohol do?
- primarily acts as a GABA agonist ~ less brain activity
~ slows down brain processes generally - Dopamine: addictive (heavily addictive)
- Serotonin: elevates it temporarily, then depletes
~ pleasure followed by depression
What else does alcohol affect?
- norepinephrine: confidence
- endorphins: reduces pain
- glutamate: memory issues
What does opioids do?
- work on mu, kappa, and sigma opioid receptors
~ same place endorphins, enkephalins, and Substance P work
~ also found in the GI tract: leads to long term constipation - biological changes easily lead to dependence, which can lead to addiction
What other opioids are included?
- heroin, oxycontin, vicodin, fentanyl
What does Marijuana do?
- act on the receptors for Anandamide and 2 AG called cannabinoid receptors
- mostly found in the frontal lobe, cerebellum, limbic system
- not many in the brainstem ~ probably why physical overdose is rare
Why does MJ lead to the “munchies”?
- stimulates the hypothalamus and triggers hunger
What does Ecstasy do?
- primarily impacts catecholamines and serotonin
- Dopamine: addictive
- Norepinephrine and Epinephrine: increased heart rate, blood pressure
- Serotonin: happy mood, increased appetite, less sleep
- also increased oxytocin levels which increases empathy
