Psychopharmacology Flashcards
What are the three main types of neurotransmitters?
Conventional transmitters, neuropeptides and lipid-based signaling molecules
What are the specificities of conventional neurotransmitters?
Modified amino acids
Synthetized in axon terminal
Ionotropic receptors or metabotropic receptors
Recycled and reused
Binds across the synapse or neighboring neurons
What are the specificities of neuropeptides?
String of amino acids
Synthetized in soma and used once
Metabotropic receptors
Diffuse long distance
What are the specificities of lipid-based signaling molecules?
Piece of membrane
Metabotropic receptors
Reverse direction
Decrease release of neurotransmitters
Which neurotransmitters are released by neurons 99% of the time?
Glutamate and GABA
What are the four main neuromodulators?
Acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine
What kind of receptors do the neuromodulators activate ?
G-protein coupled receptors
Why do the neuromodulators are often targeted for drugs?
They can easily change the behavior
Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine are…
monoamines
Dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine are…
Catecholamines
Monoamines are packaged in synaptic vesicles by…
Vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT)
What is the difference between a receptor agonist and a receptor antagonist?
Receptor agonist->drug that increases the activity of postsynaptic receptor proteins
Receptor antagonist->drug that decreases the activity of postsynaptic receptor proteins
What is biased agonism?
The idea that one metabotropic receptor ligand causes a receptor to activate one type of g-protein whereas another ligand on the same receptor can lead to another g-protein
