Psychopharmacology Flashcards by Anu Latunji

What are Pharmacokinetics ?

-Understanding how drugs are handled by the body

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What are Pharmacodynamics?

the study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs

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What are the 6 routes of administration?

Oral
Rectal
Other mucus membranes
Transdermal patches
Inhalation
Injection

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Describe Oral administration

-Most absorption occurs in the small intestine
-Rate = slow
-Fastest on an empty stomach

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What are 2 advantages of oral administration

-Easy
-Can easily be taken out of system depending on when consumed (e.g. overdose) Limited infection risk

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What are 2 disadvantages of Oral administration

-Amount of food in gut can make absorption unpredictable (e.g. alcohol on an empty/ full stomach)

-Some drugs irritate the stomach, induce vomiting

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Describe Rectal administration, give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage

Suppositories
A = Can be used if person is vomiting or unconscious
D = Not well accepted by some

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What are the 3 other mucus membranes, describe each

Sublingual = Under the tongue
Absorbed through mucous membranes

Buccal = mouth
Absorbed through lining of mouth

Nasal = Inhaled or snorted
Absorbed by mucous membranes in the nose

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Give one advantage and one disadvantage of mucus membranes

A = Avoid first pass metabolism

D = All relatively slow compared to inhalation/ injection

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What is the first pass effect?

The extent to which a drug is metabolised by the liver before reaching systemic circulation

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Describe transdermal patches, give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage

-controlled release from a reservoir through a membrane
A = Long duration of action
D = Sweat and moisture may lift the patch

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Describe inhalation, give 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage

-Gases
-Aerosols
-Smoke

A = Very fast
D = Can cause damage to lungs

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Describe the 3 types of injection

Intravenous (IV)
Very fast
Can cause clots/ infection

Intermuscular
Not as fast as IV or inhalation but faster than others

Subcutaneous
Drug diffuses into area between skin and muscle
Can only inject small volumes

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Name 4 that factors determine the choice of route of administration

-Ease of administration
-Desired onset duration of action
-Quantity of drug to be administered
-Balance of risk vs benefits

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What is an agonist?

Enhance the effects of a neurotransmitter

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What is an antagonist?

Dampen or block the effects of a neurotransmitter

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What is the difference between a direct agonist and an indirect agonist

Direct agonist = Mimics effects of neurotransmitter

indirect agonist = Enhance the action of a natural neurotransmitters

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What is an inverse agonist?

Produces the opposite physiological changes to an agonist

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What is the difference between a direct antagonist and an indirect antagonist

Direct antagonist = binds to and blocks neurotransmitter receptors, preventing the neurotransmitters themselves from attaching to the receptors

Indirect antagonist = Dampens neurotransmitter activity by inhibiting the release/ production of neurotransmitters

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What is allosteric modulation?

-A chemical (modulator)that binds to a different part of the receptor than the neurotransmitter

-By doing so alters the receptors response to the neurotransmitter

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How can you Quantify the effects of a drug?

-quantified by a dose- response curve

-Plotting the relationship between drug dose and response under identical conditions allows comparison of pharmacological profile of drugs

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How does the dose- response curve measure potency?

ED50: A measure of potency
-The amount of drug required to produce a specific effect indicates potency

-ED50 is the dose producing half the maximal effect

What is drug efficiacy?

the maximum response that can be achieved with a drug.

What effects does Alcohol have on the brain

-Enhances GABA transmission by binding to the GABAA receptor

-Allosteric modulator

-Indirectly affects neurotransmission in serotonin, opioid and dopamine systems

What are the long term effects of consuming alcohol

General health issues Liver cirrhosis Cancer Foetal alcohol syndrome Brain effects Korsakoff's syndrome Withdrawal

What are the two routes of administration for cocaine

Inhalation (smoking crack cocaine) mucous membrane = nasal (snorting)

What effects does cocaine have on the brain

Blocks dopamine transporter -Prolongs the duration that dopamine remains in the synapses (Indirect agonist)

what are the chronic physical and psychological effects of cocaine?

-Smoking: lung congestion -Snorting: damaged nasal membranes -Psychosis

What are the 4 routes of administration Amphetamines (meth)

Oral administration (Swallowed) Mucous membrane (snorted) Injection Inhalation (smoked)

What are the initial effects of amphetamines

Euphoria Feeling of well being Decreased tiredness

What are the later effects of amphetamines

Irritability Paranoia Tremor Long term use = Psychosis

What are the effects of amphetamines on the brain

Stimulates the release of dopamine and non adrenaline

What are the 2 routes of administration for nicotine

Inhalation transdermal path oral (gum)

What is the mechanism of action for nicotine

Direct agonist Stimulant Activation increases release of neurotransmitters including dopamine

What is the mechanism of action for caffeine

Adenosine receptors inhibit the activation of dopamine receptors Caffeine reduces this inhibition Increases dopamine signalling So caffeine is a stimulant through being a direct antagonist

What are the effects of caffeine

- Alertness - Decreased fatigue - Improved motor coordination - Can precipitate panic attacks for those who suffer with panic attacks

What are the natural and synthetic opioid drugs

Natural: Morphine & Codeine Synthetic: heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone

How a heroin metabolised

In the brain, heroin is metabolised into morphine

What is the main opioid receptor

What are the main ingredients in cannabis

Cannabis sativa plant Dozens of chemicals Main active ingredient is cannabinoid Delta 9-THC

How is cannabis eliminated

THC is metabolised and then eliminated in urine

What is the mechanism of action for cannabis

CB1 and CB2 receptors THC is a direct agonist

List all the 9 factors contributing to differences in drug effects

- Kinetic differences - Pharmacodynamic differences - Body size - Age - Sex - Race - Socio economic environmental - Context - Tolerance & sensitisation

How can kinetic differences cause differences in drug effects

For same doses a different amount of drug reaches site of action

How can pharmacodynamic differences cause differences in drug effects

for same drug concentrations at site of action, different physiological responses e.g. allergic reaction

How can body size cause differences in drug effects

The same dose produces a smaller response in a larger person

How can age cause differences in drug effects

Metabolism Liver mass is reduced Decreased liver function

How can sex cause differences in drug effects

Compared with men, women have on average… - Lower plasma volume - Higher proportion of body fat - Differences in drug response according to phase of menstrual cycle

How can race cause differences in drug effects

Asian and African American populations tend to have higher frequencies of slow metabolism genetic variants Smokers with slower nicotine metabolism may smoke less extensively

How can context cause differences in drug effects

A placebo is a drug that lacks any intrinsic pharmacological activity can produce effects that are indistinguishable from a “real” drug, both behavioural and physiological

What are the 2 types of drug tolerance

Metabolic - Typically the drug is metabolised faster with repeated use Cellular - Neurons adjust their functioning to compensate for the action of the drug on the cell

What is sensitisation of a drug

- Response to drug increases over time

what are 2 Factors affecting the absorption, distribution and metabolism of alcohol

Presence of food in the stomach Sex - Men have a greater vascular capacity (greater body mass, alcohol more diluted in men's blood)