Psychopharmacology of Anxiolytics Flashcards
Enumerate structures modulating fear
- Amygdala
- Anterior cingulate cortex
- Orbitofrontal cortex
Avoidance, a primarily motor response, is regulated by which structures?
Reciprocal connections between the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG)
Which hormone is secreted in the fear response?
Cortisol
What are the physiologic responses to fear?
- Changes in respiration (regulated by parabrachial nucleus)
- Increases in HR and BP (regulated by connections between amygdala and locus ceruleus)
What is re-experiencing?
Traumatic memory stored in the hippocampus triggering the amygdala to initiate a fear response
Neurotransmitters involved in symptoms of anxiety and fear associated with malfunctioning of amygdala-centred circuits
- Serotonin (5HT)
- GABA
- Corticotropin releasing factor
- norepinephrine
Structure associated with symptoms of worry
Cortico-striato-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) loop
Drug treatments for Anxiety
- GABAergic anxiolytics/Benzodiazepines
- Serotonergic anxiolytics
- Noradrenergic anxiolytics
Most widely used anxiolytics
Benzodiazepines
Principal inhibitory neurotransmitter
GABA
Benzodiazepine mode of action
Enhancement of GABA action at amygdala and prefrontal cortex within CSTC loops
Types of GABA receptors
- GABAa: gatekeepers of chloride channel, allosterically modulated
- GABAb: Not allosterically modulated, binds exclusively to Baclofen
Benzodiazepine receptors
- Omega 1 (cerebellum: anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic.)
- Omega 2: (spinal cord and striatum: muscle relaxant)
- Omega 3: peripheral
Actions of benzodiazepines
- Anxiolytic
- Anticonvulsant
- Muscle relaxation
- Hypnosis and stupour in high doses
NOT
- Analgesia
- Anaesthesia
Clinical uses of benzodiazepines
- Anxiety disorders
- Muscle relaxation
- Anticonvulsant
- Alcohol withdrawal