Study Guide 8 Flashcards
Predisposition to psychiatric disorders (short and long lived aspects)
- genetic/familial
- environmental
- psychosocial
- biological
- medical
- hormonal
Medical impact on predisposition to psychiatric disorders
Chronic illness
hormonal impact on predisposition to psychiatric disorders
SAD and PPD
SAD =
Seasonal affective disorder
PPD =
Postpartum depression
How does depression occur at the cellular level?
- decreased activity of postsynaptic receptor
- supersensitivity of the presynaptic autoreceptor
- decreased capacity for neurogenesis
- decreased activity of BDNF
What would cause decreased activity of the postsynaptic receptor?
- Decreased receptor presence
- decreased NT availability
With depression, what causes decreased capacity for neurogenesis?
High glucocorticoid levels = stress
BDNF =
Brain derived neurotropic factor
What is BDNF?
growth factor
BDNF activates neurogenesis here (especially)
Hippocampus (and other areas)
BDNF is a major player in:
- neurogenesis
- learning
- memory
How does BDNF influence creation of new neurons?
stimulates
- cell division
- migration of stem cells in the brain
BDNF is activated by
Exercise
What increases synthesis of BDNF?
Increased activity of neurotransmitters
What are the goals of using pharmacology to great depression/psychiatric disorders?
- inhibit breakdown of NT
- stimulate release of NT
- block reuptake of NT
What are the BIG THREE neurotransmitters implicated in psychiatric disorders?
- dopamine
- serotonin
- norepinephrine
How does tx with antidepressants change the brain?
- growth of dendritic spines
- increased number of receptors
- increased NT activity
Why are dendritic spines important for depression?
Hotspots for postsynaptic receptors
How are amines removed from the synapse and degraded?
- MAO breaks it down at the synapse or shortly after uptake
- renders dopamine inert
MAO favors this
Dopamine
How is bipolar similar to and different from depression?
Bipolar has all the things that go wrong with depression, but there’s also an added GABA imbalance (or any other inhibitory NT)
Types of Bipolar disorder
Bipolar I
Bipolar II
Bipolar I
- deep depression
- very high mania
Bipolar II
- have depression
- mania is less severe than type I
What contributes to psychosis?
- hyperactivity of dopamine
- insufficiency of GABA at modulating glutaminergic activity in the limbic system
What is the most common type of psychosis?
Schizophrenia
How is schizophrenia different from depression and bipolar disorder (and other mood disorders)?
- does not cycle like depression/bipolar
- full recovery from schizophrenia is unlikely
What is the DO NOT MISS list?
- major depression
- suicide risk
- femoral head and neck fx
- cauda equina
- cervical myelopathy
- abdominal aortic aneurysm
- DVT
- PE
- atypical MI
