unit 1

Question 1

pharmacology

Answer 1

the study of functional and biochemical aspects of drug action

Question 2

neuropharmacology

Answer 2

the study of the effects of drug action on the nervous system

Question 3

psychopharmacology

Answer 3

the study of behavioral and cognitive aspects of drug action

Question 4

drug

Answer 4

any small molecule that when introduced into the body alters the body’s function by interacting at the molecular lebel

Question 5

drug action

Answer 5

specific molecular changes produced by a drug when it binds to a receptor

Question 6

drug effects

Answer 6

alterations in physiological and psychological functions

Question 7

pharmacokinetics

Answer 7

the investigation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and the elimination of drugs

Question 8

pharmacodynamics

Answer 8

the mechanisms of action of drugs

Question 9

toxicology

Answer 9

the toxic effects of drugs

Question 10

dose of drug –> drug concentration in target organ over time

Answer 10

pharmocokinetics

Question 11

drug concentration in target organ over time –> mechanism and magnitude of drug effect

Answer 11

pharmacodynamics

Question 12

bioavailability

Answer 12

of the drug is the level of drug in the circulation that is available to interact with receptors

Question 13

sources of drugs

Answer 13

exogenous, endogenous, xenobiotics

Question 14

drug receptors

Answer 14

receptors largely determine the quantitative relationship between the amount (dose or concentration) of the drug and the biological effect. receptors are responsible for selectivity of a drugs action.

Question 15

classification of drugs

Answer 15

on the order of 50 to 60 drug groupings. typically authors of psychopharmacology texts describe 5 to 8 classes of drugs as psychoactive

Question 16

classification of drugs that alter mood, behavior, and/or cognitive functions

Answer 16

(stimulants and convulsants), (neural depressant, sedative-hypnotic, and anxiolytics), (narcotic analgesics), (hallucinogens), (antidepressants), (antipsychotic)

Question 17

stimulants and convulsants

Answer 17

cause neural and behavioral excitation

Question 18

neural depressant, sedative-hypnotic, and anxiolytics

Answer 18

reduce neural excitability (epilepsy), produce drowsiness, sedation, and sleep, reduce anxiety symptoms

Question 19

narcotic analgesics

Answer 19

relieve pain, cause sleep

Question 20

hallucinogens

Answer 20

psychedelics or pscyhotogens

Question 21

antidepressants

Answer 21

relieve depression

Question 22

antipsychotic

Answer 22

treat psychosis

Question 23

the drug development process

Answer 23

1) discovery and development
2) preclinical research
3) clinical research
4) FDA review
5) FDA post-market safety monitoring

Question 24

typically researchers discover new drugs through:

Answer 24

• new insights into a disease process that allows researchers to design a product to stop or reverse the effect of the disease
• tests of molecular compounds to find possible beneficial effects against many diseases
• new technologies that provide new ways to target medical products to specific sites within the body or to manipulate genetic material
• at this stage in the process, thousands of compounds may be potential candidates for development of compounds look promising and call for further study

Question 25

once researchers identify a promising compound, experiments gather information on:

Answer 25

• how is it absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted
• its potential benefits and mechanisms of action
• the best dose
• the best route of administration
• side effects
• how it interacts with other drugs and treatments
• its effectiveness as compared with similar drugs

Question 26

before testing a drug in people,

Answer 26

researchers must find out whether it has the potential to cause serious harm

Question 27

preclinical research

Answer 27

in vitro and in vivo

Question 28

clinical research

Answer 28

studies, or trials done in people

Question 29

phase 1 of clinical research

Answer 29

20 to 100 healthy volunteers

Question 30

phase 2 clinical research

Answer 30

patients up to several hundred people with the disease/condition studied for several months to 2 years to determine efficacy and side effects. only about 33% of drugs to move to the next phase

Question 31

phase 3 clinical research

Answer 31

300 to 3,000 volunteers who have the disease or condition. the purpose is to establish efficacy and monitor for adverse reactions. can last for 1 to 4 years. percentage of drugs that move to the next phase is 25-30%

Question 32

phase 4 clinical research

Answer 32

several thousand volunteers who have the disease/condition. the purpose is to obtain additional data on efficacy and side effects

Question 33

FDA review

Answer 33

if early tests and preclinical and clinical research show that the drug is safe and effective the company can file an application to market the drug, the FDA thoroughly examines all submitted data and decided whether or not to approve the drug

Question 34

for FDA review the company must provide information about

Answer 34

proposed labeling, safety updates, drug abuse information, patient information, any data from studies conducted outside the U.S, institutional review board compliance information, and directions for use

Question 35

FDA post-market safety monitoring

Answer 35

the true picture of a product’s safety evolves over the time after it is put on the market. FDA reviews reports of problems and can decide to add cautions to the dosage or usage information, as well as other measure for more serious issues

Question 36

thalidomide

Answer 36

in 1961, reports began to emerge associating the drug with severe birth defects. by march of 1962, the drug was banned in most countries where it was previously sold

Question 37

teratology

Answer 37

the study of abnormalities of physiological development. abnormalities are often produced by drugs taken during pregnancy

Question 38

teratogens

Answer 38

substances that may cause birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or fetus

Question 39

teratological testing

Answer 39

a key area of pharmacological toxicology necessary to gain FDA approval of a drug

Question 40

chemical name

Answer 40

the scientific name that is based on the molecular structure of the drug

Question 41

generic or proprietary name

Answer 41

during drug development companies apply to regulatory agencies for a generic or nonproprietary name

Question 42

antidepressants

Answer 42

a drug class that contains medications used to treat major depressive disorder, some anxiety disorders, some chronic pain conditions, and help to manage some addictions. Common side-effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, sexual dysfunction, and emotional blunting

Question 43

anxiolytic

Answer 43

a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxiety disorders and their related psychological and physical symptoms.
Anxiety, mild behavioral agitation, and insomnia.

Question 44

bioavailability

Answer 44

the proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.
Key indicator of drug absorption. It represents the administered dose fraction which archives success in reaching the systemic circulation when administered orally or through any other extravascular dosing route.

Question 45

clearance

Answer 45

is equal to the rate at which a drug is removed from plasma (mg/min) divided by the concentration of that drug in the plasma. The total ability of the body to clear the drug from the plasma is renal clearance plus hepatic clearance plus clearance from all other tissues.

Question 46

clinical response

Answer 46

also used as an indicator of therapeutic efficacy in combination with other indicators. Represents a complex phenotypes that emerges from the interplay of drug-specific, human body, and environmental factors

Question 47

convulsants

Answer 47

a drug which induces convulsions and/or epileptic seizures. These drugs generally act as stimulants at low doses.
Substances that act in the brain stem or spinal cord to produce tonic or clonic convulsions, often by removing normal inhibitory tone. They were formerly used to stimulate respiration or as antidotes to barbiturate overdose

Question 48

distribution

Answer 48

the movement of a drug to and from the blood and various tissues of the body and the relative proportions of drugs in the tissue
Distribution is generally uneven because of differences in blood perfusion, tissue binging (because of lipid content), regional pH, and permeability of cell membranes
The entry rate of a drug into a tissue depends on the rate of blood flow to the tissue, tissue mass, and partition characteristics between blood and tissue.
The extent of drug distribution into tissues depends on the degree of plasma protein and tissue binding. In the bloodstream, drugs are transported partly in solution as free drug and partly reversibly bound to blood components.

Question 49

efficacy

Answer 49

describes the maximum response that can be achieved with a drug. The effect of the drug is plotted against dose in a graph, to give the dose-response curve. The increasing doses are displayed by the X acis and the half maximal and maximal responses are displayed by the Y axis.

Question 50

hallucinogens

Answer 50

large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception, among other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorized as psychedelics, dissociatives, or delirants.

Question 51

narcotic analgesics

Answer 51

substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief.
Have actions at two sites, the presynaptic nerve terminal and the postsynaptic neuron. The postsynaptic actions of opioids are usually inhibitory. The presynaptic action of opioids is to inhibit neurotransmitter release, and this is considered to be their major effect in the nervous system.