W23-L6: Drug Dependence and Anti-Depressants Flashcards
What is drug dependence?
State where drug use becomes compulsive taking precedence over other needs arises
What is drug abuse?
Use of illicit substances (or illicit use of legal substances) characterised by recurrent and clinically significant adverse consequenses
Why are drugs abused?
- Rewarding effect of the psychoactive drug
- Habituation or adpatation
What are key transmitters in the dopaminergic reward pathways?
•Acetylcholine, Serotonin,
Noradrenaline
• GABA, Glutamate
• Opioids
How do amphetamines develop dependence?
Related to dopaminergic actions in nuclear accumbens
How does LSD work?
Agonist at 5-HT2 receptors, activates autoreceptors on 5-HT neurones in Raphe
What type of drug is caffeine?
Adenosine antagonist, phosphodiesterase inhibitor
How does ethanol work?
CNS depressant can:
• Inhibit Ca++ channel opening
• Enhance GABA action
• Inhibit glutamate receptors
How many generations of anti-depressant drugs are there?
Three
What were the first generation of anti-depressants?
Tricyclic and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
How do Tricyclic antidepressants work?
Inhibit neuronal uptake of noradrenaline and serotonin
How do Monoamine oxidase inhibitors work?
Increase levels of 5HT, NA and DA
What are the second generation of anti-depressant drugs?
Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors and Selective serotonin/noradrenaline uptake inhibitors
What are the third generation anti-depressants
Novel monoaminergic drugs and Non-monoaminergic drugs
