Week 3 Vocab

Question 1

Acetylcholinesterase

Answer 1

an enzyme that degrades acetylcholine within the synapse, enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter

Question 2

Action Potential

Answer 2

an electrical potential of a single cell (muscle or nerve) generated by the opening and closing of special ion channels on the cell’s membrane

Question 3

Alzheimer’s Disease

Answer 3

most common dementia; characterized by loss of memory, confusion, disorientation, loss of judgement; hallucinations and elusions may also occur

Question 4

Antidepressant

Answer 4

drugs used for the treatment of depression and a range of anxiety disorders, including panic, obsessive compulsion, social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Question 5

Anxiolytics

Answer 5

drugs that relieve anxiety and agents for mood stabilization

Question 6

Barbiturates

Answer 6

class of drugs derived from barbituric acid; they act as CNS depressants and are used for their sedative and antiseizure effects

Question 7

Benzodiazepines

Answer 7

class of drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia

Question 8

Bipolar Disorder

Answer 8

a disorder characterized by extreme and opposite feelings, such as euphoria and depression or calmness and rage; also called manic depressive disorder

Question 9

Black Box Warning

Answer 9

warning label surrounded by a black border and issued by the FDA to emphasize the important and serious life-threatening risks associated with use of the drug

Question 10

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Answer 10

A protein produced in the brain that helps sustain neuronal activity and growth; BDNF may be important in mediating the effects of antidepressants and other CNS drugs.

Question 11

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)

Answer 11

An enzyme that degrades levodopa to an inactive metabolite in the bloodstream and other tissues. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme are known as COMT inhibitors, and these drugs can protect levodopa so that it is not degraded prematurely in patients with Parkinson disease.

Question 12

Clinical Depression

Answer 12

a major depressive disorder comprising a depressed affect plus at least five of the common symptoms lasting for a minimum of 2 weeks

Question 13

CNS Depressants

Answer 13

drugs that lower neuronal activity in the CNS

Question 14

Convulsion

Answer 14

uncontrolled muscle contractions or spasms that occur in the face, torso, arms, and legs

Question 15

Disruptive Mood Dysregulatin Disorder

Answer 15

characterized in children by severe and recurrent temper tantrums that exceed conditions warranted by the situation

Question 16

Dopamine

Answer 16

A neurotransmitter located in the central nervous system (CNS) that is important in motor control and in certain aspects of behavior. The presence of endogenous or exogenous dopamine in the periphery also affects cardiovascular function.

Question 17

Drug Holidays

Answer 17

Periods of several days to several weeks in which medications are withdrawn from the patient to allow recovery from drug tolerance or toxicity; sometimes used in patients with advanced cases of Parkinson disease.

Question 18

Dystonia

Answer 18

muscle spasms characterized by rigidity and abnormal, occasionally painful, movements or postures

Question 19

End-of-dose Akinesia

Answer 19

A phenomenon in Parkinson disease in which the effectiveness of the medication wears off toward the end of the dosing interval, resulting in a virtual lack of volitional movement from the patient

Question 20

Epilepsy

Answer 20

condition characterized by two or more seizures that have not been provoked by specific events such as trauma, infection, fever or chemical change

Question 21

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

Answer 21

difficult to control, excessive anxiety that lasts 6 months or more

Question 22

Generalized Seizures

Answer 22

seizures that travel throughout the entire brain on both sides

Question 23

Hypothalamus

Answer 23

region of the brain that triggers unconscious response to extreme stress, such as increased blood pressure, elevated breathing rate, and dilated pupils.

Question 24

Insomnia

Answer 24

the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep

Question 25

Limbic System

Answer 25

area of the brain responsible for emotion, learning, memory, motivation, and mood

Question 26

Major Depressive Disorder

Answer 26

a disorder characterized by at least five symptoms of depression

Question 27

Mood Stabilizers

Answer 27

drugs that level mood to treat bipolar disorder and mania

Question 28

Multiple Sclerosis

Answer 28

autoimmune disorder of the CNS; a condition in which antibodies solely destroy tissues in the brain and spinal cord

Question 29

Neuromuscular Blocking Drugs

Answer 29

anesthetics that cause paralysis without loss of consciousness

Question 30

On-off Phenomenon

Answer 30

The fluctuation in response seen in certain patients with Parkinson disease, in which the effectiveness of medications may suddenly diminish at some point between dosages.

Question 31

Panic Disorder

Answer 31

anxiety characterized by intense feelings of immediate apprehension, fearfulness, terror, or impending doom

Question 32

Parkinsonism

Answer 32

degenerative disorder of the nervous system caused by a deficiency of the rain neurotransmitter dopamine; this deficiency results in disturbances of muscle movement

Question 33

Partial (Focal) Seizure

Answer 33

seizures that start on one side of the brain and travel a short distance before stopping

Question 34

Phobias

Answer 34

fearful feelings attached to situations or objects

Question 35

Rebound Insomnia

Answer 35

increased sleeplessness that occurs when long term antianxiety or hypnotic medication is discontinued.

Question 36

Reticular Activing System (RAS)

Answer 36

the brain structure that projects from the brainstem and thalamus to the cerebral cortex; responsible for sleeping and wakefulness and performs an alerting function.

Question 37

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Answer 37

depression experienced during the winter months; associated with a reduced release of the brain neurohormone melatonin

Question 38

Sedative Hypnotic

Answer 38

drugs that produce a calming effect when given in lower doses and produce sleep when given at higher doses

Question 39

Sedatives

Answer 39

drugs that relax or clam the person

Question 40

Seizure

Answer 40

symptoms of epilepsy characterized by abnormal neuronal discharges in the brain

Question 41

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Answer 41

drugs that selectively inhibit the reuptake of serotonin into nerve terminals

Question 42

Seratonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

Answer 42

drugs that selectively inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine into nerve terminals

Question 43

Social Anxiety Disorder

Answer 43

social phobia, a type of anxiety disorder characterized by excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations

Question 44

Spasticity

Answer 44

a disorder when certain muscle groups remain in a continuous contracted state.

Question 45

Status Epilepticus

Answer 45

a condition characterized by repeated seizures

Question 46

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Answer 46

drugs with a three-ring chemical structure that inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin into terminals