Week 8: Psychopharmacology & Drug Addiction

Question 1

What is psychopharmacology?

Answer 1

study of drug-induced changes in mood, thinking and behaviour

Question 2

What is a drug?

Answer 2

an exogenous chemical not necessarily for normal cellular functioning which alters the activity of certain cells in the body

Question 3

Why are psychoactive drugs typically used for?

Answer 3

Alter mood: stimulant, depressant, hallucinogen

Treat psychopathology:

• Anxiolytics -reduce anxious feeling
• Anti-depressants - alleviate negative feelings
• Anti-psychotics - severe forms of psychotic behaviour

Question 4

When did the modern history of psychopharmacology start?

Answer 4

in the 1950’s with the synthesis of chlorpromazine (an anti-psychotic)

Question 5

What re the 4 principles of PsychoPharm?

Answer 5

Pharmokinetics
Drug Effectiveness
Effects of repeated administration
Placebo Effects

Question 6

What is pharmokinetics?

Answer 6

Process in which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted which is important for effectiveness

Question 7

What is drug absorption?

Answer 7

mechanisms of drugs getting into the bloodstream

Question 8

What are routes of administration?

Answer 8

How and how much of the drug gets into the brain, and to be effective drugs must reach site of action within the CNS

Can include: oral, inhalation, nasal, topical etc.

Intravenous is the most effective

Question 9

What is the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)?

Answer 9

Barrier for only water soluble molecules, with the BBB protects the passing of chemicals

Question 10

What is drug effectiveness?

Answer 10

Ability to readily produce certain physiological & behavioural effects - sensitivity and specificity
Best way to measure is the dose response curve

Question 11

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 11

Important to have as a control in experiments as it may have an effect
It is an inert substance given in lieu of physiologically active drug

Question 12

What is the difference between agonistic and antagonistic drug action?

Answer 12

Agonistic = promotes NT

Antagonistic = inhibits NT

Question 13

What are the 4 things that a cell must have to be considered a Neurotransmitter?

Answer 13

• Be synthesised and stored in pre-synaptic neuron
• released in synapse when neuron fire
• cause a post-synaptic effect after it interacts with a receptor
• must be some mechanism for degradation/ reuptake

Question 14

What is ACh?

Answer 14

Acetylcholine

- Controls HR and has important role in motor movement particularly in the Basal Ganglia

Question 15

What is the role ACh plays in memory?

Answer 15

Alzheimer’s involves degeneration of ACh neurons in basal forebrain. Drugs that increase ACh are used for treatment

Question 16

What are the Biogenic Amines (monoamines)?

Answer 16

Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
Epinephrine (adrenaline)
Dopamine
Histamine
Serotonin

with the top 3 being Catecholamines

Question 17

What is norepinephrine?

Answer 17

originates in pons
form the reticular activating system (excitatory pathway)
Responsible for maintaining cortical arousal
deficiencies are linked to depression and attention deficit disorders

Question 18

What is dopamine?

Answer 18

Located in the 2 main forebrain pathways
Involved in many therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse
Nigrostriatal Pathway:
- voluntary movement
-deficiencies lead to Parkinson's
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA):
- the reward pathway

Question 19

What is serotonin?

Answer 19

Controls sleep-wake cycle, impulsive behaviour, mood and appetite
Implicated in sleep disorders, anorexia, aggression, depression, obesity

Question 20

What is the main excitatory and inhibitory NT’s?

Answer 20

Glutamate = excitatory
GABA = inhibitory

Question 21

What is Anxiety?

Answer 21

Feeling of apprehension or fear that lingers
Symptoms include:
-twitching / trembling
- difficulty swallowing
- muscle tension
-headaches
-dry mouth

Question 22

What are the effects of Benzodiazepines?

Answer 22

Sedation
Decreased anxiety
anterograde amnesia
hypnosis
muscle relaxation