Week7

Question 1

What are the aims of the lecture on psychopharmacology?

Answer 1

Describe effects of psychoactive drugs on brain, body, and behavior; understand pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics; relate behavioral effects to mechanisms of action; explain individual variations in drug responses.

Question 2

What type of drug is alcohol categorized as?

Answer 2

Depressant

Question 3

How does alcohol affect GABA transmission?

Answer 3

Enhances GABA transmission by binding to GABAA receptor

Question 4

What is the role of alcohol as an allosteric modulator?

Answer 4

Increases flow of Cl– ions through the ion channel

Question 5

Which receptor does alcohol inhibit?

Answer 5

NMDA (glutamate) receptor

Question 6

What are some long-term effects of consuming alcohol?

Answer 6

General health issues, liver cirrhosis, cancer, fetal alcohol syndrome, Korsakoff’s syndrome, withdrawals, anxiety, tremor, seizures.

Question 7

What is the primary action of cocaine in the brain?

Answer 7

Blocks dopamine transporter

Question 8

What are chronic physical effects of cocaine use?

Answer 8

Cardiovascular damage, lung congestion, damage to nasal membrane, psychosis, formication.

Question 9

What are the initial effects of amphetamines?

Answer 9

Euphoria, feeling of well-being, decreased tiredness.

Question 10

What neurotransmitters do amphetamines primarily affect?

Answer 10

Dopamine and noradrenaline

Question 11

What is nicotine classified as?

Answer 11

Direct agonist

Question 12

What receptors does nicotine stimulate?

Answer 12

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs)

Question 13

What are the acute effects of caffeine?

Answer 13

Alertness, decreased fatigue, improved coordination

Question 14

How does caffeine affect adenosine receptors?

Answer 14

Direct antagonist

Question 15

What is the mechanism of action of opiates?

Answer 15

Bind to opioid receptors

Question 16

What is the main active ingredient in cannabis?

Answer 16

Delta 9-THC

Question 17

What type of receptors do cannabinoids like THC bind to?

Answer 17

CB1 and CB2 receptors

Question 18

What factors contribute to individual differences in drug effects?

Answer 18

Experience, context, history, body size, age, health, sex, ethnicity/race

Question 19

What is biotransformation of alcohol primarily mediated by?

Answer 19

Alcohol dehydrogenase

Question 20

Fill in the blank: Alcohol is converted into the metabolite _______.

Answer 20

acetaldehyde

Question 21

What factor can affect the absorption of alcohol?

Answer 21

Presence of food in the stomach

Question 22

True or False: Women generally have higher plasma volume than men.

Answer 22

False

Question 23

What is metabolic tolerance?

Answer 23

The drug is metabolized faster with repeated use

Question 24

What is the opposite of tolerance in drug response?

Answer 24

Sensation

Question 25

How can expectancies affect drug responses?

Answer 25

Expectations can alter how a person thinks they will respond compared to actual response.

Question 26

What is a placebo effect?

Answer 26

A drug that lacks intrinsic pharmacological activity but can produce effects indistinguishable from a real drug.