Chapter 1- Sarah Bailey

Question 1

Name three neurotransmitters implicated in the monoamine hypothesis

Answer 1

Noradrenaline
Serotonin
Dopamine

Question 2

Name a benzodiazepine and say where it acts

Answer 2

Diazepam–> acts at GABAa receptors

Question 3

Where does buspirone act?

Answer 3

5HT-1A receptors

Question 4

How is the HYpothalamic pituitary adrenal axis involved in stress?

Answer 4

Hypothalamus-> corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH)

Pituitary gland -> adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

Adrenals release cortisol = stress response

Question 5

Name two cortisol biosynthesis inhibitors

Answer 5

Ketoconazole

Metyrapone

Question 6

Name a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist

Answer 6

Mifepristone

Question 7

What is the dexamethasone suppression test

Answer 7

Clinically administered test, non suppression of cortisol secretion in the dexamethasone suppression test is a biomarker for depression/treatment success

Question 8

What is ketoconazole

Answer 8

An imidazole derivative which acts as a potent inhibitor or cortisol and aldosterone synthesis by inhibiting the activity of 17a-hydroxylase and 11-hydroxylation steps

Question 9

True or false: cortisol has a higher affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor over the glucocorticoid receptor

Answer 9

FALSE higher affinity for GR

Question 10

List 6 neuropeptide transmitters implicated in anxiety/depression

Answer 10

Corticotrophin- releasing factor (CRF)
Neurokinins (NK, sub P) 
Neuropeptide Y 
Cholecystokinin (CCK)
Galanin 
Bombesin

Question 11

What is adult neurogenesus

Answer 11

The ability of the adult brain to generate new neurones by proliferation, migration, differentiation,survival and integration and it’s localised to discrete brain regions

Question 12

What is BDNF

Answer 12

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a protein that is encoded by the BDNF gene, it promotes the survival of neurones by playing a role in growth/maturation and maintenance

Question 13

What is the amygdala involved in

Answer 13

Emotion and fear

Question 14

What is the prefrontal cortex involved in

Answer 14

Mood, memory, cognition

Question 15

How do neurotrophins stimulate neurogenesis

Answer 15

Bind to tropomyosin receptor kinases TrKA, B and C

Question 16

Neurotrophins signalling through TrKA kinases cause what

Answer 16

Increased intracellular signalling (PKB, PLC, RAS/MAP)

Question 17

True/false: corticosteroids decrease neurogenesis

Answer 17

TRUE

Question 18

What is neurogenesis

Answer 18

The ability of the adult brain to make new neurones. The hippocampus has the ability to make new brain cells

Question 19

Theory of how AHN is involved in depression?

Answer 19

Impaired adult hippocampal neurogensis implicated in depression (reduction in neurogenesis)

Question 20

Name 5 regulators of neurogenesis

Answer 20

Intrinsic cell programming (TF)
Neurotransmitters (5HT,NA,DA)
Neurotrophic factors (BDNF,NGF,VEGF)
Glucocorticoids
Environmental stimuli (exercise)

Question 21

Knocking out the 5HT1A receptor in mice resulted in them being insensitive to SSRI effects and having less neurogensis

Answer 21

Santarelli 2003