Neurological Disorder Pharmacology

Question 1

What symptoms are treated in Huntington’s disease with drugs?

Answer 1

1. Chorea

2. Psychiatric symptoms

Question 2

What drugs treat chorea in HD?

Answer 2

1. Tetrabenazine - depletes dopamine in cerebrum
2. Neuroleptics - dopamine blocker
3. Benzodiazepenes - CNS depressant

Question 3

What drugs treat psychiatric symptoms in HD?

Answer 3

• same as used for general population
  1. Depression - SSRIs
  2. Psychosis and behavioral - atypical antipsychotic drugs

Question 4

What drugs treat dystonia?

Answer 4

• condition of BG; drug depends on patient
  1. Levodopa (relieves sx, not cure)
  2. Diazepam (muscle relaxants)
  3. Anti-muscarinic agents
  4. Baclofen - GABA B agonist
  5. BOTOX

Question 5

What are the muscarinic antagonists?

Answer 5

1. Benztropine

2. Diphenhydramine – also histaminergic blocker (For acute dystonic reaction; knocks down bad m contraction)

Question 6

What is the first action to treat neuropathy?

Answer 6

Address the cause

• diabetes - control sugar levels
• immune - treat
• vitamin deficiencies - treat

Question 7

Block metabolism of glucose to sorbitol which can cause osmotic damage to nerves and the lens of the eye; prevents diabetic polyneuropathy

Answer 7

Aldol reductase inhibitors

Question 8

What is used to treat pain related to polyneuropathy

Answer 8

1. Traditional analgesics (affects perception of pain)
2. Antidepressants - acts on CNS
3. Anti-seizure medications
4. Clonidine - presynaptic receptors
5. Oral cannabinoids
6. NMDA antagonists - acts on CNS
7. Treatment for sympathetic hyperactivity

Question 9

Neuropathic pain can often be diminished by traditional analgesics, but often not eliminated; recommended for patients with sensitized C-nociceptors

Answer 9

Opioids

Question 10

What are the treatments for sympathetic hyper activity?

Answer 10

• drugs that block sympathetic fxn
  1. Norepinephrine blockade with clonidine
  2. Ganglion block with lidocaine, a local anesthetic

Question 11

What are the psychiatric disorders that most often occur in ASD and are treated with drugs?

Answer 11

• ASD does not have any drugs to treat disease
  1. Anxiety (antidepressants, anti anxiety)
  2. ADHD (stimulants)
  3. OCD
• antipsychotic agents can help with sleeplessness

Question 12

Pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, polyneuropathy, and nerve injury associated with cancer; Effect usually at lower doses than for the anti-depressant effect; Can also relieve other symptoms such as sleep problems Newer SSRI’s are less sedating, but also effective in chronic pain

Answer 12

antidepressants in neuropathic pain