Brain, Mind, Behavior Test 2 Flashcards
(163 cards)
What do psychoactive drugs do? (and what are two types)
relieve severe symptoms (antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics)
Antipsychotics (neuroleptics)
a class of drugs that relieve or alleviate symptoms of schizophernia. This is typically done by blocking dopamine D2 receptors
Atypical antipsychotics
act on D2 receptors and/or other receptors. they help relieve symptoms that are resistant to typical antipsychotics.
exogenous substance
from outside the body- have been used for ages to change the functioning of the brain and body
How do neurons process and transmit info?
through electrical and chemical signals
what is a neurotransmitter
an endogeneous (internal) substance that has been released by the presynaptic neuron
action potentials reach the axon terminal- what is this?
this is the presynaptic side of a synapse
action potentials cause the vesicals to release what
releases neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft
where do molecules bind to neurotransmitter receptors
in the membrane of the postsynaptic cell
what are the 2 possible things that happen to neurotransmitters
they are either broken down by enzymes or brought back into the presynaptic terminal via reuptake (this relies of special transporters)
what is monoamine oxidoase (MAO)
an antidepressent
how does monoamine oxidase (MAO) work?
inhibitors of it prevent the breakdown of monoamines at the sunapses. The accumulation of these transmitters prolongs their activity. This is the huge imporant function of antidepressents (fun fact, you have to follow a specific diet on this stuff tho so like not slay)
how do tricyclic antidepressants work
they block reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine
how do selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) work
act specifically at serotonergic synapses.
what do receptor proteins do?
recognize transmitters and their mimics
what are the two basic kinds of neurotransmitter receptors
iontropic receptors and metabotropic receptors
ionotropic receptors
quickly change shape and open or close an ion channel when the transmitter molecule binds
metabotropic receptors
alter chemical reactions in the cell. they use a system of second messengers to open an ion channel. may start chemical reactions to alter gene expression
criteria for neurotranmitter classification (5)
- it is synthesized in presynaptic neurons and stored in axon terminals
- it is released when action potentials reach axon terminals
3.it is recognized by receptors on postsynaptic membrane (it is a ligand) - causes changes in a postsynaptic cell
- blocking its releease intereres with a cells ability to affect a postsynaptic cell
anxiolytics (what are 3)?
depressants, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines
depressants
drugs that reduce nervous system activity
barbiturates
early anxiolytics and sleep aids. they depress nervous activity. they are addictive and easy to overdose on (they can literally put you to sleep enough for someone to do surgery)
benzodiazepines
a specific anxiolytic that acts as agonist on GABA (A) receptors and enhances the inhibitory effects of GABA
opium
contains morphine, which is an effective analgesic