Case 12 - Mental Health 'My son has shut himself away'

Question 1

Neuropharamacology 2: What is the blood brain barrier?

Answer 1

Continuous layer of endothelial cells, creating a physical barrier to traffic pathogens, large macro molecules and polar drugs into the CNS

Question 2

Neuropharamacology 2: There is a part of the brain that lacks the BBB, where and what?

Answer 2

Area postrema (surrounds the 4th ventricle) - it is a medullary structure that controls vomiting. It lacks the BBB but does have fenestrated capillaries which allows small molecules to enter the brain - important in chemoreceptors that trigger the vomiting response to circulating to toxins