Chapter 1: Principles of Pharmacology Flashcards
(182 cards)
Neuropharmacology:
drug-induced changes in functioning of cells in the nervous system
Psychopharmacology:
drug-induced changes that alter mood, thinking, and behavior
Pharmacology:
study of actions of drug and their effects on a living organism
Drug action:
molecular changes produced by a drug when it binds to a target site or receptor
Molecular changes alter physiological or psychological functions, called …
drug effects
Therapeutic side effects:
drug-receptor interaction produces desired physical/behavioral changes
Side effects vs therapeutic effects?
side effects are everything else that doesn’t include the molecular binding interaction
T/F: Therapeutic side effects and side effects can change.
yes depending on the desired outcome
What shows the possibility of medications changing their therapeutic and side effects because of the desired outcome?
amphetamine-like drugs
can be used to prevent narcolepsy (produce primary side effect of anorexia)
OR
can be used as a weight loss supplement (produce insomnia and hyperactivity as side effects)
T/F: There are “good” and “bad” drugs.
false; it’s character is determined by the way it’s procured
Specific drug effects: […] and […] of a drug with a target site in a living […].
physical; biochemical interactions; tissue
Nonspecific drug effects:
effects not based on the chemical activity of a drug-receptor interaction but on certain unique characteristics
What are those unique characteristics involved in nonspecific drug effects?
neurochemical states existing within an individual:
mood, expectations, perceptions, attitudes
What is an example of nonspecific drug effects?
ethyl alcohol; self administered on the same person– they can experience lightheartedness one day and depressed on another
What factors influence the outcome of a drug (5)?
- individual’s background (drug taking experience)
- present mood
- expectations of a drug effect
- perceptions of the drug-taking situation
- attitude toward the person administering the drug
etc
Placebo:
a pharmacologically inert compound
T/F: Placebos are fake pills.
no; in some cases these placebos can hold the same therapeutic effects
Belief in a drug may have […] despite the […].
real physiological effect; lack of chemical activity
Physiological effects that can occur with belief in a drug:
- altered gastric secretion
- blood vessel dilation
- hormonal changes
and so forth
What are the 3 possible explanations for the placebo effect?
- Pavlovian conditioning (cues in the environment)
- conscious, explicit explanation of outcomes
- social learning
What’s more important than the dosage of the drug?
bioavailability
Bioavailability:
amount of drug in the blood that is free to bind at specific target sites to elicit drug action
Pharmacokinetic components are at work […].
simultaneously
List the PK components/factors:
- routes of administration
- absorption and distribution
- binding
- inactivation
- excretion