Drugs and Behaviour

Question 1

What are the major classes of neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

Amino Acids, Achetylcholine, Monoamines and Peptides.

Question 2

What are the two main amino acid neurotransmitters?

Answer 2

Glutamate and GABA

Question 3

What are the three main monoamine neurotransmitters?

Answer 3

Noradrenalin, 5-HT (serotonin) and dopamine.

Question 4

What is glutamate?

Answer 4

The main excitatory neurotransmitter. It plays a significant role in learning, plasticity and is actually toxic.

Question 5

What is GABA?

Answer 5

The main inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Question 6

What is dopamine linked to?

Answer 6

Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and substance abuse.

Question 7

What is noradrenalin linked to?

Answer 7

Arousal and the ANS.

Question 8

What is serotonin linked to?

Answer 8

Mood, feeling and pain.

Question 9

What is the general job of the monoamines?

Answer 9

To regulate the activity of the amino acid neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA.

Question 10

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 10

Concerns the movement of drugs in the body.

Question 11

What aspects of pharmacokinetics are there?

Answer 11

Route of administration
Absorption and distribution
Metabolism and biotransformation
Elimination

Question 12

What routes of administration are there?

Answer 12

• Oral
• Rectal
• Injection
• Inhalation
• Transdermal
• Intra-ventricular

Question 13

What are the positives and negatives of using oral administration of drugs?

Answer 13

+ Low risk of infection
+ Easy

• Slow

Question 14

Evaluate the use of intravenous injections as a route of administration.

Answer 14

+ Very fast
+ Accurate

• Risk of infection

Question 15

Evaluate the use of subcutaneous injections as a route of administration.

Answer 15

• Slow

- Can only inject small volumes at a time.

Question 16

Where does metabolism and biotransformation of drugs occur?

Answer 16

In the liver.

Question 17

What is the half life of a drug?

Answer 17

The time taken for plasma levels to fall to 50% of the maximum.

Question 18

What does the blood brain barrier consist of?

Answer 18

• Astrocytes (type of glia), wrapped tightly around capillaries.
• Junction-less vessel walls.

Question 19

What does a direct agonist do?

Answer 19

Mimics the effects of a specific neurotransmitter to cause the same or similar response in the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 20

What does an indirect agonist do?

Answer 20

Enhances the action of a natural neurotransmitter.

Question 21

What does an antagonist do?

Answer 21

Binds to a receptor and occupies the space so that the ‘real’ neurotransmitter cannot bind and cause an ion channel to open in the postsynaptic neuron.