Lecture 3 - Psychopharmacology

Question 1

what is pharmacokinetics

Answer 1

considers how the body handles a drug and how it is eliminated

absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination

Question 2

why do drugs need to be lipid soluble

Answer 2

to cross biological membranes (mostly lipids)

Question 3

what are the routes of drug administration

Answer 3

swallowing, inhalation, nasal, intravenous, ocular, transdermal

Question 4

oral administration

Answer 4

drugs need to dissolve in stomach fluid and pass through the stomach wall to reach the capillaries, must be resistant to stomach enzymes

Question 5

what is first pass metabolism

Answer 5

drugs pass through the liver meaning they may be altered or in reduced concentration as they are broken down

Question 6

IV administration

Answer 6

rapid and accurate - intramuscular injections can slow absorption

Question 7

inhalation administration

Answer 7

rapid action as the area is large and full of capillaries

Question 8

transdermal administration

Answer 8

administration through skin, is permeable to lipid soluble drugs

Question 9

intranasal administration

Answer 9

administration through the nasal cavity - allows for direct transport to the brain.

it non-invasively bypasses the BBB

Question 10

A of ADME

Answer 10

absorption - the speed depends on the concentration gradient

Question 11

D of ADME

Answer 11

distribution - circulated around the body in the bloodstream and then enters tissues and binds to receptors

Question 12

What is the BBB

Answer 12

the blood brain barrier - a network of blood vessels and cells that limit the exchange of substances between the blood and brain

selectively permeable

Question 13

where are fat soluble drugs stored

Answer 13

they get stored in fat and are gradually release to be eliminated, can takes 2-4 weeks

Question 14

M and E of - ADME

Answer 14

metabolism and elimination - drugs to not want to stay in the body forever.
Water soluble drugs are excreted in urine and fat soluble drugs must be metabolised first

Question 15

what is half-life

Answer 15

the time taken to clear 50% of a drug which determines the frequency of doses

Question 16

what is pharmacodynamics

Answer 16

the effect that drugs have on the body

Question 17

what are agonists

Answer 17

substances that bind to the same receptors as neurotransmitters and have a similar effect on neuronal function as that neurotransmitter

Question 18

what are antagonists

Answer 18

substances that bind to a receptor but does not have any physiological effects

Question 19

effects of stimulants

Answer 19

increase activity, alertness and mood

Question 20

stimulant - cocaine

Answer 20

inhibits reuptake of dopamine

Question 21

stimulant - amphetamines

Answer 21

increase dopamine and noradrenaline by enhancing release and inhibiting reuptake

Question 22

stimulants - caffeine

Answer 22

adenosine antagonist. adenosine inhibits dopamine so caffeine reverses that

Question 23

effects of depressants

Answer 23

reduce arousal and stimulation, the effect the CNS, slowing down messages between the brain and body

Question 24

how does alcohol effect the brain

Answer 24

impacts the forebrain (motor coordination and decision making) then the midbrain (emotions) and brainstem (bpm, temperature and consciousness)

Question 25

effects of benzodiazepines

Answer 25

increases the effect of GABA, which reduces brain activity in the part of the brain responsible for rational thought

Question 26

how do opioids work

Answer 26

they are pain relievers, they do this by decreasing activity in the medulla which causes breathing, heart rate and gastrointestinal tract to slow down they also bind to endorphin (body's painkiller) receptors and works to release dopamine

Question 27

why are opioids addictive

Answer 27

because they active the mesolimbic rewards system in your brain which releases dopamine

Question 28

what are hallucinogenic drugs

Answer 28

they have strong effects on perceptual and conscious processes and can be natural or synthetic

Question 29

what is MDMA

Answer 29

acts a both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energising effect. it effects the brain by increasing the activity of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine

Question 30

treatment of anxiety

Answer 30

benzodiazepines very effective - only in the short term, they bind to GABA receptors anticonvulsants - reduce neuronal excitability and resemble benzodiazepines in their ability to balance extort and inhibitory activity SSRI's and SNRI's

Question 31

what is the monoamine theory of depression

Answer 31

predicts that the basis of depression is a depletion of serotonin, norepinephrine and/or dopamine levels in the CNS

Question 32

treatment of depression

Answer 32

SSRI's and SNRI's MAOI's atypical and tricyclic antidepressants

Question 33

schizophrenia explanation (NT's)

Answer 33

patients has excessive dopamine production, hyper unction of glutamate receptors in inhibitory neurones and reduced signalling GABA in inhibitory neurones