Psychopharmacology 1

Question 1

What is psychopharmacology?

Answer 1

The study of the effects of drugs on the nervous system

Question 2

What is a drug?

Answer 2

A drug is a substance produced outside of the body that in relatively small doses alters the function of cells

Question 3

What are the effects of agonistic drugs? (5)

Answer 3

> Increase synthesis of neurotransmitter molecules
Increase number of neurotransmitter molecules by destroying degrading enzymes
Binds to auto-receptors and blocks their inhibitory effect
Binds to post synaptic receptors and either activates them or increases the effect on them .
Blocks the deactivation of neuro transmitter by blocking degradation or reuptake .

Question 4

What are the effects of antagonistic drugs? (5)

Answer 4

> Blocks synthesis on neurotransmitter molecules
Causes neurotransmitter to leak from vesicles and are destroyed by degrading enzymes
Blocks release of neurotransmitter from terminal buttons
Activates auto-receptors and inhibits neurotransmitter release .
Drug is a receptor blocker

Question 5

What are the main neurotransmitters used for specific communication between neurons in the brain?

Answer 5

Glutamate (excitatory)

GABA (inhibitory)

Question 6

What is dopamine responsible for?

Answer 6

Motor function and reward

Question 7

What is acetylcholine responsible for?

Answer 7

muscle contraction (PNS) and cortical arousal (CNS)

Question 8

What is norepinephrine responsible for?

Answer 8

Brain arousal and other functions like mood, hunger, sleep

Question 9

What is GABA responsible for?

Answer 9

Participating in relay of sensory information and learning

Question 10

What is serotinin responsible for?

Answer 10

Mood and temperature regulation, agg and sleep cycles .

Question 11

What is the technical name for botox?

Answer 11

Botulinum Toxin

Question 12

What does Botulinum Toxin do?

Answer 12

Prevents the release of acetylcholine, responsible for muscle contractions in the PNS .

Question 13

What is an indirect agonist of the NMDA glutamate receptor?

Answer 13

Alcohol

Question 14

What does alcohol do to glutamate?

Answer 14

Reduces affinity of glutamate for the receptor

Receptor is involved in memory, which could explain why alcohol causes ‘memory blanks’
Balance is thrown off, may explain why people get a higher tolerance to alcohol .

Question 15

What do direct drugs do?

Answer 15

Block all neurotransmitter binding, competitive binding

Question 16

What do indirect drugs do?

Answer 16

Drug receptor and neurotransmitter site are in different locations, non-competitive binding .

Question 17

What are indirect agonists for GABA?

Answer 17

Benzodiazepines (e.g. valium)

Question 18

How do benzodiazepines affect GABA?

Answer 18

By increasing the affinity of GABA for the GABA cl- channel

Question 19

What causes parkinson’s?

Answer 19

Loss of dopamine releasing neurons from substantia nigra (part of basal ganglia)

Question 20

What can relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s?

Answer 20

L-dopa, which is a precursor to dopamine so increases dopamine levels in the remaining neurons .

Question 21

What is Parkinson’s disease associated with?

Answer 21

with the degeneration of a main dopamine pathway in the brain

Question 22

What do dopamine agonists do? And what are dopamine agonists?

Answer 22

Cocaine and amphetamines, they produce a transient condition that resembles sz .

Question 23

What is cocaine?

Answer 23

A dopamine re-uptake blocker (agonist)

Question 24

What happens when someone takes cocaine?

Answer 24

There is an accumulation of dopamine in the synapses of the reward pathway, leading to overstimulation and feelings of euphoria .

Question 25

What happens when equilibrium is disrupted by the administration of a drug ?

Answer 25

The body responds to counteract these effects, for example it may reduce the number of receptors for the drug.

Question 26

Why do people continue to take a drug?

Answer 26

It is not because they want to avoid withdrawal but that addictive drugs reinforce the drug-taking behaviour possibly by producing an excess of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens reward centre .