Pharmacology Test 1

Somatic Sensory

Sensory Information received from skin, fascia, joints, skeletal muscles, eyes, ears, nose, and tongue

Visceral Sensory

Sensory Information received from viscera

Efferent System

Sends information from the CNS to the body

Somatic Motor

Voluntary muscle movement

Autonomic

controls organs such as heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines

Somatic nervous system

Acetylcholine only neurotransmitter between CNS and skeletal muscles

Acetylcholine

stimulates skeletal muscle, inhibits cardiac muscle, inhibits and excites smooth muscle and glands (CNS & PNS)

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain; can impact muscle tone (CNS)

Dopamine

Inhibitory role; important in cognition, motivation, behavior, mood

Epinephrine

Effects in thalamus, hypothalamus, spinal cord

Norepinephrine

Modulates sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system

Serotonin

Functions related to sleep, appetite, cognition, mood

Glutamate

Excitatory role; promotes cognitive function; most common neurotransmitter in the brain

Emotional responses

depression, anxiety

Alpha

vasoconstriction, raises blood pressure

Beta-1

increases heart rate and contractive force of the heart

Beta-2

influences bronchodilation

define seizure

Results from excessive firing of a small number of neurons with spread to adjacent neurons

define convulsion

an involuntary contraction or series of contractions of voluntary musclese

define epilepsy

Neurologic disorder characterized by sudden and recurring seizures

what does Glutamate do

increases neurotransmitter firing

what does GABA do

inhibits neurotransmitter firing

what does the disruption in enzymes equal

disruption of neurotransmitters

what are partial seizures (focal seizures)

localized seizures in a specific area of the brain, typically occurs from injuries

where do generalized seizures occur?

in both hemispheres of the brain

what are the four types of generalized seizures

* tonic-clinic
* absence
* myoclonic
* atonic

define simple partial seizure

twitching and sensory hallucination with no loss of consciousness (focal motor)

define complex partial seizure

blank stare, post seizure amnesia with impaired consciousness (psychomotor)

define tonic-Clonic seizure

muscle rigidity followed by muscle jerks with shallow breathing, loss of bladder control, excess salvation (Grand Mal)

define tonic

body becomes rigid, patient may fall, lasts a minute or less

define clonic

starts with muscle jerks, may be accompanied by shallow breathing, loss of bladder control, and excess salvation; lasts a few minuets

define Status Epilepticus

continuous tonic-Clonic convulsions, high fever, lack of oxygen; with or without loss of consciousness

define Absence seizure (petit Mal)

interruption of activities by black stare, rotating eyes, uncontrolled facial movements, rapid eye blinking, twitching or jerking of an arm or leg

define Myoclonic seizure

occurs with sudden, massive brief muscle jerks which may throw patient down or nonpassive, quick jerks of the arms, hands, legs, or feet: consciousness not lost

what are the two goals of antiepileptic therapy

1. seizure control or lessen the frequency
2. Prevent emotional and behavioral changes that may result from seizures

what do sodium channel blockers do

block sodium and lower inappropiate firing neurons

what also lowers and inappropriate neuron firing and blocks certain channels

calcium channel blockers

what are barbiturates

sedatives with anticonvulsant action

what is Parkinson’s characterized by

muscular difficulties and postural abnormalities

what is a drug holiday

when a parkinson’s patient is either taken completely off their or given a lower dosage to ensure their effectiveness

what happens if a patient on an MAOI eat food with tyramine

blood pressure gets spiked to a dangerous level

how do levodopa-carbidopa work

metabolizes in the brain creating dopamine

what does a dopamine agonist do

stimulated dopamine receptors

how does amantadine work

by blocking reuptake of dopamine into presynaptic nerve neurons

how do anticholinergics work

block cholinergics work

how do COMT inhibitors work

block an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine

how do MAOIs work

block monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down dopamine

define multiple sclerosis

An autoimmune disease in which the myelin sheaths around nerves degenerate

define Myasthenia Gravis

a disorder of the interface between nerves and muscles in which the muscles cannot respond to the nerve signal in order to contract

what is Lou Gehrig’s disease

a progressive degenerative disease of the nerves that leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually death

what is restless leg syndrom

Severe pain or unpleasant sensations in the l