Psychopharmacology

Flashcards for Psychopharmacology Lecture Review

Psychopharmacology

Study of substances that influence brain and behavior. Psychoactive drugs are compounds that are not natural to the body but can act on the body to produce changes; a drug that produces a psychological effect.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how the body handles a drug and eliminates it. It involves absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.

First pass metabolism

The process where potentially harmful chemicals/toxins are removed when injected. Oral administration means they pass through the liver before moving to general circulation causing many to be destroyed or altered.

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)

A network of blood vessels and cells that limit the exchange of substances between the blood and the brain. Large or nonlipid molecules cannot pass.

CTZ - Chemical trigger zone

Located on the brainstem. The Vomiting Centre – causes you to vomit if it detects a toxic substance.

Half-life

The amount of time it takes to clear 50% of a drug from the blood.

Pharmacodynamics

The effect that drugs have on the body. Generally, drugs either enhance or dampen neurotransmission.

Agonists

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

Antagonist

Substance that binds to a receptor but does not have any physiological effects.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase activity, alertness, and mood. Examples include cocaine, amphetamines, and caffeine.

Depressants

Substances that reduce arousal and stimulation, slowing down the messages between the brain and body. Examples: Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, & Alcohol.

Narcotic Analgesics / Opiates

Drugs (morphine/codeine) with CNS depressant qualities, mainly used to reduce pain, producing relaxation and sleep. They decrease activity in your medulla.

Hallucinogenic Drugs / Psychedelics

Drugs that have strong effects on perceptual and conscious processes, causing distortion. Examples include Mescaline and Psilocybin.

Direct Agonist

attaches directly to the receptor sites and acts like a neurotransmitter

Indirect Agonist

substance that enhances the release or action of an endogenous neurotransmitter but has no specific agonist activity at the neurotransmitter receptor itself

Anxiety

Unsettling feeling of concern or worry. Multiple neurotransmitters implicated, including CRF, norepinephrine, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine.

Monoamine theory of depression

Predicts that the underlying pathophysiologic basis of depression is a depletion in the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine in the central nervous system.

Schizophrenia

A chronic mental illness with positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior), negative symptoms, and cognitive impairment.