Drugs 101 - Mental Illness

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to mental illnesses and their treatments.

Chemical-based machine

Refers to the human body functioning through chemical processes.

Brain

An organ that controls behavior and processes information.

Mental illness

A condition that impairs a person's thinking, behavior, or emotions.

Lobotomy

A surgical procedure that became popular in the 1940s, involving severing connections in the brain.

Electroshock therapy

A treatment once widely used for mental illness involving electric currents to induce seizures.

Schizophrenia

A mental disorder characterized by a loss of contact with reality, including symptoms like hallucinations.

Dopamine antagonist

A type of drug that inhibits dopamine's effects; used to treat psychosis.

Prozac

The first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that effectively treats depression.

Antidepressants

Medications that help alleviate symptoms of depression by affecting neurotransmitter levels.

Anhedonia

An inability to experience pleasure, often seen in depressive disorders.

Benzodiazepines

A class of drugs that enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA, used to treat anxiety.

Efficacy

The ability of a drug to produce the desired therapeutic effect.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

A class of antidepressants that inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase, increasing levels of neurotransmitters.

Atypical antipsychotics

Second-generation antipsychotic medications that are generally preferred for treating schizophrenia.

Patient non-compliance

When patients do not follow the prescribed medication regimen, affecting treatment outcomes.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals in the brain that transmit signals between neurons.

Side effects

Unintended reactions or unwanted effects resulting from medication.

Hypothesis of schizophrenia

The theory stating that high dopamine-related activity contributes to schizophrenia symptoms.

Animal models

Research methods involving non-human animals to study biological and behavioral processes.

Genetic basis for personality

The influence of genetics on individual personality traits.

Agitation

A state of anxiety or nervousness, often leading to disruptive behavior.