Pharmacology of Neuropsychiatric Disorders - Introduction and Neuroanatomy

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering basic neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems, course outlines, and clinical correlations from the introductory Pharmacology of Neuropsychiatric Disorders lecture.

According to the mental health statistics presented, what proportion of people will experience a mental health problem in a year?

$1\text{ in }4$ people.

What are the three cardinal anatomical planes of section used to view brain orientation shown in this diagram?

Coronal (frontal) section, horizontal section, and mid-sagittal (medial) section.

What are the embryonic brain divisions (5-vesicle stage)?

Telencephalon - cerebral hemispheres, diencephalon - thalamus and hypothalamus, mesencephalon - midbrain, metencephalon - pons, myelencephalon - medulla

What are the brain ventricles, and what anatomical change in them is commonly observed in neuropsychiatric disorders?

They are four cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); ventricular enlargement is commonly seen in neuropsychiatric disorders.

What hemispheric specialisations were identified by Roger Sperry in split-brain patients, and what psychiatric risk factor relates to hemispheric asymmetry?

The left hemisphere specialises in abstract/analytical thought and language. The right hemisphere comprehends spatial patterns and creativity. Reduced hemispheric asymmetry is a potential risk factor for schizophrenia.

What white matter tract connects the two cerebral hemispheres, as visualised here via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)?

The corpus callosum.

What is the primary physiological role of the thalamus and its circuit loop with the neocortex and striatum?

The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, supplying afferent info the cortex and receiving cortical feedback; together with the striatum, it forms a circuit loop

What structures compose the basal ganglia and the striatum, and what is their major function?

The basal ganglia include the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nuclei, and substantia nigra (with the caudate and putamen and nucleus accumbens together forming the striatum); they function in extrapyramidal motor control, specifically the initiation and fine-tuning of movement.

Which brain structures are highlighted here as key components of the limbic system, and what is their overarching function?

The amygdala and hippocampus (along with the hypothalamus, fornix, mammillary body, thalamus, cingulate gyrus, and ventral striatum), which function together to regulate emotions and behaviour.

What is Urbach-Wiethe disease, and what specific deficit does it produce?

A condition where calcium is deposited in the amygdala; patients with bilateral amygdala lesions are unable to discriminate emotion in facial expressions.

Which three catecholamine neurotransmitters are depicted here by chemical structure? left to right

Adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine.

What are the structural features, nuclear origin, and main projection pathway of central noradrenergic neurons?

They feature long axonal tracts of small diameter that are highly branched, originate from the locus coeruleus (LC) in the reticular formation, and project rostrally via the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) to innervate limbic and sensory regions and regulate pituitary hormone secretion.

What are the four primary dopaminergic pathways depicted in this diagram, and what is the functional effect of each?

1. Mesocortical pathway (VTA to Cortex) - affects behaviour; 2. Mesolimbic pathway (VTA to nucleus accumbens/NAC) - affects behaviour; 3. Nigrostriatal pathway (Substantia Nigra to Striatum) - affects motor control; 4. Tuberoinfundibular pathway (Hypothalamus to Pituitary) - affects hormone secretion.

Where is serotonin ($5\text{-HT}$) synthesised in the central nervous system, and when does its neuronal activity increase in freely moving animals?

It is synthesised in the raphe nuclei of the medulla (part of the reticular formation); in freely moving animals, its neuronal activity increases immediately prior to and during periods of activity.

What is the functional difference between short and long cholinergic projections in the brain?

Short cholinergic projections act as interneurons within nuclear circuits for local information processing, whereas long projections originate from nuclei such as the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert to innervate the cerebral cortex, subserving cognitive and behavioural functions.

What are the respective primary functions and distributions of glutamate and GABA in the central nervous system?

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter and GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS; both exhibit a ubiquitous distribution throughout the brain.