pharm - anticonvulsants + behavior

define seizure

define seizure

excessive electrical brain activity

list 5 possible causes of seizures

hypoxia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, toxicity, infectious disease

what are the 3 phases associated with a seizure?

pre-ictal, ictus, post-ictal

what behaviors would you expect in the pre-ictal phase?

hiding, anxiousness, pacing

what is status epilepticus?

prolonged seizures

what is the most common daily medication for sz?

phenobarbital

what is the goal of anticonvulsant therapy?

find a balance between animals needs and owners limits

define adjunct

addition to another med for the same purpose

what are the most common side effects of phenobarbital?

sedation and ataxia

what is a side effect of phenobarbital after a long period of time?

pu/pd

what is the drug of choice to treat an active sz and what route is it administered?

diazepam; IV + rectal

which 2 anticonvulsants require therapeutic drug level monitoring?

phenobarbital and bromides

which anticonvulsants are “liver safe”

bromides

why is behavior screening important during routine care for pets?

to fix behavior early

what is the difference between anxiety and fear?

anxiety is long term; fear is to a certain stimuli

what 3 main neurotransmitters generally targeted with behavior modifying drugs?

dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine

how long does it take for antidepressant type drugs to reach full effect?

4-6 weeks

what is the increased risk with giving MAOIs and TCAs together?

serotonin syndrome

what is the mechanism of action for TCAs, how is this different from SSRIs?

decrease reuptake of serotonin and NE from synaptic cleft; SSRIs only block serotonin

what is the mechanism of action for MAOIs

breaks apart serotonin, dopamine, and NE; inhibiting breakdown

which antidepressants have FDA approval for behavior in vet med and what is the approved use?

reconcile and clomipramine for seperation anxiety and OCD

how is sileo administered?

a gel administered to mucus membranes

____ is a barbiturate (anticonvulsant) and is the DOC for sz

phenobarbital

____ and ____ are bromides (anticonvulsant) and are salts, are used adjunct, but you can’t use in cats

potassium bromide(KBr) and sodium bromide(NaBr)

____ and ____ are benzodiazepines (anticonvulsant) and are used to stop active sz, and have a high first pass effect

diazepam and midazolam

____ (keppra) is liver safe and usually used adjunct

levitracetam

____ sz control varies

gabapentin

MAOI stands for

monomine acidase inhibitor

SSRI stands for

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

TCA stands for

tricyclic antidepressants

____ are named for chemical structure, MOA: blocks reuptake of NE and serotonin,

TCAs

____ are FDA approved for seperation anxiety. drugs include: fluoxetine (prozac-human and reconcile-vet) and sertraline (zoloft)

SSRIs

____ enzyme is monoamine oxidase which breaks down serotonin, NE, and dopamine. drugs include: selegiline (anipryl) - old dog dementia and cushings

MAOIs

____ is an anxiolytic that has a complex action on serotonin, can be used daily or long term

trazodone

____ (dexmedatomidine) is applied transmucosal and is FDA approved for noise phobias, and is dosed in “dots”

sileo

____ is not considered an anxiolytic, it is a phenothiazine tranquilizer and can cause aggressive behavior in dogs

acepromazine