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31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Psychopharmacology |
The scientific study of the actions of drugs and their effects on living organisms |
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Pharmacokinetics |
"What the body does to a drug" Refers to the movement of drugs into, through, and out of the body. Absorption-Bioavailability-Distribution-Metabolism-Excretion |
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Advantages & Disadvantages of IV injection |
Advantages: rapid, accurate, high blood concentration Disadvantages: overdose danger, cannot be readily reversed, requires sterile needles and medical technique |
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What are lipid soluble drugs? |
Drugs that move through cell membranes quickly by passive diffusion. |
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Importance of the blood-brain barrier |
Prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the brain. It is selectively permeable. |
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Half-life |
The amount of time required for removal of 50% of the drug in the blood. (t1/2) |
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Pharmacodynamics |
"What a drug does to the body" Study of the physiological and biochemical interaction of drug molecules with target tissue that is responsible for the ultimate effects of a drug |
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Receptors |
Large protein molecules located on the surface of, or within cells. They are the initial sites of action of biologically active agents such as neurotransmitters, hormones, & drugs (a.k.a. ligands) |
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Ligands |
Any molecule that binds to a receptor with some selectivity |
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Half-life of: Cocaine THC Ibuprofen Fluoxetine (Prozac) |
Cocaine: 0.5-1.5 hours THC: 20-30 hours Ibuprofen: 3-4 hours Fluoxetine: 7-9 days |
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The essential goal of neuropharmacology |
To identify drugs that can act at neurotransmitter receptors to enhance or reduce normal functioning of the cell and bring about a clinically useful effect |
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Receptor up regulation |
Long-term regulation. Receptor numbers are increased. Prolonged absence of receptor agonists. i.e. A low amount of neurotransmitter in the nerve terminal will cause there to be MORE receptors |
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Receptor down regulation |
Receptor numbers reduced. Chronic activation of the receptor. i.e. Cocaine addiction chronically inhibits DA, NE, and 5-HT reuptake, causing more neurotransmitter to be present. This would cause the number of receptors to go down because they were overstimulated. |
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What is a neuron? |
Nerve cells that form the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that transmits signals |
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Dendrites Soma Axon |
Dendrites: Projections from the soma that receive signals from other cells Soma: Cell body of a neuron Axon: Extension from the soma. Conducts electrical signals. |
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Glial cells (4 types) |
Astrocytes (stuctural support) Microglia (immune system function) Schwann Cells (make up the Myelin sheath) Oligodendroglia |
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Therapeutic index (TI) |
Calculates drug safety.
Compares the Effective Dose (ED50) and Toxic Dose (TD50) TI = TD50/ED50 |
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Describe resting potential |
Inside of the neuron is more negative, outside is more positive. Resting potential = -70 mV ****Study this more in depth**** |
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Epilepsy |
Neurological disorder that consists of recurrent disturbances of electrical activity in the brain involving large ensembles of neurons |
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What are the functions of the spinal cord? |
1) Carry sensory & motor info from the body to the brain 2) Receive info from sensory afferent neurons 3) Send info from the brain & higher centers to motor neurons that initiate muscle contraction |
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What are the distinct regions of the CNS? |
HINDBRAIN & FOREBRAIN More specifically: Spinal cord Myelencephalon (medulla) Metencephalon (cerebrum & pons) Mesencephalon (midbrain) Diencephalon (thalamus & hypothalamus) Telencephalon (neocortex, basal ganglia & limbic system) |
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Function of the diencephalon? |
Thalamus relays info to the cerebral cortex. Hypothalamus maintains homeostasis of psych. functions and modulates motivated behaviours, including eating, aggression & reproduction |
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Limbic system |
Involved in integrating emotional responses and regulating motivated behaviour and learning. Includes: limbic cortex amygdala nucleus accumbens hippocampus hypothalamus |
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Discuss the process of stereotaxic surgery |
Using a device to position a rodent's head very still to perform an array of procedures i.e. brain lesion, insertion of a neurotoxin, or placement of electrodes on the brain |
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Microdialysis |
Technique used to measure neurotransmitter release in the brain of an awake, freely moving animal by collecting samples of extracellular fluid and then analyzing the samples biochemically. |
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In-situ hybridization |
Technique used to locate cells that manufacture a specific protein or peptide by detecting the specific mRNA sequence coding for that substance. Can also be used to study changes in mRNA levels. |
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PET vs. MRI |
PET: maps the distribution of a radioactively labeled substance that has been injected into a person MRI: uses measurements of waves emitted by atoms. Provides a detailed picture of the brain. |
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Explain the utility of using knockout technology |
A specific gene is "knocked out" of mice so the effects of that particular gene can be studied |
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Process of drug development and testing |
Pre-clinical research (min. 5 years) Clinical studies (7 years) FDA review (1.5 years) Post-market surveillance (on-going) |
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Describe 2 mazes that are used to explore animal behavior |
radial-arm maze: multiple arms radiating away from a central choice point with a small piece of food at the end of each arm Morris water maze: a large pool filled with opaque water, the rat has to swim around until it finds the submerged platform |
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What is operant conditioning? Give an example |
A behavioural test that can evaluate many behaviours like analgesia, anxiety, addiction potential, drug discrimination, and learning & memory. Consequences control behaviour, animals perform because they are reinforced for doing so. i.e. The Skinner Box (an animal is trained to press a level for food) |
