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22 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are psychomotor stimulants? |
Psychomotor stimulants are drugs that have a marked effect on mental function and behaviour, producing excitement and euphoria, reduced sensation of fatigue and an increase in motor activity. |
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Which are the important psychomotor stimulants? |
Amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, theophylline |
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Which are the most important amphetamines? |
- Dextroamphetamine - Methamphetamine - Phenmetrazine - Methylphenidate (ritalin) |
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What are designer drugs? |
Designer drugs are structurally or functionally similar to illegal drugs like amphetamines, but they’re not (yet) classified as illegal or detected on drug tests. |
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What is the mechanism of action of amphetamines? |
They achieve this by acting as false substrates for norepinephrine transporter (NET)/uptake-1 and VMAT. This causes noradrenaline to leave the cytosol of the noradrenergic nerve ending and enter the synaptic cleft through NET. |
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What are the effects of amphetamines? |
- Locomotor stimulation - Stereotypical behaviour - Reduced fatigue - Euphoria - Anorexia - Increased sympathetic activation |
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What are the clinical uses of amphetamines? |
Methylphenidate is used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD |
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What are the clinical uses of cocaine? |
It is sometimes used as a local anaesthetic |
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What is the mechanism of action of cocaine? |
Cocaine competitively inhibits the uptake-1 mechanism, thereby preventing noradrenaline from being removed from the synaptic cleft. It also blocks sodium channels when applied locally and can therefore be used as a local anaesthetic. |
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What are the effects of cocaine? |
- Euphoria - Locomotor stimulation - Increased pleasure - Reduced fatigue - Sympathetic activation |
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What is the mechanism of action of caffeine and theophylline? |
They are adenosine receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. By inhibiting phosphodiesterase (PDE) these drugs increase the intracellular level of cAMP. |
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What are the effects of caffeine? |
- Psychomotor stimulation (without euphoria) - Reduction of fatigue - Improved concentration |
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What is the clinical use of theophylline? |
Theophylline is used as a bronchodilator. |
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What are psychomimetic drugs? |
Psychomimetic drugs affect thought, perception and mood without causing psychomotor stimulation or euphoria. |
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What are the important psychomimetic drugs? |
LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, cannabis |
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What is the mechanism of action of LSD? |
LSD is an agonist for 5–HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5–HT2C receptors in the CNS |
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What is the mechanism of action of psilocybin? |
Psilocybin is an agonist for 5-HT1A and 5-HT1C receptors in the CNS |
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What is the mechanism of action of cannabis (THC)? |
THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in the CNS |
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What are nootropic drugs? |
Nootropic drugs are drugs that aim to improve cognitive functions like memory, attention, concentration, etc. Unlike psychomotor stimulants these drugs don’t stimulate the CNS. |
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Name some nootropic drugs |
Memantine, piracetam, vinpocetine, gingko biloba extract |
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What are the clinical uses of nootropic drugs? |
Nootropic drugs may excert a neuroprotective effect on the brain, which can be useful after stroke or brain trauma, or in neurodegenerative diseases |
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What is the mechanism of action of memantine?
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Memantine is an NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist. It decreases glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity |
