Lecture 1: Neurotransmitters - Pete

Front 1

Activating Systems are ___________ ___________ that ____________ brain activity through a single ______________.

Back 1

Activating Systems are neural pathways that coordinate brain activity through a single neurotransmitter.

Front 2

Activating System:

Where are cell bodies located and where are they distributed thought?

Back 2

Cell bodies are located in a nucleus in the brainstem and their axons are distributed through a wide region of the brain

Front 3

What are the Five Important Systems (neurotransmitters).


Which two other neurotransmitter systems are important?

Back 3

1. Cholinergic
2. Dopaminergic
3. Noradrenergic
4. Serotonergic
5. Histaminergic


Glutamate and GABA are important (GG)

Front 4

Back 4

Front 5

Roles of acetylcholine:
Somatic nervous system:

What does the cholinergic neuron use as it's main transmitter?

What is its somatic nervous system funciton?

Back 5

1. Neuron that uses acetylcholine (ACh) as its main
neurotransmitter

2. Excites skeletal muscles to cause contractions

Front 6

Roles of acetylcholine:
Somatic nervous system:

What are the the two other ACh receptors?

Back 6

1. Nicotinic ACh receptors
2. Muscarinic ACh receptors

Front 7

Roles of acetylcholine:
Autonomic Nervous System

Cholinergic neurons control which divisions?

Back 7

1. Sympathetic (fight-or-flight response)
- Cholinergic
- Noradrenergic

2. Parasympathetic (rest-and digest response)
- Cholinergic

Front 8

What are the four dopamine pathways in the brain? Top to bottom:

Back 8

1. Nigrostriatal
2. Mesolimbic
3. Mesocortical
4. Tuberhypophyseal

Front 9

Indoleamines are related to what neurotransmitter?

Back 9

Serotonin

Front 10

5HT =

Back 10

Serotonin

Front 11

Too much 5HT can result in: least to most sever (6)

Back 11

1. Anxiety
2. Insomnia
3. Sexual dysfunction
4. GI Distrubance
5. Serotonin syndrome (fever, tremor, coma, seizure, death)
6. ? Cardiac valve pathology
6.

Front 12

Not enough 5HT can result in: Most to least (4)

Back 12

1. Bulimia
2. Panic
3. OCD
4. Depression

Front 13

Human brain 5HT receptors and their actions

5HT 1 = (four)

Back 13

1. Anxiety and depression
2. Maybe cognition
3. Aggression
4. Migraine

Front 14

Human brain 5HT receptors and their actions

5HT 2 = (two)

Back 14

1. modulate ascending dopamine pathways
2. hunger

Front 15

Human brain 5HT receptors and their actions

1. Where is 5HT 3 found?

2. What might it be involved in?

Back 15

1. Limbic and frontal cortex

2. Aggression

Front 16

Human brain 5HT receptors and their actions

5HT 4 might be involved in what two things?

Back 16

Cognition and anxiety

Front 17

5HT 6 might be involved in (2)?

Back 17

cognition and depression

Front 18

5HT (i) might be involved in (2)

Back 18

circadian rhythm and epilepsy

Front 19

Most psychoactive drugs are mediated by
_______ _________ (particularly
5HT, ACh, NA, DA, GABA and adenosine)

Back 19

Most psychoactive drugs are mediated by
existing neurotransmitter systems (particularly
5HT, ACh, NA, DA, GABA and adenosine)

Most act as agonists or antagonists of the
receptor, but some agents (e.g. alcohol) are
more diffuse

Front 20

Most psychoactive drugs act as __________ or ____________ of the receptor, but some agents (e.g. alcohol) are more _________.

Back 20

Most act as agonists or antagonists of the
receptor, but some agents (e.g. alcohol) are
more diffuse.

Front 21

The more diffuse the effect, the ________ ______ ______ ______ to achieve activity.

Back 21

The more diffuse the effect, the higher the dose
required to achieve activity.

Front 22

What is absorption?

Back 22

Mechanism by which drugs pass from their point of entry into the blood stream.

Front 23

Mechanism by which drugs pass from their point of entry into the blood stream =

Back 23

absorption.

Front 24

Effect of any drug depends on what? (3)

Back 24

1. The route of administration (oral, rectal, parenteral, inhaled or through mucous membranes.

2. The dose of the drug

3. The dosage form (i.e. liquid, tablet, capsule,
injection)

Front 25

Intranasal, Smoked, Intravenous, Oral, .

Order these in terms of concentration of peak plasma (cocaine).

Back 25

1. Intravenous
2. Smoked
3. Oral
4. Intranasal.

Front 26

In terms of substance use, routes of administration are also an important variable in determining the likelihood of what? (2)

Back 26

1. dependence and abuse
2. patterns of use

Front 27

In terms of substance use, routes of administration that produce more rapid and efficient absorption tend to increase the likelihood of (2)?

Back 27

1. an escalating pattern leading to dependence
2. toxic effects

Front 28

What is the Blood-brain barrier (BBB)?

Back 28

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a separation of the circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid (BECF) in the central nervous system (CNS).

Front 29

Barrier free brain sites:

What does the pineal gland do?

Back 29

Allows entry of chemicals that affect day-night cycles.

Front 30

Barrier free brain sites:

What does the piturity do?

Back 30

Allows entry of chemicals that influence piturity hormones.

Front 31

Barrier free brain sites:

What does the area postrema do?

Back 31

Allows entry of toxic substances that induce vomiting

Front 32

Drug effects vary with dosage:

the smaller the dose the more _______

Back 32

Potency: the smaller the dose the more POTENT.

Front 33

Drug effects vary with dosage:

What is the potency effect relationship?

Back 33

1. Different dose response effects for different actions

Front 34

In terms of safety and the slope of drug-response relationships, the more gradual slope the less.... ?

Back 34

the more gradual slope less likelihood of OD

Front 35

Drug effects vary with dosage:

What is the maximum effect?

Back 35

Even if dose of a drug is raised it may not produce the same effect as another class of drug

Front 36

What does the dose-response curve indicate?

Back 36

After a certain point, increasing doses do not produce a stronger effect.

Front 37

What are the three factors that influence drug
responsiveness?

Back 37

1. Age
2. Body size
3. Sex

Front 38

Older individuals are more sensitive to drugs. Why? (2)

Back 38

1. Less effective blood brain barrier
2. Less effective at eliminating drugs

Front 39

Smaller individuals are more sensitive to drugs. Why? (1)

Back 39

1. Fewer body fluids to dilute drugs

Front 40

Females are more sensitive to drugs. Why? (2)

Back 40

1. Smaller than men on average
2. Hormonal differences and other enzymatic differences

Front 41

Most psychoactive drugs exert their effects by
influencing chemical reactions at __________.

Back 41

Most psychoactive drugs exert their effects by
influencing chemical reactions at synapses.

Front 42

Substance that ENHANCES the function of a synapse =

Back 42

Agonist.

Front 43

What is an agonist?

Back 43

Substance that ENHANCES the function of a synapse.

Front 44

Antagonist =

Back 44

Substance that BLOCKS the function of a synapse

Front 45

Substance that BLOCKS the function of a synapse =

Back 45

Antagonist

Front 46

Choline-rich diets increase the availability of what neurotransmitter ?

Back 46

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Front 47

What does black widow spider venom result in?

What sort of effect is it?

Back 47

Promotes the release of ACh. (Agonist)

Front 48

What does botulin toxin do?

What sort of effect is it?

Back 48

Botulin toxic blocks the release of of ACh. (Antagonist)

Front 49

Nicotine stimulates what receptors?

What sort of effect?

Back 49

ACh.

Agonist

Front 50

Curare blocks which receptors?

What type of effect?

Back 50

Curare blocks ACh receptors.

Antagonist.

Front 51

Hysotigimine and organophosphates block the inactivation of ____

Back 51

Hysotigimine and organophosphates block the inactivation of ACh.

Front 52

What are the two research strategies in developing
drug treatments for psychiatric disorders?

Back 52

1. The quest for abnormal biochemical products or pathways specific to a particular disorder

2. Investigation into the common modes of action of agents which ameliorate or exacerbate the disorder

Front 53

What is tolerance? (2)

Back 53

1. Lessening of response to a drug over time
2. Larger doses are required to maintain the drug’s initial effect

Front 54

What is cross-tolerance?

Back 54

Response to a novel drug is reduced because of tolerance developed in response to a related drug.

Front 55

Response to a novel drug is reduced because of tolerance developed in response to a related drug = ?

Back 55

Cross-tolerance.

Front 56

What does cross-tolerance suggest?

Back 56

Suggests that the two drugs affect a common nervous system target.

Front 57

What is an example of cross-tolerance?

Back 57

Example: Barbiturates and benzodiazepines both affect the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA

Front 58

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines both affect what?

Back 58

The inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA

Front 59

Drug tolerance is a shift in the dose-response curve where?

Back 59

To the right!

1. in tolerant subjects, the same dose has less effect.
2. In tolerant subjects, the greater the dose is required to produce the same effect.

Front 60

How do we develop a tolerance to drugs such as alcohol? (3)

Back 60

1. Metabolic Tolerance
2. Cellular Tolerance
3. Learned Tolerance

Front 61

Number of enzymes needed to break down alcohol increases = ?

Back 61

Metabolic Tolerance

Front 62

Activities of brain cells may adjust to minimize the effect of alcohol =

Back 62

Cellular Tolerance

Front 63

People can learn to cope with effects of alcohol and
therefore may not appear to be drunk =

Back 63

Learned Tolerance.

Front 64

What are withdrawal symptoms? (2)

Back 64

Physical and psychological behaviours displayed by an
addict when drug use ends.

Examples: muscle aches and cramps, anxiety attacks, sweating, nausea, convulsions, death

Front 65

Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and morphine start within _______ ______ of last dose and intensify over several days before subsiding.

Back 65

Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and morphine start within several hours of last dose and intensify over several days before subsiding.

Front 66

Back 66