question

Neurochemistry

answer

focuses on the basic chemical composition and processes of the nervous system

question

Neuropharmacology

answer

is the study of compounds that selectively affect the nervous system.

question

Six criteria for neurotransmitters

answer

1) Exist in presynaptic axon terminals 2) Synthesized in presynaptic cells 3) Released during action potentials 4) Receptors for it exist on PSM. 5) Produces changes in postsynaptic potentials. 6) When blocked, prevents changes.

question

Amines

answer

quaternary amines (acetylcholine) mono amines

question

quaternary amines

answer

(acetylcholine)

question

mono amines

answer

*catecholemines* (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine) *indoleamines* (serotonin, melatonin)

question

Amino acids

answer

(GABA, glutamate)

question

Peptide neurotransmitters

answer

(opioids)

question

Neurotransmitters affect targets by acting on

answer

receptors

question

receptors

answer

protein molecules in the postsynaptic membrane.

question

Ionotropic receptors

answer

are fast-open an ion channel when the transmitter molecule binds

question

Metabotropic receptors

answer

are slow-when activated they alter chemical reactions in the cell, such as a G protein system, to open an ion channel.

question

ligand

answer

is a substance that binds to a receptor

question

A ligand has one of three effects:

answer

agonist antagonist inverse agonist

question

agonist

answer

initiates the normal effects of the receptor.

question

antagonist

answer

blocks the receptor from being activated by other ligands.

question

inverse agonist

answer

initiates an effect that is the opposite of the normal function.

question

Endogenous

answer

from inside

question

Exogenous

answer

from outside

question

4 biogenic amine production sites

answer

Ralphe Nuclie - seratonin Basal Ganglia - dopamine Basal Forebrain - acetocholine Locus Corealeus - epinephrine

question

Acetylcholine

answer

-plays a role in cognition, muscle contractions and the parasympathetic response -Nicotinic and Muscarinic receptors -Produced in midbrain and basal forebrain

question

Dopamine (DA)

answer

-This pathway is important in motor control and pleasure. -This pathway is implemented in to schizophrenia and movement disorders -is found in neurons in: midbrain and basal ganglia

question

Norepinephrine (NE)

answer

-NE is also known as noradrenaline-cells producing it are noradrenergic. Sympathetic response -is released in the Locus coeruleus (pons) and midbrain

question

The CNS has four subtypes of NE receptors-which are all...

answer

metabatropic

question

Serotonin (5HT)

answer

- is implicated in sleep, mood, sexual behavior, and anxiety. -Antidepressants such as Prozac increase 5HT activity, with effects depending on which receptor subtype is affected. -cell bodies are mainly found in the raphe nuclei and its serotonergic fibers project widely.

question

Amino acid transmitters:

answer

Glutamate GABA

question

Glutamate

answer

is the major excitatory neurotranmitter of the CNS

question

GABA

answer

is the major inhibitory neurotranmitter of the CNS

question

Excitotoxicity

answer

neural injury such as stroke may cause excess release of glutamate, which is toxic to neurons

question

Endorphins

answer

-are endogenous opioid peptides -They are produced in the pituitary and hypothalamus during exercise, pain, spicy food consumption and sex

question

binding affinity

answer

is the degree of chemical attraction between a ligand and a receptor.

question

efficacy (or intrinsic activity)

answer

is the ability of a bound ligand to activate the receptor.

question

Agonists

answer

high efficacy

question

Antagonists

answer

have low efficacy

question

Partial agonists or antagonists

answer

produce a medium response regardless of dose.

question

Competitive ligands

answer

are drugs that bind to the same receptor site as the neurotransmitter.

question

noncompetitive ligand

answer

binds instead to a modulatory site on the receptor. -The modulatory site, when bound by a compound, alters the receptor's response.

question

What is a dose-response curve (DRC) ?

answer

is a graph of the relationship between drug doses and the effects. -The DRC is a tool to understand pharmacodynamics-the functional relationship between drugs and their targets.

question

Drug tolerance can develop after

answer

successive treatments have decreasing effects

question

Metabolic tolerance organ systems become...

answer

more effective at eliminating the drug (e.g. alcohol)

question

Functional tolerance

answer

target tissue may show altered sensitivity to the drug (ecstacy)

question

Changes in numbers of receptors can alter sensitivity in the direction ...

answer

opposite to the drug's effects:

question

Neurons down-regulate in response to an agonist drug meaning...

answer

fewer receptors available

question

Neurons up-regulate in response to

answer

an antagonist.

question

Cross-tolerance

answer

is tolerance to a whole class of chemically similar drugs.

question

Withdrawal symptoms

answer

may be caused by drug tolerance.

question

Sensitization

answer

occurs when drug effects become stronger with repeated treatment.

question

bioavailable

answer

free to act on the target-varies with route of ingestion. -Duration of a drug's effect is determined by how it is metabolized.

question

Biotransformation produces active metabolites

answer

that may produce side effects.

question

Neuromodulators

answer

affect either transmitter release or receptor response.

question

Caffeine is an...

answer

exogenous neuromodulator that blocks the effect of adenosine, an endogenous neuromodulator that normally inhibits catecholamine release.

question

transporters

answer

specialized proteins that return the transmitter to the presynaptic membrane.

question

Some drugs affect how long transmitters remain in the synapse, they interfere with...

answer

transporters

question

When drugs affect the breakdown of neurotransmitters they are affecting the

answer

degradation of the drug

question

Cholinesterase inhibitors inhibit the breakdown of what drug

answer

ACh (acetycholine)

question

Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs

answer

a class of drugs to treat schizophrenia

question

Typical neuroleptics

answer

are selective dopamine D2 antagonists.

question

Atypical neuroleptics

answer

block serotonin receptors and may reduce negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

question

Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs, Typical neuroleptics, and Atypical neuroleptics all seem to do what to patients

answer

-reduce motor activity, which helps alleviate major agitation in some patients -They can also give rise to tardive dyskinesia (reversible)

question

Too much dopamine is associated with

answer

psychosis

question

Too little dopamine is associated with

answer

movement disorders

question

Antidepressants

answer

treat depression.

question

Monoamine oxidase (MAO)

answer

inhibitors prevent the breakdown of monoamines at the synapses.

question

Tricyclic antidepressants

answer

increase norepinephrine and serotonin at the synapses by blocking their reuptake into presynaptic axon terminals.

question

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

answer

- allow serotonin to accumulate in the synapses, with fewer side effects than tricyclics. -like Prozac or Zoloft

question

Anxiolytics, or tranquilizers

answer

reduce nervous system activity.

question

Benzodiazepine agonists act on what?

answer

also known as minor tranquilizers, and act on GABAA receptors

question

GABA receptors have several binding sites, that enhance or inhibit what??

answer

GABA's effects

question

Benzodiazepines bind at an

answer

orphan receptor-no known endogenous ligand

question

Allopregnanolone

answer

a steroid, is elevated during stress and is calming

question

Alcohol's effects are biphasic which means...

answer

an initial stimulant phase followed by a depressant phase

question

Alcohol activates GABAA receptors which increase

answer

social disinhibition, lethergy and loss of motor coordination for 4 hours

question

Alcohol also stimulates dopamine pathways, causing ...

answer

euphoric effects which last for six hours

question

Alcohol abuse damages nerve cells, especially in the ...

answer

frontal lobe, yet some damage is reversible.

question

analgesic

answer

pain killer

question

Opium contains

answer

morphine, an effective analgesic, or painkiller

question

Morphine and heroin are ...

answer

morphine and heroin bind to what kind of receptors?

answer

opiates bind to opioid receptors in the brain, especially in the locus coeruleus and the periaqueductal gray.

question

Endogenous opiates

answer

peptides produced in the body that bind to opioid receptors and relieve pain-are also addictive.

question

The brain contains orphan cannabinoid receptors to mediate the effects of

answer

THC and other compounds

question

Endocannabinoids

answer

homologs of marijuana produced in the brain-act as retrograde messengers and may influence neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic neuron.

question

Anandamide

answer

-an endocannabinoid Altered memory formation

question

Anadamide affects include

answer

-Altered memory formation -Appetite stimulation -Reduced pain sensitivity -Protection from excitotoxic brain damage

question

Nicotine from tobacco

answer

-Increases heart rate, blood pressure, hydrochloric acid secretion, and bowel activity -Acts as an agonist on nicotinic ACh receptors in the ventral tegmental area

question

Cocaine, the purified extract, can be used as a

answer

anesthetic

question

cocaine increases

answer

catecholamine stimulation and is highly addictive

question

Dual dependence

answer

is addiction to the effects of the interaction of two drugs.

question

Cocaine blocks which transporters

answer

monoamine transporters-especially dopamine-slows reuptake of neurotransmitters, enhancing their effects.

question

Amphetamine and methamphetamine are what kind of stimulants...

answer

synthetic stimulants that resemble catecholamines in structure. -They cause the release of neurotransmitters even in the absence of action potentials

question

Short-term effects of amphetamines include...

answer

alertness, euphoria, and stamina.

question

Long-term use leads of amphetamines include...

answer

sleeplessness weight loss, and schizophrenic symptoms

question

Hallucinogens

answer

sensory perception and produce peculiar experiences.

question

Phencyclidine (PCP) ) or angel dust,

answer

produces feelings of depersonalization and detachment from reality -Its many side effects include combativeness and catatonia. -PCP has been proposed as a chemical model for schizophrenia.

question

LSD

answer

(acid), mescaline (peyote), and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) have mainly visual effects.

question

what kind of receptor is pcp

answer

NMDA receptor antagonist and stimulates DA release

question

Ketamine (Special K)

answer

is a less potent NMDA antagonist that works in the prefrontal cortex.

question

Ketamine Like PCP

answer

can produce transient psychotic symptoms, at high doses

question

MDMA (Ecstasy) is a

answer

hallucinogenic amphetamine derivative-its major actions are increases in serotonin levels and changes in dopamine and prolactin levels. -Chronic ecstasy use produces persistent effects and damage to serotonin-producing neurons

question

The Moral Model

answer

blames the abuser for a lack of moral character or a lack of self-control

question

The Disease Model

answer

the abuser requires medical treatment; however, an abnormal condition in abusers has not been identified

question

The Physical Dependence Model

answer

called the withdrawal avoidance model, says abusers use drugs to avoid withdrawal symptoms

question

The Positive Reward Model

answer

drug use is a behavior controlled by positive rewards, with no disease

question

Many addictive drugs cause dopamine release in the what part of the brain

answer

nucleus accumbens -Some axons that terminate here originate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and are involved in the reward pathway. -The addictive power of drugs may come from stimulating this pathway.

question

People with damage to the insula pathway, a brain region within the frontal cortex.

answer

area have been able to stop smoking effortlessly.

question

Cue-induced drug use

answer

is the increased likelihood of using a drug because factors are present that were also present when the drug was last used.

question

Factors in susceptibility to addiction

answer

-biological-sex, genetic predisposition -Family situation-family breakup, poor relationships, sibling drug users -Personal characteristics-aggressiveness, emotional control -Environmental factors-peer pressure, social factors

question

Medications to treat drug abuse Drugs for detoxification:

answer

benzodiazepines and drugs to help ease withdrawal symptoms

question

Antagonists to the addictive drug

answer

block effects of the abused drug but may produce withdrawal symptoms

question

Agonists or analogs of the addictive drug

answer

-partially activate the same pathways, such as methadone or nicotine patches

question

Reward-blocking medications

answer

block positive reward effects of the abused drug but may produce a lack of all pleasurable feelings

question

Medications that alter drug metabolism-

answer

like *Antabuse*, which makes drinking produce unpleasant side effects

question

Anticraving medications

answer

reduce the appetite for the abused substance

question

immunization

answer

prompts the immune system to remove targeted drugs

Final Ch4 Neurochemistry – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards