1. What isDopamineresponsible for?

Involved in fine muscle movement;Involved in the integration of emotionsand thoughts; Involved in decisionmaking; Stimulates hypothalamus torelease hormones (sex, thyroid, adrenal).

2. What isNorepinephrineresponsible for?

Level in brain affects mood; Attention andarousal; Stimulates sympathetic branch ofautonomic nervous system for "fight orflight" in response to stress

3. What isSerotoninresponsible for?

Plays a role in sleep regulation, hunger,mood states, and pain perception;Hormonal activity; Plays a role inaggression and sexual behavior

4. What isHistamineresponsible for?

Involved in alertness; Involved ininflammatory response; Stimulates gastricsecretion

5. What is aDecrease inDopamineresponsible for?

Parkinson's disease and Depression

6. What is anIncrease inDopamineresponsible for?

Schizophrenia and Mania

7. What is aDecrease inNorepinephrineresponsible for?

Depression

8. What is anIncrease inNorepinephrineresponsible for?

Mania, Anxiety states, and Schizophrenia

9. What is aDecrease inSerotoninresponsible for?

Depression

10. What is anIncrease inSerotoninresponsible for?

Anxiety states

11. What is aDecrease inHistamineresponsible for?

Sedation and Weight gain

12. What is GABA(an amino acid)responsible for?

Plays a role in inhibition, reducesaggression, excitation, and anxiety; Mayplay a role in pain perception; Hasanticonvulsant and muscle-relaxingproperties; May impair cognition andpsychomotor functioning

13. What is aDecrease inGABA (an aminoacid) responsiblefor?

Anxiety disorders, Schizophrenia,Mania, and Huntington's disease

14. What is anIncrease in GABA(an amino acid)responsible for?

Reduction of anxiety

15. What isGlutamate (anamino acid)responsible for?

Is excitatory; Plays a role in learningand memory

16. What is anIncrease inGlutamate (anamino acid)responsible for?

Prolonged increase state can beneurotoxic; Neurodegeneration inAlzheimer's disease; Improvement ofcognitive performance in behavior tasks

17. What is aDecrease inGlutamate (anamino acid)responsible for?

Psychosis

18. What isAcetylcholine(anticholinergic)responsible for?

Plays a role in learning, memory;Regulates mood: mania, sexualaggression; Affects sexual andaggressive behavior; Stimulatesparasympathetic nervous system

19. What is aDecrease inAcetylcholine(anticholinergic)responsible for?

Alzheimer's disease, Huntington'sdisease, and Parkinson's disease

20. What is anIncrease inAcetylcholine(anticholinergic)responsible for?

Depression

21. What isSubstance P(peptides)responsible for?

Promotes and reinforces memory;Involved in regulation of mood andanxiety; Role in pain management

22. What isSomatostatin(peptides)responsible for?

Altered levels associated with cognitivedisease

23. What is aDecrease inSomatostatin(peptides)responsible for?

Alzheimer's disease; some associationwith depression

Ch. 3 - Biological Basis for Understanding PsychiatricDisorders and Treatments (Varcarolis)Study online at quizlet.com/_l3yob

24. What is anIncrease inSomatostatin(peptides)responsible for?

Huntington's disease

25. What isNeurotensin(peptides)responsible for?

Endogenous antipsychotic-likeproperties

26. What are theadverse effects ofLithium?

Tremor, ataxia, confusion,convulsions, nausea, vomiting,diarrhea, arrhythmias, polyuria,polydipsia, edema, goiter, andhypothyroidism

27. What are Neurons? Nerve cells that respond to stimuli,conduct electrical impulses, andrelease chemicals calledneurotransmitters.

28. What areCircadianRhythms?

The fluctuation of variousphysiological and behavioralparameters over a 24 hr cycle. Includebody temp and sleep/wake cycle.

29. What is the LimbicSystem?

Areas of the cerebrum that play acrucial role in emotional status andpsychological function

30. What is theBrainstemresponsible for?

Regulates the internal organs and isresponsible for such vital functions asthe regulation of blood gases and themaintenance of blood pressure.

31. What is theCerebellumresponsible for?

Regulation of skeletal musclecoordination and contraction and themaintenance of equilibrium.

32. What is theCerebrumresponsible for?

Mental activities and a conscioussense of being. Responsible for ourconscious perception of the externalworld, our own body, emotional status,memory, control of skeletal muscles,language and the ability tocommunicate

33. How are PET scansdifferent from CTscans and MRIs?

PET scans can detect functionalabnormalities in the brain while CTscans and MRIs detect structuralabnormalities in the brain.

34. What isPharmacokinetics?

Refers to the actions of the person onthe drug

35. What isPharmacogenetics?

Explains how genetic variation leadsto altered drug responses in differentindividuals and ethnic groups

36. What doBenzodiazepinesdo?

They potentiate, or promote the activityof GABA by binding to a specificreceptor on the GABA(a) receptorcomplex. Examples include Valium,Xanax, and Klonopin

37. What is occasionallycombined withBenzodiazepinesthat needs to bemonitored for lifethreatening CNSdepression?

Other CNS depressants such asalcohol, opiates, or tricyclicantidepressants

38. What is Buspirone(BuSpar)?

A drug that reduces anxiety withouthaving strong sedative-hypnoticproperties. It is not a CNS depressantand therefore does not have as great adanger of interaction with other CNSdepressants as Benzodiazepines do.

39. What are MelatoninReceptor Agonists?

These drugs mimic the hormoneMelatonin (that is only excreted atnight as part of the normal circadianrhythm) to help patient's fall asleep.

40. What are Tricyclicantidepressants(TCAs)?

Antidepressant. Drugs that arethought to act primarily by blockingthe reuptake of norepineprhine,therefore increasing the level ofnorepinephrine at the synapse.

41. What are SelectiveSerotonin ReuptakeInhibitors (SSRIs)?

Antidepressant. Block the reuptakeand the degradation of serotonin, buteach specific SSRI has a differenteffect on neurotransmitters.

42. What are Serotonin-NorepinephrineReuptakeInhibitors?

Antidepressant. Drugs that increaseSerotonin and Norepinephrine

43. What areMonoamineOxidase Inhibitors(MAOIs)?

Antidepressant. Act by inhibiting theenzyme and interfering with thedestruction of the monoamineneurotransmitters (norepinephrine,epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin,etc.), thereby leaving more of themavailable.

44. What drugs arecontraindicatedwith MAOIs?

Antidepressants, sympathomimeticdrugs, and oral decongestants

45. What is Lithiumused for?

A mood stabilizer in patients withbipolar disorder.

46. What is theTherapeutic Index?

The ratio of the lethal dose to theeffective dose, and is a measure ofoverall drug safety in regards to thepossibility of overdose or toxicity.

47. What how doAnticonvulsantDrugs work?

They reduce the firing rate of very-high-frequency neurons in the brain;which possibly accounts for theirability to reduce the mood swings thatoccur in patients with bipolardisorders.

48. What is carbamazepine (Tegretol) usedfor?

Anticonvulsant. Useful in preventing mania during episodes of acute mania. Reduces thefiring rate of overexcited neurons by reducing the activity of sodium channels.

49. What is lamotrigine (Lamictal) usedfor?

Anticonvulsant. Works well in treating the depression of bipolar disorder with lessincidence of switching the patient to mania than antidepressants. Modulates the releaseof glutamate and aspartate.

50. What are First-GenerationAntipsychotics?

Drugs that are strong antagonists (blocking the action) of Dopamine; Target mostly thepositive symptoms of schizophrenia

51. What are some side effects of First-Generation Antipsychotics?

Extrapyramidal symptoms; Sedation and Weight gain

52. What are Second-GenerationAntipsychotics?

Drugs that predominantly block Dopamine and Serotonin. Produce fewer extrapyramidalside effects; and target both the negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia;Increased chances of developing Metabolic Syndrome *

53. What is a major side effect to watch forin patients taking Clozapine (a 2nd-generation antipsychotic)?

Agranulocytosis - requires constant measurement of WBC count

54. What are some side effects ofRisperidone (Risperdal) a 2nd-generation antipsychotic?

Motor difficulties (ex. extrapyramidal symptoms); Sedation; Orthostatic hypotension;Weight gain

55. What is aripiprazole (Abilify)? 3rd-generation antipsychotic. Known as a dopamine system stabilizer. Side effectsinclude insomnia and akathisia

56. What drug class is used for patientswith ADHD?

Psychostimulants

Ch. 3 - Biological Basis for Understanding Psychiatric Disorders and Treatments (Varcarolis)