Drugs and the Neuroscience of Behavior An
Introduction to Psychopharmacology 2nd Edition Prus
Test Bank
Up until hypnotic sedatives, how did all of the drugs affect dopamine? - ANSWER: by
altering the GABA pathways -- NOT by acting on the GABA receptors themselves
sedative-hypnotics: sedative - ANSWER: low dose produce calming effect at and
general decrease in activity
sedative-hypnotics: hypnotic - ANSWER: higher dose produce drowsiness that can be
sleep-inducing
the brain's downer - ANSWER: GABA
GABA: inhibitory - ANSWER: the neurotransmitter GABA generally reduces molecular
and behavioral activity
GABA-B receptor - ANSWER: a GPCR that causes indirect effects, modulates K+
channel
affects depolarization
GABA-A receptor - ANSWER: a chloride channel causes direct hyperpolarization
basically impossible to drive depolarization after this is hyperpolarized
GABA-A subunits - ANSWER: there are a lot of different combination of alpha (n=6),
beta (n=3), gamma (n=3) subunits
the sedative-hypnotic receptor
2 main types of GABA receptors: - ANSWER: A and B
GABA receptors are - ANSWER: pentamers
5 subunits
each one is a different gene
6 alpha, 3 beta, 5 gamma
lots of different combinations possible which affect affinity for GABA and different
drugs of abuse
GABA-A site - ANSWER: binding GABA (agonist) activates that channel to pass
chloride ions
anesthetic site - ANSWER: propofol, alcohol, quaaludes, neurosteroids
barbiturate site - ANSWER: barbiturates
, benzodiazapine - ANSWER: benzodiazapines
different sites on GABA-A - ANSWER: 3 different sites
all drugs dont compete with GABA, have different sites
all positive allosteric modulators
anxiolytic - ANSWER: relief from anxiety
disinhibition - ANSWER: cognitive and motor impairment ("life of the party")
sedation - ANSWER: decrease in activity
hypnosis - ANSWER: sleep induction
coma - ANSWER: loss of consciousness
death - ANSWER: legal dose (LD50)
pharmacodynamics of barbiturates - ANSWER: GABA-A positive allosteric modulator
(PAM)
pharmacokinetics of barbiturates - ANSWER: developed drugs that last from minutes
to days
therapeutics of barbituates - ANSWER: widely used for treating anxiety, insomnia,
and epilepsy
1930s and 1940s: barbituates - ANSWER: alcohol with drug-like 1st order kinetics
barbiturates therapeutic window - ANSWER: very small
side effects of barbiturates - ANSWER: difficult to separate therapeutic dose from
drowsiness and effects on cognitive and motor function
tolerance of barbiturates - ANSWER: induces changes in liver function requiring
increasing doses
overdose of barbiturates - ANSWER: cause of numerous unintentional and
intentional deaths
the current standard of care - ANSWER: benzodiazapines
pharmacodynamics of benzodiazapines - ANSWER: GABA-A positive allosteric
modulator (PAM)
Introduction to Psychopharmacology 2nd Edition Prus
Test Bank
Up until hypnotic sedatives, how did all of the drugs affect dopamine? - ANSWER: by
altering the GABA pathways -- NOT by acting on the GABA receptors themselves
sedative-hypnotics: sedative - ANSWER: low dose produce calming effect at and
general decrease in activity
sedative-hypnotics: hypnotic - ANSWER: higher dose produce drowsiness that can be
sleep-inducing
the brain's downer - ANSWER: GABA
GABA: inhibitory - ANSWER: the neurotransmitter GABA generally reduces molecular
and behavioral activity
GABA-B receptor - ANSWER: a GPCR that causes indirect effects, modulates K+
channel
affects depolarization
GABA-A receptor - ANSWER: a chloride channel causes direct hyperpolarization
basically impossible to drive depolarization after this is hyperpolarized
GABA-A subunits - ANSWER: there are a lot of different combination of alpha (n=6),
beta (n=3), gamma (n=3) subunits
the sedative-hypnotic receptor
2 main types of GABA receptors: - ANSWER: A and B
GABA receptors are - ANSWER: pentamers
5 subunits
each one is a different gene
6 alpha, 3 beta, 5 gamma
lots of different combinations possible which affect affinity for GABA and different
drugs of abuse
GABA-A site - ANSWER: binding GABA (agonist) activates that channel to pass
chloride ions
anesthetic site - ANSWER: propofol, alcohol, quaaludes, neurosteroids
barbiturate site - ANSWER: barbiturates
, benzodiazapine - ANSWER: benzodiazapines
different sites on GABA-A - ANSWER: 3 different sites
all drugs dont compete with GABA, have different sites
all positive allosteric modulators
anxiolytic - ANSWER: relief from anxiety
disinhibition - ANSWER: cognitive and motor impairment ("life of the party")
sedation - ANSWER: decrease in activity
hypnosis - ANSWER: sleep induction
coma - ANSWER: loss of consciousness
death - ANSWER: legal dose (LD50)
pharmacodynamics of barbiturates - ANSWER: GABA-A positive allosteric modulator
(PAM)
pharmacokinetics of barbiturates - ANSWER: developed drugs that last from minutes
to days
therapeutics of barbituates - ANSWER: widely used for treating anxiety, insomnia,
and epilepsy
1930s and 1940s: barbituates - ANSWER: alcohol with drug-like 1st order kinetics
barbiturates therapeutic window - ANSWER: very small
side effects of barbiturates - ANSWER: difficult to separate therapeutic dose from
drowsiness and effects on cognitive and motor function
tolerance of barbiturates - ANSWER: induces changes in liver function requiring
increasing doses
overdose of barbiturates - ANSWER: cause of numerous unintentional and
intentional deaths
the current standard of care - ANSWER: benzodiazapines
pharmacodynamics of benzodiazapines - ANSWER: GABA-A positive allosteric
modulator (PAM)
