NURS 307 Integrating Mental Health and Addiction
into Nursing TestBank-Questions with complete
solutions.
What does carrier proteins do?
They transport neurotransmitters across cell membranes. Medications may block or inhibit this
transport.
What is psychopharmacology?
- Subspecialty of pharmacology that includes medications affecting the brain and behaviour used
to treat psychiatric disorders including:
~ Antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants,
antianxiety medications, stimulants
- It provides a basis for understanding specific biologic treatments of psychiatric disorders
What are the four sites of action? Or, what are the targets of medications?
- Receptors
- Ion channels
- Enzymes
- Carrier proteins
What are the two types of action in receptors?
Agonist - same biologic action
Antagonist - opposite effect
What are the interactions with a receptor?
,Selectivity: specific for a receptor
Affinity: degree of attraction
Intrinsic activity: ability to produce a biologic response once it is attached to receptor
Which drug facilitates GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurotransmitter in opening the
chloride ion channel?
Benzodiazepine
What are enzymes
- These catalyze specific biochemical reactions within cells and are targets for some drugs.
Ex) Monamine oxidase
- These may be inhibited to produce greater neurotransmitter effect by medications from a group
of antidepressants.
What is monoamine oxidase?
It is an enzyme that breaks down most bioamine neurotransmitters such as Norephinephrine, DA,
and 5-HT (these neurotransmitters are important in mental health disorders)
What are carrier proteins?
They transport neurotransmitters across cell membranes. Medications may block or inhibit this
transport.
What is the efficacy of a drug?
Efficacy is the maximum response achievable from a drug. Effectiveness refers to the ability of
the drug to produce a beneficial effect.
,What is the potency of a drug?
A highly potent drug (e.g., fentanyl, alprazolam, risperidone) evokes a given response at low
concentrations, while a drug of lower potency (meperidine, diazepam, ziprasidone) evokes the
same response only at higher concentrations. Higher potency does not necessarily mean more
side effects.
What are target symptoms?
measurable, specific symptoms expected to improve with treatment
What is drug toxicity?
Drug level exceeds therapeutic range
What is therapeutic index?
Ratio of a drug's toxic level to the level that provides therapeutic benefits. High is safer than low.
What are the four components of pharmacokinetics?
absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
What is absorption?
- Movement from the site of administration into the plasma
What are the 3 forms of absorption?
Oral (tablet and liquid) - decreased absorption
IM (intramuscular injection): short and long acting-schizophrenia
IV: rarely used
, What is Bioavailability?
- A measure of the extent of drug absorption for a given drug and route (from 0% to 100%).
- Amount of a drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
- Often used to compare one drug to another--usually the higher the bioavailability, the better
What is distribution?
- transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site of action
- It reflects how easy it is for a drug to pass out of the systemic circulation and move into other
types of tissues
How are psychiatric drugs distributed?
The blood brain barrier (most fat-soluble)
Factors affecting distribution
- Amount of blood flow or perfusion within the tissue
- How lipophilic (fat-loving) the drug is (easier to pass through BBB)
- Anatomic barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, that the drug must cross
Metabolism
Process by which the drug is altered and broken down into smaller substances (metabolites) that
are usually inactive
Which organ is where most metabolism occurs?
Liver
What is excretion?
into Nursing TestBank-Questions with complete
solutions.
What does carrier proteins do?
They transport neurotransmitters across cell membranes. Medications may block or inhibit this
transport.
What is psychopharmacology?
- Subspecialty of pharmacology that includes medications affecting the brain and behaviour used
to treat psychiatric disorders including:
~ Antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants,
antianxiety medications, stimulants
- It provides a basis for understanding specific biologic treatments of psychiatric disorders
What are the four sites of action? Or, what are the targets of medications?
- Receptors
- Ion channels
- Enzymes
- Carrier proteins
What are the two types of action in receptors?
Agonist - same biologic action
Antagonist - opposite effect
What are the interactions with a receptor?
,Selectivity: specific for a receptor
Affinity: degree of attraction
Intrinsic activity: ability to produce a biologic response once it is attached to receptor
Which drug facilitates GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurotransmitter in opening the
chloride ion channel?
Benzodiazepine
What are enzymes
- These catalyze specific biochemical reactions within cells and are targets for some drugs.
Ex) Monamine oxidase
- These may be inhibited to produce greater neurotransmitter effect by medications from a group
of antidepressants.
What is monoamine oxidase?
It is an enzyme that breaks down most bioamine neurotransmitters such as Norephinephrine, DA,
and 5-HT (these neurotransmitters are important in mental health disorders)
What are carrier proteins?
They transport neurotransmitters across cell membranes. Medications may block or inhibit this
transport.
What is the efficacy of a drug?
Efficacy is the maximum response achievable from a drug. Effectiveness refers to the ability of
the drug to produce a beneficial effect.
,What is the potency of a drug?
A highly potent drug (e.g., fentanyl, alprazolam, risperidone) evokes a given response at low
concentrations, while a drug of lower potency (meperidine, diazepam, ziprasidone) evokes the
same response only at higher concentrations. Higher potency does not necessarily mean more
side effects.
What are target symptoms?
measurable, specific symptoms expected to improve with treatment
What is drug toxicity?
Drug level exceeds therapeutic range
What is therapeutic index?
Ratio of a drug's toxic level to the level that provides therapeutic benefits. High is safer than low.
What are the four components of pharmacokinetics?
absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
What is absorption?
- Movement from the site of administration into the plasma
What are the 3 forms of absorption?
Oral (tablet and liquid) - decreased absorption
IM (intramuscular injection): short and long acting-schizophrenia
IV: rarely used
, What is Bioavailability?
- A measure of the extent of drug absorption for a given drug and route (from 0% to 100%).
- Amount of a drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
- Often used to compare one drug to another--usually the higher the bioavailability, the better
What is distribution?
- transport of a drug by the bloodstream to its site of action
- It reflects how easy it is for a drug to pass out of the systemic circulation and move into other
types of tissues
How are psychiatric drugs distributed?
The blood brain barrier (most fat-soluble)
Factors affecting distribution
- Amount of blood flow or perfusion within the tissue
- How lipophilic (fat-loving) the drug is (easier to pass through BBB)
- Anatomic barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, that the drug must cross
Metabolism
Process by which the drug is altered and broken down into smaller substances (metabolites) that
are usually inactive
Which organ is where most metabolism occurs?
Liver
What is excretion?
