PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY DRUGS THE BRAIN
AND BEHAVIOR COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
◉ Why is L-DOPA used to treat Parkinson's disease instead of
dopamine? Answer: L-DOPA can cross the BBB using an amino acid
transporter, while dopamine is too polar to cross.
◉ What is the significance of circumventricular organs? Answer:
Circumventricular organs lack the BBB and allow access for
hormones and toxins, creating vulnerabilities.
◉ What is the primary site of drug metabolism in the body? Answer:
The liver is the primary metabolic site, using cytochrome P450
enzymes to break down drugs.
◉ What is meant by the term 'half-life' in pharmacology? Answer:
Half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a drug
to decrease by half.
◉ How do individual differences in P450 enzymes affect drug
response? Answer: Genetic variants can lead to poor metabolizers,
causing drug accumulation to toxic levels, or ultrarapid
metabolizers, preventing therapeutic levels.
,◉ What are the seven synaptic targets that drugs can modify?
Answer: 1. Synthesis, 2. Storage, 3. Release, 4. Receptor binding, 5.
Reuptake inhibition, 6. Enzymatic degradation, 7. Second messenger
systems.
◉ How does amphetamine affect neurotransmitter release? Answer:
Amphetamine reverses dopamine and norepinephrine transporters,
causing massive neurotransmitter release.
◉ What is the effect of reuptake inhibitors like SSRIs? Answer: SSRIs
block the serotonin transporter, increasing synaptic serotonin and
alleviating depression.
◉ What is the function of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors? Answer:
They prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, enhancing its action,
used in conditions like myasthenia gravis and Alzheimer's disease.
◉ What is the mechanism of action for morphine? Answer:
Morphine binds to mu-opioid receptors, producing analgesia and
euphoria.
◉ What is the role of benzodiazepines in synaptic transmission?
Answer: Benzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators of
GABA-A receptors, enhancing GABA's effect.
, ◉ How does botulinum toxin affect muscle contraction? Answer:
Botulinum toxin cleaves SNARE proteins, preventing acetylcholine
release, resulting in paralysis.
◉ What is the effect of lithium in bipolar disorder? Answer: Lithium
affects inositol metabolism and GSK-3 beta activity, stabilizing mood
swings.
◉ What happens during drug metabolism? Answer: Drugs are
broken down into more water-soluble metabolites that can be
excreted by the kidneys.
◉ What is the impact of short half-life drugs on addiction? Answer:
Short half-life drugs require frequent dosing and produce rapid
withdrawal, increasing addiction liability.
◉ How does reserpine affect neurotransmitter storage? Answer:
Reserpine destroys vesicular storage, causing neurotransmitters to
leak into the cytoplasm and degrade.
◉ What is the relationship between drug action and
neurotransmitter levels? Answer: More precursor means more
neurotransmitter, which can lead to stronger signals in synaptic
transmission.
AND BEHAVIOR COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
◉ Why is L-DOPA used to treat Parkinson's disease instead of
dopamine? Answer: L-DOPA can cross the BBB using an amino acid
transporter, while dopamine is too polar to cross.
◉ What is the significance of circumventricular organs? Answer:
Circumventricular organs lack the BBB and allow access for
hormones and toxins, creating vulnerabilities.
◉ What is the primary site of drug metabolism in the body? Answer:
The liver is the primary metabolic site, using cytochrome P450
enzymes to break down drugs.
◉ What is meant by the term 'half-life' in pharmacology? Answer:
Half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a drug
to decrease by half.
◉ How do individual differences in P450 enzymes affect drug
response? Answer: Genetic variants can lead to poor metabolizers,
causing drug accumulation to toxic levels, or ultrarapid
metabolizers, preventing therapeutic levels.
,◉ What are the seven synaptic targets that drugs can modify?
Answer: 1. Synthesis, 2. Storage, 3. Release, 4. Receptor binding, 5.
Reuptake inhibition, 6. Enzymatic degradation, 7. Second messenger
systems.
◉ How does amphetamine affect neurotransmitter release? Answer:
Amphetamine reverses dopamine and norepinephrine transporters,
causing massive neurotransmitter release.
◉ What is the effect of reuptake inhibitors like SSRIs? Answer: SSRIs
block the serotonin transporter, increasing synaptic serotonin and
alleviating depression.
◉ What is the function of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors? Answer:
They prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, enhancing its action,
used in conditions like myasthenia gravis and Alzheimer's disease.
◉ What is the mechanism of action for morphine? Answer:
Morphine binds to mu-opioid receptors, producing analgesia and
euphoria.
◉ What is the role of benzodiazepines in synaptic transmission?
Answer: Benzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators of
GABA-A receptors, enhancing GABA's effect.
, ◉ How does botulinum toxin affect muscle contraction? Answer:
Botulinum toxin cleaves SNARE proteins, preventing acetylcholine
release, resulting in paralysis.
◉ What is the effect of lithium in bipolar disorder? Answer: Lithium
affects inositol metabolism and GSK-3 beta activity, stabilizing mood
swings.
◉ What happens during drug metabolism? Answer: Drugs are
broken down into more water-soluble metabolites that can be
excreted by the kidneys.
◉ What is the impact of short half-life drugs on addiction? Answer:
Short half-life drugs require frequent dosing and produce rapid
withdrawal, increasing addiction liability.
◉ How does reserpine affect neurotransmitter storage? Answer:
Reserpine destroys vesicular storage, causing neurotransmitters to
leak into the cytoplasm and degrade.
◉ What is the relationship between drug action and
neurotransmitter levels? Answer: More precursor means more
neurotransmitter, which can lead to stronger signals in synaptic
transmission.
