Chapter 4: PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Chapter 4 covers the field of psychopharmacology or the study of how drugs exert effects on behavior. The first chapter section deals with definitions of drugs and of drugs effects, and with issues in pharmacokinetics. The latter relates to how drug molecules are administered (route of exposure) and distributed throughout the body. The second section describes how drugs act on transmitter substances that in turn act on receptors to initiate changes in behavior. The final section provides an overview of the major neurotransmitters and neuromodulators.

After completing the chapter, each student should be able to:

• Define the term psychopharmacology.
• Distinguish exogenous from endogenous.
• Describe and contrast the various routes of drug administration.
• Define what is meant by therapeutic index.
• Describe how drug affinity for receptors influences drug potency
• Contrast tolerance with sensitization.
• Define placebo effect.
• Distinguish between an agonist effect and an antagonist effect.
• Contrast the various effects that drugs can have on presynaptic transmitter activity.
• Describe the activity of the transmitter ACh including:
• Synthesis
• Drugs that release ACh
• The receptors that bind ACh
• The direct antagonists that block ACh activity
• Name the four chemicals that make up the monoamine neurotransmitters.
• Describe the synthesis pathway for the monoamines.
• Describe the anatomy of the brain dopamine pathways.
• Name the dopamine receptors.
• Describe the synthesis, release, and termination of norepinphrine activity or effect.
• Describe the anatomy of the brain norepinephrine pathways.
• Describe the behaviors that may be related to brain serotonin activity.
• Describe the synthesis pathway for serotonin.
• Contrast the D and M serotonin systems.
• Describe the therapeutic value of drugs that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.
• Contrast the effects of glutamate and GABA on neuron function.
• Name the four glutamate receptors.
• Describe the behavioral effects of opiate receptor activation.
• Name the compound that may be an endogenous ligand for the THC receptor.
• Describe the effects of nitric oxide on nerve cell functioning
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