PSYC1011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Dopamine Receptor D2, Typical Antipsychotic, Extrapyramidal Symptoms
Psychopharmacology
• How drugs can effect the brain and behaviour
• How drugs are used in the treatment of psychiatric conditions
Pharmacology
• The study of drug effects on the nervous system and behaviour
o Mood
o Sensation
o Cognition
Drug
• An exogenous chemical that significantly alters function of cells in the body when taken in low doses
• Not required for normal cellular functioning
o E.g. prescription drugs
o Non-prescription
o Legal/licit
o Illegal/illicit
• Use of psychoactive drugs throughout history
o Coca leaves - 8000 years ago in Peruvian society
o Alchohol ~ 7000 BCE
o Opium - Neolithic era 4500-2000 BCE
• Social acceptability
o Initially Coca-Cola contained Coca leaves
o Cocaine and heroin have been freely available
• Glossary
o Agonist
▪ A chemical that binds to a receptor
▪ Activates the receptor and produces a biological effect
o Antagonist
▪ A chemical that binds to a receptor
▪ Prevent agonist-mediated effects
o Enzyme inhibitor
▪ Prevents the activity of an enzyme
•
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o Pharmacodynamics
▪ The physiological effects of drugs on the body
o Pharmacokinetics
▪ Essentially the effect of the body on drugs
• Metabolism of the drug
• Routes of drug administration into the body
o Intravenous (IV) - into a vein (rapid absorption)
o Intraperitoneal (IP) - into the gut (used in animal research)
o Subcutaneous (SC) - under the skin
o Intramuscular (IM) - into a muscle
o Inhalation - drug into the lungs
o Topical - absorbed through the skin
o Oral - via the mouth
o
• Tolerance and sensitisation
o Repeated administration of a drug can alter subsequent effectiveness
o Tolerance
▪ Repeated drug administration results in diminished drug effect (or requires increased
dosage to maintain constant effect)
▪ Withdrawal effects are often the opposite of the drug effect and often accompanies
tolerance
▪ Can reflect decreased drug-receptor binding or reduced postsynaptic action of the drug
o Sensitisation
▪ Repeated drug administration results in heightened drug effectiveness
• Psychoactive drugs
Potential drugs of abuse
Treatment drugs
• Anxiolytics
• Depressants
• Euphoriants
• Hallucinogens
• Stimulants
• Antidepressants - depression, anxiety
• Antipsychotics
• Anxiolytics - anxiety
• Depressants
• Mood stabilisers - bipolar disorder
• Stimulants - ADHD
o Overlap of drugs of abuse and treatment drugs
o Antidepressants
▪ Major depressive disorder
• Depressed mood
• Anhedonia
▪ Early treatments were stimulants or depressants
▪ In early 1950s researchers were trialling new drugs for tuberculosis
• Improved mood was noted
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Document Summary
Psychopharmacology: how drugs can effect the brain and behaviour, how drugs are used in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Pharmacology: the study of drug effects on the nervous system and behaviour, mood, sensation, cognition. Drug: an exogenous chemical that significantly alters function of cells in the body when taken in low doses, not required for normal cellular functioning, e. g. prescription drugs, non-prescription, legal/licit. Illegal/illicit: use of psychoactive drugs throughout history, coca leaves - 8000 years ago in peruvian society, alchohol ~ 7000 bce, opium - neolithic era 4500-2000 bce. Intravenous (iv) - into a vein (rapid absorption) Intraperitoneal (ip) - into the gut (used in animal research: subcutaneous (sc) - under the skin. Stimulants: antidepressants - depression, anxiety, antipsychotics, anxiolytics - anxiety, depressants, mood stabilisers - bipolar disorder. Stimulants - adhd: overlap of drugs of abuse and treatment drugs, antidepressants, major depressive disorder, depressed mood, anhedonia, early treatments were stimulants or depressants.
