PSY290H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Opioid Peptide
CHAPTER 4
Key Terms
agonist
A molecule, usually a drug, that binds a receptor molecule and initiates a response like
that of another molecule, usually a neurotransmitter.
alcohol
A neuroactive compound (primarily the ethyl variety found in various beverages) that
first stimulates and then depresses neural activity, with varied behavioral consequences.
amine neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter based on modifications of a single amino acid nucleus. Examples
include acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine.
amino acid neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter that is itself an amino acid. Examples include GABA, glycine, and
glutamate.
amphetamine
A molecule that resembles the structure of the catecholamine transmitters and enhances
their activity.
analgesic
Having painkilling properties.
antagonist
A molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a
neurotransmitter.
antidepressant
A drug that relieves the symptoms of depression.
anxiolytic
A drug that is used to combat anxiety.
atypical neuroleptic
An antipsychotic drug that has actions other than or in addition to the dopamine D2
receptor antagonism that characterizes the typical neuroleptics.
barbiturate
An early anxiolytic drug and sleep aid that has depressant activity in the nervous system.
basal forebrain
A region, ventral to the basal ganglia, that is the major source of acetylcholine in the
brain.
benzodiazepine
Any of a class of antianxiety drug that are agonists of GABAA receptors in the central
nervous system. One example is diazepam (Valium).
binding affinity or affinity
The propensity of molecules of a drug (or other ligand) to bind to receptors.
bioavailable
Referring to a substance, usually a drug, that is present in the body in a form that is able
to interact with physiological mechanisms.
biotransformation
The process in which enzymes convert a drug into a metabolite that is itself active,
possibly in ways that are substantially different from the actions of the original substance.
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cholinergic
Referring to cells that use acetylcholine as their synaptic transmitter.
cocaine
A drug of abuse, derived from the coca plant, that acts by enhancing catecholamine
neurotransmission.
cross-tolerance
A condition in which the development of tolerance for one drug causes an individual to
develop tolerance for another drug.
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
The major active ingredient in marijuana.
dependence
In the context of substance-related disorders, the strong desire to self-administer a drug of
abuse. To be diagnosed, a person must meet at least three of seven criteria relating to
patterns of consumption, craving, expenditure of time and energy in serving the
addiction, and impact on other aspects of the person’s life.
depressant
A drug that reduces the excitability of neurons.
dopamine (DA)
A monoamine transmitter found in the midbrain—especially the substantia nigra—and in
the basal forebrain.
dopaminergic
Referring to cells that use dopamine as their synaptic transmitter.
dose-response curve (DRC)
A formal graph of a drug’s effects (on the y-axis) versus the dose given (on the x-axis).
down-regulation
A compensatory decrease in receptor availability at the synapses of a neuron.
drug tolerance
A condition in which, with repeated exposure to a drug, an individual becomes less
responsive to a constant dose.
efficacy or intrinsic activity
The extent to which a drug activates a response when it binds to a receptor.
endocannabinoid
An endogenous ligand of cannabinoid receptors; thus, an analog of marijuana that is
produced by the brain.
endogenous opioid
Any of a class of opium-like peptide transmitters that have been called the body’s own
narcotics. The three kinds are enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins.
endorphin
One of the three kinds of endogenous opioids.
enkephalin
One of the three kinds of endogenous opioids.
exogenous
Arising from outside the body.
fetal alcohol syndrome
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A disorder, including intellectual disability and characteristic facial abnormalities, that
affects children exposed to too much alcohol (through maternal ingestion) during fetal
development.
functional tolerance
The form of drug tolerance that arises when repeated exposure to the drug causes
receptors to be up-regulated or down-regulated.
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
A widely distributed amino acid transmitter, and the main inhibitory transmitter in the
mammalian nervous system.
gas neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter that is a soluble gas. Examples include nitric oxide and carbon
monoxide.
glutamate
An amino acid transmitter, the most common excitatory transmitter.
hallucinogen
A drug that alters sensory perception and produces peculiar experiences.
heroin
Diacetylmorphine; an artificially modified, very potent form of morphine.
insula
A region of cortex lying below the surface, within the lateral sulcus, of the frontal,
temporal, and parietal lobes.
lateral tegmental area
A brainstem region that provides some of the norepinephrine-containing projections of
the brain.
ligand
A substance that binds to receptor molecules, such as a neurotransmitter or drug that
binds postsynaptic receptors.
locus coeruleus
A small nucleus in the brainstem whose neurons produce norepinephrine and modulate
large areas of the forebrain.
LSD
Also called acid. Lysergic acid diethylamide, a hallucinogenic drug.
marijuana
A dried preparation of the Cannabis sativa plant, usually smoked to obtain THC.
metabolic tolerance
The form of drug tolerance that arises when repeated exposure to the drug causes the
metabolic machinery of the body to become more efficient at clearing the drug.
morphine
An opiate compound derived from the poppy flower.
neuroleptics or antipsychotics
Any of a class of antipsychotic drugs that alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia, typically
by blocking dopamine receptors.
neurotransmitter
Also called simply transmitter. A signaling chemical, released by a presynaptic neuron,
that diffuses across the synaptic cleft to alter the functioning of the postsynaptic neuron.
neurotransmitter receptor
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Document Summary
A molecule, usually a drug, that binds a receptor molecule and initiates a response like that of another molecule, usually a neurotransmitter. alcohol. A neuroactive compound (primarily the ethyl variety found in various beverages) that first stimulates and then depresses neural activity, with varied behavioral consequences. amine neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter based on modifications of a single amino acid nucleus. Examples include acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine. amino acid neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter that is itself an amino acid. A molecule that resembles the structure of the catecholamine transmitters and enhances their activity. analgesic. A molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a neurotransmitter. antidepressant. A drug that relieves the symptoms of depression. anxiolytic. A drug that is used to combat anxiety. atypical neuroleptic. An antipsychotic drug that has actions other than or in addition to the dopamine d2 receptor antagonism that characterizes the typical neuroleptics. barbiturate.
