PSYC 415 -- Study Points for Psychopharmacology (revised 8/29/2012)

I. alcohols - some are psychoactive!
     A. methanol (wood alcohol)
     B. ethanol (grain alcohol, liquor, booze)
     C. isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol (rubbing alcohol)
II. alcohol metabolism
     A. like all organic molecules, chemical reactions involving alcohol in the
          body are assisted by enzymes
     B. the names of enzymes end in -ase
     C. metabolism of ethanol
          1. alcohol dehydrogenase converts ethanol to acetaldehyde
               a. probably responsible at least in part for the hangover
               b. acetaldehyde broken down to acetic acid and water by
                    acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
          2. the activity of these enzymes is variable from person to person
               and between ethnic groups
               a. people from east Asia tend to have high alcohol dehydrogenase
                    activity, so break down alcohol very quickly - alcohol flush
               b. but they also tend to have low aldehyde dehydrogenase activity
                    making them prone to very bad hangovers
               c. Antabuse - a drug that blocks the activity of aldehyde
                    dehydrogenase (used to treat chronic alcoholism)
     D. what if you drink the wrong kind of alcohol
          1. isopropanol - converted to acetone (an organic solvent)
          2. methanol - converted to formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
III. review of how the synapse works - 7 steps
     A. biosynthesis of neurotransmitter - from precursor molecule in the diet
     B. storage - in vesicles
     C. "clean up" by monoamine oxidase (MAO) - in the case of monoamines
     D. self-regulation via autoreceptors or presynaptic receptors
     E. activation of postsynaptic receptor
     F. inactivation by enzymes or reuptake
IV. some terms
     A. psychopharmacology - study of how drugs affect the nervous system and
          behavior
     B. drug effects vs. drug actions
          1. effects - the behavioral or psychological change
          2. actions - what the drug does at the synapse
          3. site of action - where the drug acts
     C. agonists vs. antagonists
          1. agonist - a drug that turns a synapse on or makes it do more of
               what it would ordinarily do
          2. antagonist - a drug that turns a synapse off or make it do less
               of what it would ordinarily do
          3. these terms are usually qualified by giving the site of action -
               e.g., dopamine agonist or acetylcholine antagonist
V. drugs and synapses
     agonistic actions                    antagonistic actions
     --------------------                 --------------------
     serves as precursor                  inactivates synthetic enzyme
     stimulates release                   inhibits release
     stimulates postsynaptic receptors    blocks postsynaptic receptors
     blocks autoreceptors                 stimulates autoreceptors
     blocks reuptake                      prevents storage in vesicles
     blocks enzymatic breakdown
VI. specific drugs
     A. antidepressants - most are monoamine agonists
          1. monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
          2. tricyclics - NE and serotonin reuptake inhibitors
          3. SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
          4. SNRIs - serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
     B. tranquilizers, antianxiety, anxiolytics, sedatives
          1. GABA agonists - barbiturates, benzodiazepines (valium, xanax)
          2. SSRIs
     C. antipsychotics
          1. dopamine antagonists - receptor blockers (chlorpromazine)
          2. atypical and "new generation" antipsychotics
     D. analgesics - opiates (morphine, codeine, heroin) are endorphin agonists
     E. antiparkinsonism drugs - L-dopa supplies additional precursor for
          missing dopamine (agonist)
     F. common drugs of abuse
          1. caffeine - acts on a neurotransmitter we haven't discussed
          2. alcohol - among other things, a GABA agonist
          3. nicotine - acetylcholine agonist
          4. amphetamine and cocaine (stimulants) - catecholamine agonists
               (cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine, amphetamine stimulates
               release of dopamine and norepinephrine)
          5. LSD - a very specific action on serotonin receptors in the cortex
               (stimulates the receptor making it an agonist at these receptors)
VII. schedules for "controlled substances"
     A. schedule one - most controlled
     B. schedule two - some medical use but high abuse potential
     C. schedule three - some medical use and moderate abuse potential
     D. schedules four and five