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MODULE 12 STUDY GUIDE – Psychiatric Meds

TOPIC: Neurotransmitters and receptors, Antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics

READINGS: LRS- Chaps. 12 & 16.

Please answer the following questions:

1. What are AST and ALT? What organ function do they represent?

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The test is used to detect liver

damage.

2. What is ACTH? Where is it secreted from and what does it act on?

Adrenocorticotropic hormone is produced by the pituitary gland. Its key function is to stimulate the

production and release of cortisol from the cortex of the adrenal gland.

3. What is Chemical Restraint? Are there any regulations governing the use of chemical restraints? What is

your opinion on the subject?

chemical restraint is a form of medical restraint in which a drug is used to restrict the freedom or

movement of a patient or in some cases to sedate a patient. No, they are not any regulation governing

the use of chemical restraint. I believe that there should be strict rule for the use of chemical restraints. It

has been found to be mismanaged by health care workers for the convenience of the staff rather than the

benefit of the patient, as workers use them to prevent patients from resisting care rather than improving

the health of the patient.

4. List the FDA Pregnancy Categories and what they infer.

Category A = Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the

first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

Category B = Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no

adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

Category C = Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no

adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in
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pregnant women despite potential risks.

Category D = There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from

investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of

the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks. Category X = Studies in animals or humans have

demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse

reaction data from investigational or marketing experience, and the risks involved in use of the drug in

pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefit

5.

Please define the following terms/terminologies: (You may use a medical dictionary/online medical dictionary)

1. AIMS Testing : Aptitude Inventory Measurement Service (AIMS) is a non-profit testing and scientific

research facility located in Dallas, Texas.

2. Antianxiety/Anxiolytic- An anxiolytic (also antipanic or antianxiety agent)[1] is a medication or other

intervention that inhibits anxiety.

3. Anticonvulsant : Anticonvulsants are a diverse group of pharmacological agents used in the treatment of

epileptic disorder.

4. Antidepressants: Antidepressants are medications that can help relieve symptoms of depression, social

anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia, or mild chronic

depression, as well as other conditions.

5. Antiepileptic : Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the main type of treatment for most people with

epilepsy.

6. Antipsychotic : Antipsychotics, also known as neuroleptics or major tranquilizers, are a class of

medication primarily used to manage psychosis, principally in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

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7. Akathisia :A feeling of muscle quivering, restlessness, and inability to sit still, sometimes a side effect of

antipsychotic or antidepressant medication

8. Delusion : A belief or altered reality that is persistently held despite evidence or agreement to the

contrary, generally in reference to a mental disorder.

9. Dyskenesia : abnormality or impairment of voluntary movement.

10. Dystonia : involuntary muscle contractions that cause repetitive or twisting movements.

11. Hallucinations: A perception of having seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled something that wasn't

actually there.

12. Hypnotic : Hypnotic (from Greek Hypnos, sleep) or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills,

are a class of psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the

treatment of insomnia (sleeplessness), or surgical anesthesia.

13. Mania : Mania is mental illness marked by periods of great excitement, euphoria, delusions, and

overactivity

14. Monoamine Oxidase : an enzyme (present in most tissues) that catalyzes the oxidation and inactivation

of monoamine neurotransmitters.

15. Sedative : A drug taken for its calming or sleep-inducing effect.

16. Serotonin syndrome : Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a group of symptoms that may occur following use of

certain serotonergic medications or drugs. ... Symptoms include high body temperature, agitation,

increased reflexes, tremor, sweating, dilated pupils, and diarrhea.

17. Neurotransmitter : a chemical substance that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a

nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to

another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure

18. Orthostatic hypotension : A form of low blood pressure that happens when standing up from sitting or

lying down.

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19. Psychosis : A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost

with external reality.

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