Antidepressants Quiz: How Much You Know?

Reactive - biochemical disorder in brain; endogenous - genetic cause

Reactive - response to death; exogenous - adverse effect of some medication

Reactive - response to circumstance; endogenous - biochemical disorder

Reserpine (inhibits brain storage of noradrenaline and serotonin) causes depression

Reserpine (inhibits brain storage of adrenaline, histamine and acetylcholine) is a treatment for depression

Amphetamine (causes release of noradrenaline) has no effect in depressed patients

Cocaine (inhibits reuptake of noradrenaline) treats depression

Urinary excretion of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA is unchanged in depressed patients

Urinary and cerebral spinal fluid concentrations of the noradrenaline metabolite MOPEG are reduced by 25% in depressed patients

Dibenzazepines; dibenzocycloheptenes

Hydrazines; propargylamines

Piperazines; piperidines

Competitive antagonist for inhibitors of neurotransmitters in synaptic cleft, meaning more re-uptake, so neurotransmitters exert effects for shorter lengths of time

Non-competitive agonist for re-uptake of neurotransmitters in synaptic cleft, meaning no re-uptake, so neurotransmitters exert effects for longer

Competitive antagonist for re-uptake of neurotransmitters in synaptic cleft, meaning no re-uptake, so neurotransmitters exert effects for longer

Muscarinic; histaminic; B-adrenoceptors

Nicotinic; adrenergic (a and b)

Histaminic; nicotinic; a-adrenoceptors

Catalyse breakdown of noradrenaline and serotonin

Inhibit breakdown of noradrenaline and serotonin

Inhibit breakdown of adrenaline and serotonin

Decreased absorption of vasoactive amines from diet; too many so pathway becomes saturated, build up; can lead to cerebral hemorrhage and death

Absorption of vasoactive amines from diet, cannot be broken down, build up; can lead to cerebral hemorrhage and death

Absorption of vasoactive amines from diet, cannot be broken down, build up; can lead to high intercranial pressure and fitting

Typical, atypical

Dibenzapines, dibenzocycloheptenes

Hydrazines, propargylamines, cyclopropylamines, reversible inhibitors

Selectively block serotonin reuptake into the pre-synaptic cell

Non-selectively block serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake into the pre-synaptic cell

Selectively increase affinity of the post-synaptic receptors for serotonin

Very common; supraventricular tachycardia; high intercranial pressure and abdominal cramps

An adverse effect; bradycardia and sweating; fitting and liver failure

Technically a form of poisoning; tachycardia and shivering; seizures and renal failure

They are administered as pro-drugs with exteremely long half-lives

Autoreceptors quickly become desensitised to newly increased levels of serotonin; 2-3 weeks is the time taken for more to be synthesised

They are metabolised very slowly by P450 enzymes

Atropine-like side effects

Alpha-block-like side effects

Suicidal thoughts

Evening Primrose Oil; L-Dopa, the precursor to serotonin

St John's Wort; L-Trytophan, the precursor to serotonin

St John's Wort; L-Dopa, the precursor to dopamine

Lithium esters; preventing fluctuations in bipolar depression

Lithium anhydride; stabilising the depressive phase in bipolar depression

Lithium carbonate; stabilising the manic phase in bipolar depression