Introduction to CNS Psychopharmacology

📋 Course Outline

1. CNS Drugs Overview
2. Mental Health Disorders
3. Antidepressant Mechanisms
4. Types of Antidepressants
5. Antidepressant Side Effects
6. Anxiolytic Mechanisms
7. Types of Anxiolytics
8. Anxiolytic Side Effects
9. Antipsychotic Mechanisms
10. Types of Antipsychotics
11. Antipsychotic Side Effects
12. Drug Interactions

📖 1. CNS Drugs Overview

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• CNS Drugs: Pharmacological agents that target the brain and spinal cord to modify mood, perception, or behavior, used in treating mental health disorders.
• Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA that transmit signals across synapses; their modulation is central to CNS drug action.
• Mechanism of Action: The specific biochemical interaction through which a drug produces its effect, such as receptor binding or enzyme inhibition.
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): A class of antidepressants that block serotonin reuptake, increasing its availability in the synaptic cleft.
• Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS): Movement disorders, including tremors and rigidity, caused by dopamine blockade, common with first-generation antipsychotics.
• Serotonin Syndrome: A potentially life-threatening condition caused by excessive serotonergic activity, characterized by mental status changes, autonomic hyperactivity, and neuromuscular abnormalities.

📝 Essential Points