ABPN Neuropharmacology and Psychopharmacology Flashcards

Which mechanism best describes how benzodiazepines produce their sedative-anxiolytic effects?

Answer: Potentiate GABA-A chloride channel opening

Benzodiazepines bind to GABA-A receptors and increase the frequency of chloride channel opening in response to GABA, enhancing inhibitory neurotransmission.

Which antidepressant is CONTRAINDICATED in patients with a seizure disorder or eating disorders due to lowered seizure threshold?

Answer: Bupropion

Bupropion dose-dependently lowers the seizure threshold and is contraindicated in patients with seizure disorders or active eating disorders.

A patient stabilized on olanzapine gains 25 pounds over 6 months and develops hyperglycemia. This best exemplifies which pharmacological mechanism?

Answer: H1 histamine receptor antagonism and 5-HT2C blockade

Olanzapine's metabolic side effects are primarily attributed to H1 and 5-HT2C receptor blockade, which increase appetite and impair glucose regulation.

Which drug interaction is MOST clinically significant in a patient taking valproate who starts carbamazepine?

Answer: Carbamazepine induces CYP enzymes, decreasing valproate levels

Carbamazepine is a potent CYP3A4 inducer that significantly reduces valproate serum levels, potentially causing loss of seizure control.

What is the mechanism by which acetylcholinesterase inhibitors improve symptoms in Alzheimer's disease?

Answer: They increase acetylcholine availability at synapses

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., donepezil, rivastigmine) prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, compensating for the cholinergic deficit in Alzheimer's disease.

Which medication is FDA-approved for the treatment of alcohol use disorder by blocking opioid reward pathways?

Answer: Naltrexone

Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist that reduces alcohol craving and pleasure by blocking the endogenous opioid reward pathway activated by alcohol.