502341 - NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Introduction to Neuropsychopharmacology Overview of the main brain areas involved in psychic processes. Anxiolytic and Hypnotic Drugs The GABAergic system and anxiety. Benzodiazepines: Mechanisms of action, indications, side effects, risk of dependence. Z-drugs: Mechanisms of action and use in insomnia. Other anxiolytics: Buspirone, beta-blockers, antidepressants as anxiolytics. Orexin antagonists as hypnotics. Antidepressant Drugs The monoaminergic theory of depression: evidence and limitations. Mechanisms of action, clinical effects, and side effects of drugs: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) MAOIs Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) Other antidepressants (Bupropion, Mirtazapine, Agomelatine, Vortioxetine; antidepressants belonging to dissociative anesthetics or hallucinogens: Ketamine, Esketamine, Psilocybin, Ayahuasca). Antipsychotic Drugs The dopaminergic theory of schizophrenia. First-generation (typical) antipsychotics: D2 receptor blockade, therapeutic effects on positive symptoms, side effects: extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), tardive dyskinesia, hyperprolactinemia. Second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics: Multi-receptor mechanisms of action, effects on positive and negative symptoms, side effect profile: metabolic syndrome, QT prolongation, agranulocytosis (clozapine). Mood Stabilizing Drugs Bipolar disorder: etiopathogenesis and therapeutic complexity. Lithium: Mechanisms of action, indications, therapeutic range, toxicity. Anticonvulsants: Valproate, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine (use as stabilizers). Atypical antipsychotics in bipolar disorder. Anticonvulsant Drugs Neuronal excitability and epilepsy, classification of epilepsies and its usefulness for deciding on the antiepileptic drug to use. Antiepileptic drugs active on GABAergic transmission. Antiepileptic drugs active on cationic channels. Drugs for ADHD: Stimulants (Methylphenidate, Amphetamines) and non-stimulants (Atomoxetine). Mechanisms and clinical considerations. Drugs for Neurodegenerative Diseases Drugs for Parkinson's disease: Parkinson's disease and its biological basis, levodopa therapy, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors therapy, dopamine mimetics therapy, other drugs. Brief notes on surgical interventions for Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's complex, and dementia. Heterogeneity of biological bases, presentation, and therapy of dementias; Drugs for Alzheimer's dementia: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, Memantine, anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies. Huntington's chorea and its treatment. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and its treatment. Drugs for Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative, inflammatory demyelinating disease, and the drugs to treat it.