Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Short Answer Assessment 2

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NURS 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches to Treat Psychopathology

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Assignment: Short Answer Assessment

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Short Answer Assessment

1. Axon consists of elongated fibers that extend from the cell body to the terminal endings and aids in transmitting signals. Some axons have a fatty substance called myelin, which acts as an insulator and can transmit signals much faster than other neurons. Axon elongated fibers connect with other cells in the body through the synapses (Stern, Fava, Wilens, & Rosenbaum, 2016)

2.The major components that make up the subcortical structures include the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary, and brainstem.

The frontal lobe is involved in functions such as planning, attention, problem-solving, judgment, and initiative. The following components play a role in learning, memory, and addiction.

The cerebellum is responsible for motor coordination and learning. The ventral striatum plays a vital role in emotion and learning via connections with the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex.

The two critical neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that plays a significant role in motor control is Dopamine and GABAergic neurons (Sonne, 2020)

3.Glia cells are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system and do not produce electrical impulses. Glia cells maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons. Glia cells are divided into two groups, microglia cells and macroglia cells; Macroglia cells can be further divided into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Microglia cells act as a primary immune defense of the central nervous system, travel and remove damaged substances, pathogens, or other foreign substances. Glia cells also play a role in neurotransmission and synaptic connections and the physiological processes of breathing. Astrocytes are star-shaped glia cells with many functions, including providing nutrient support to the neurons, helping repair damaged nervous system tissue, regulating communication between neurons, and maintaining blood-brain barriers. Oligodendrocytes are responsible for axonal regulation and the generation and maintenance of the myelin sheath that surrounds axons (Hooper & Pocock, 2020)

4. A neuron, referred to as the pre-synaptic cell, releases a neurotransmitter or other neurochemical from special pouches clustered near the cell membrane called synaptic vesicles into space between cells. Those molecules will then be taken up by membrane receptors on the post-synaptic or neighboring, cell hence changing the cell's behavior. Chemicals from the pre-synaptic neuron may excite the post-synaptic cell, for example, telling it to slow down signaling or stop it altogether. Synapses offer the possibility of bi-directional communication; as such, post-synaptic cells can send back their messages to pre-synaptic cells, telling them to change how much or how often a neurotransmitter is released (Penttila, 2019).

5. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to recognize itself by forming new neural connections throughout. Neuroplasticity allows neurons in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and adjust their activities to respond to new situations or changes in their environment. For example, if one hemisphere of the brain is damaged, the intact hemisphere takes over some of its functions hence compensating for the damaged hemisphere (William C. Shiel Jr., 2017)

References

Hooper, C., & Pocock, J. M. (2020, November 25). The functions of glia in the CNS. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.abcam.com/neuroscience/the-functions-of-glia-in-the-cns

Penttila, N. (2019, August 26). What Happens at The Synapse? Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.dana.org/article/qa-neurotransmission-the-synapse/

Sonne, J. (2020, November 08). Neuroanatomy, Substantia Nigra. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536995/

Stern, T. A., Fava, M., Wilens, T. E., & Rosenbaum, J. F. (2016). Chapter 1. In Massachusetts General Hospital psychopharmacology and neurotherapeutics (pp. 13-316). London: Elsevier.

William C. Shiel Jr., M. (2017, January 24). Definition of Neuroplasticity. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.medicinenet.com/neuroplasticity/definition.htm