Unit 1 - Mood Disorders: Anxiety

What are 4 psychedelics being used as novel treatment for anxiety?

LSD, ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA

What are the 2 effects of psychedelics on synaptic neuroplasticity?

LTP and LTD

What do tricyclic antidepressants target?

Serotonin and norepinephrine

What does buspirone target?

Serotonin and norepinephrine

SCFA can affect what?

Serotonin production and the vagus nerve

Monoamines include what 3 NTMs?

Serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine,

What does SCFA stand for?

Short chain fatty acids

What is the ratio of female to males with anxiety?

2:1

What are the 4 types of epigenetic changes?

Acetylation, deacetylation, methylation, and microRNAs

Levels of Lactobacillus have been found to correlate with what in the brain?

Amount of GABA receptors

What are the groups of neurons in the amygdala known as?

Amygdala nuclei

The gene expression of what can range from depression to an active state, depending on low or high expression?

BDNF

The genes of what 2 things are affected by epigenetics in anxiety?

BDNF and SERT

What drug serves as a GABA agonist?

Benzodiazepines

Besides Lactobacillus, what other bacteria is associated with GABA levels?

Bifidobacterium

What are the microbes involved in anxiety?

Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus

What did the microbiome UCLA study find?

Brain response to negative stimuli was different in those that were given probiotics vs. those that were not

What regulates the release of cortisol?

CRHR1

Current psychotherapy for anxiety includes what?

Cognitive behavioral therapy

What are the 3 types of symptoms of anxiety?

Cognitive, physiological, behavioral

What is CRHR1?

Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1

The stress circuit is associated with what 2 hormones?

Cortisol and CRH

Benzodiazepines can do what in the presence of a negative emotional stimuli?

Decrease activation of the amygdala

Infusion of GABA or GABA receptor agonists resulted in what?

Decreased fear and anxiety

What is DALY?

Disability adjusted life year

MDMA targets what?

Dopamine pathways

What is the gut-brain connection?

Enteric nervous system talking to central nervous system, influenced by microbes and the molecules they produce

SCFA modify serotonin production in what type of cells?

Enterochromaffin

Where is most of our serotonin made?

Enterochromaffin cells

What are 2 novel treatments for anxiety?

Fecal transplant and use of psychedelics

When the amygdala communicates with the hypothalamus, what 2 pathways can be initiated?

Fight or flight or stress circuit

The communication between the PFC and limbic system via the ACC is known as what?

Fronto-limbic communciation

Current pharmacotherapy for anxiety targets what?

Fronto-limbic system

The PFC and OFC can be a brake pedal for the amygdala via what NTM?

GABA

What do benzodiazepines work as?

GABA agonists

Benzodiazepines do not work if what is removed?

GABA synthetic enzyme

What is the most common type of anxiety?

Generalized anxiety disorder

What are the amygdala nuclei?

Groups of neurons in the amygdala

The amygdala speaks to what 2 parts of the brain?

Hypothalamus and brain stem

Infusion of GABA receptor antagonists resulted in what?

Increased anxiety

What are 3 parts of the sympathetic response that can be triggered by the hypothalamus?

Increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, pupil dilation

What is a fecal transplant?

Ingestion of microbial community from someone who is not afflicted with a disorder (i.e. anxiety)

What does LTD stand for?

Long term depression

What does LTP stand for?

Long term potentiation

What does does DALY measure?

Lost work days and money

What are the 2 branches of current treatment for anxiety?

Pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy

What should we think of when we hear about the amygdaloid complex?

Many boxes, some of which of to the hypothalamus and brain stem

SCFA do what in enterochromaffin cells?

Modify serotonin production

Treatments that alter neuroplasticity have effects on what 2 levels?

Molecular and cellular

The affect of drugs on neuroplasticity on the cellular level fall into what 3 categories?

Neuronal, dendritic, synaptic

What are 4 techniques used to study the pathology of anxiety?

Optogenetics/nerve manipulation, pharmacology, fear/anxiety behavior rodent studies, MRI

What does OFC stand for?

Orbital frontal cortex

What serves as the brake pedal for the amygdala?

PFC and OFC

DON'T STUDY: Epigenetic changes in what 3 areas of the brain are associated with anxiety?

PFC, ACC, amygdala

What are 6 things that give input to the amygdala?

PFC, OFC, ACC, thalamus, hippocampus, and sensory cortices

What is Gaba involved in for anxiety?

PFC/OFC break pedal on the amygdala

What is fronto-limbic communication?

The communication between the PFC and limbic system via the ACC

What does the CRHR1 gene do?

Regulates release of cortisol

What are 3 genes associated with GAD?

SERT, CRHR1, and BDNF

What are the 6 types of drugs currently used for anxiety?

SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta blockers, buspirone

The fight or flight response is also known as what 2 responses?

Sympathetic and visceral autonomic

What is LTP?

Synapses get stronger

What is LTD?

Synapses get weaker