| This kind of drug is used to treat epilepsy | anticonvulsant drugs |
| This kind of anticonvulsant affects the flow of sodium in and out of cells of the motor cortex, and prevents neurons from depolarizing or polarizing too quickly or repeatedly. | hydantoin drugs |
| This kind of anticonvulsant depresses the motor cortex and raises the seizure threshold. | succinimide drugs |
| This ending is common to generic succinimide drugs | -suximide |
| This drug used to treat epilepsy is one of the oldest drugs on the market | phenytoin (Dilantin) |
| This type of anticonvulsant works by acting on several types of receptors throughout the body to affect memory, emotion, and muscles, and they have an anticonvulsant effect on receptors in the brainstem. | benzodiazepine drugs |
| Benzodiazepine drugs are schedule ____ drugs | IV |
| These endings are common to generic benzodiazepine drugs. | -azepam, and -azepate |
| These drugs have a long-acting sedative and anticonvulsant effect and are schedule IV drugs. | barbituate drugs |
| Barbituates work by | inhibiting conduction of nerve impulses in the cerebral cortex and motor areas of the brain. |
| This ending is common to generic barbituate drugs | -barbital |
| Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a(n) | neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits nerve impulses. |
| In addition to being used to treat epilepsy, topiramate is also used to treat | migraines, bipolar disorder, alcohol and cocaine dependence, bulemia, and is used as an aid to lose weight and stop smoking. |
| This drug is a sulfonamide drug (used to treat bacterial infections), but it only acts as an anticonvulsant drug. | Zonegran (zonisamide) |
| This type of drug causes the central nervous system tissue to become slightly acidic, which suppresses any abnormal electrical impulses that could trigger a seizure. | carbonic anhydrase inhibitor drugs |
| Diamox (acetazolamide) is this type of drug | carbonic anhydrase inhibitor drug |
| Choice of drug therapy for patients with epilepsy depends on | proper classification of the type of seizures that the patient has (based on EEG test findings) |
| Tonic-clonic seizures are also known as | grand mal seizures |
| Unconsciousness, excessive motor activity with alternating rigidity and jerking muscle contraction of extremities, and tongue biting are all symptoms of | tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures |
| Absence seizures are characterized by | impaired consciousness, vacant staring, repetitive blinking, and/or facial tics |
| absence seizures are also known as | petit mal seizures |
| Complex partial seizures are characterized by | some impairment of consciousness with involuntary contractions of one or more muscle groups (including lip smacking and/or extremity movement) |
| Complex partial seizures are also known as | psychomotor seizures |
| Simple partial seizures are characterized by | no impairment of consciousness, but involuntary contractions of or more muscle groups. |
| Simple partial seizures are also known as | focal motor seizures |
| Status epilepticus ______(is/is not) a medical emergency. | it is a medical emergency |
| Status epilepticus is characterized by | a state of prolonged, continuous seizure activity or frequently repeated individual seizures that occur without regaining consciousness |
| Valium, Cerebryx, and Dilantin are used to treat | status epilepticus |
| With dementia, there is a shortage of this neurotransmitter in the brain. | Acetylcholine |
| The most common form of dementia is | Alzheimer's disease |
| Research indicates that there is a link between Alzheimer's and these 2 conditions | diabetes and obesity |
| Cholinesterase inhibitor drugs for Alzheimer's work by | blocking cholinesterase, which prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine |
| Cholinesterase-inhibitor drugs are used to treat __________(moderate-to-severe/mild-to-moderate) Alzheimer's disease. | mild to moderate |
| Exelon (rivastigmine) is used to treat Alzheimer's disease and __________ | dementia associated with Parkinson's disease |
| The most prescribed drug for Alzheimer's is | donepezil (Aricept) |
| Razadyne (galantamine) was originally derived from | daffodils |
| This is the only drug used to treat Alzheimer's that comes as a transdermal patch | Exelon (rivastigmine) |
| NMDA stands for | N-methyl-D-aspartate |
| NMDA receptor antagonist drugs work by | binding to NMDA receptors in the brain and preventing them from being overstimulated by glutamate |
| Glutamate is | an amino acid thought to contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer's disease |
| NMDA receptor antagonist drugs are used to treat ___________ (mild to moderate/moderate to severe) Alzheimer's disease | moderate to severe |
| Namenda (memantine) is a | NMDA receptor antagonist drug |
| Caprylidene treats Alzheimer's disease by | stimulating mitochondria in nerve cells in the brain to produce more energy |
| Initial symptoms of Parkinson's include | muscle rigidity, tremors, and slowing of voluntary movements |
| Parkinson's is caused by | an imbalance between dopamine and acetylcholine |
| 2 main categories of drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease are | 1) drugs that increase or enhance the action of dopamine 2) drugs that inhibit the action of acetylcholine |
| This drug, when combined with levodopa, allowed more levodopa to cross the blood-brain barrier. | carbidopa |
| This drug was the first transdermal patch used to treat Parkinson's disease | Neupro (rotigotine) |
| Mirapex (pramipexole) is approved by the FDA to treat Parkinson's and ________ | restless leg syndrome |
| MAO stands for | monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that destroys dopamine |
| MAO inhibitor drugs work by | inhibiting the enzyme monoamine oxidase, preventing the destruction of dopamine |
| Symmetrel (amantadine) is used to prevent and treat ________ as well as used to treat Parkinson's. | Influenza A and influenza b respiratory infections |
| COMT stands for | catechol-O-methyltransferase |
| COMT is an enzyme that | metabolizes levodopa in the blood |
| COMT inhibitor drugs treat Parkinson's by | inhibiting COMT, which increases the level of levodopa in the blood that can cross the blood-brain barrier |
| atropine and hyoscyamine (Levsin) are specifically used to treat | tremors and rigidity in Parkinson's disease |
| Parcopa, Sinemet, and Stalevo are | combination drugs containing levodopa and carbidopa to treat Parkinson's disease |
| Exelon (rivastigmine) is used to treat ___________ associated with Parkinson's disease. | dementia |
| When a patient is gradually withdrawn from a drug because the dose cannot be increased anymore or because the effects of a high dose are intolerable, this is called | a drug holiday |
| An autoimmune disease where the body attacks the myelin covering of nerves is known as | Multiple sclerosis (MS) |
| Symptoms of MS include | double-vision, large muscle weakness, uncoordinated gait, muscle spasticity, tremors, and neuralgias |
| Paresthesias is a condition where | sensation is altered |
| Examples of paresthesias include | numbness, tingling, and burning |
| Lyrica (pregabalin) can be used to treat symptoms of | neuralgia |
| These drugs can be given topically to treat neuralgia and neuropathy | capsaicin (Capsin, Zostrix), lidocaine (Lidoderm) |
| These 2 categories of drugs are used to treat restless leg syndrome | 1) schedule IV benzodiazepine antianxiety drugs and 2) dopamine receptor stimulant drugs |
| These drugs are used on a short-term basis to treat insomnia | hypnotic/sedative drugs |
| Barbituate drugs are seldom used to treat insomnia because | they are schedule II drugs and have high potential for addiction |
| The action of melatonin in the brain is | to regulate the 24-hour wake-sleep cycle |
| Melatonin is secreted by the | pineal gland |
| The therapeutic effect of melatonin receptor agonist drugs is | to stimulate melatonin receptors in the brain, which causes sleepiness |
| This brand name drug is a reference to the luna moth that only comes out at night. | Lunesta (eszopiclone) |
| This drug is specifically used to help patients who wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep. | Intermezzo (zolpidem) |
| Ambien is a trade name for the generic drug | zolpidem |
| Benzodiazepine drugs are used to treat anxiety as well as | insomnia |
| Benzodiazepine treats insomnia by | enhancing the effect of GABA |
| Categories of drugs used to treat insomnia include | non-barbituate hypnotic/sedative drugs, melatonin agonist drugs, benzodiazepine drugs, antidepresseants, barbituates, and combination drugs that contain antihistamine |
