Psychopharmacological Approaches to Treat Psychopathology Essay
- Basic structure of the nervous system
The nervous system consists of three neurons: sensory, motor and interneurons. The functions of the neurons are to receive, integrate, and transmit signals, achieved by the three essential components of a neuron: nucleus, axons, and dendrites. The dendrite receives and processes information allowing the neuron to produce electric impulses (Snyder & Smith, 2018). The impulses move to the axons, which convey nerve impulses to target cells. At the axon, the nerve impulse is converted into a chemical neurotransmitter, for example, dopamine, enabling communication between neurons and terminated through enzymatic action, reuptake, or diffusion.
- Answers
- What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?
- Pituitary gland
- Limbic structures
- Basal ganglia
- Diencephalon
- Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?
The limbic system of the subcortical structure contains the hippocampus, which plays a crucial role during memory processing, including organization, storage of long-term, and connections with emotions and sensations (Snyder & Smith, 2018). Similarly, the limbic system plays a crucial role in motivation and learning and modulates addiction.
- What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control
Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal area and is involved in motor control (Sonne et al., 2021). The second neurotransmitter is GABAergic, which also has a vital role in motor control (Kolasinski et al., 2019).
- Functions of glia cells
Glia are the non-neuron cells incapable of producing electrical impulses. The function of the glia in the central nervous system is to give neurons support and protection. Other functions of glia include cleaning up debris, maintaining homeostasis, supplying nutrients, and myelin formation (Snyder & Smith, 2018). For example, glia forms a myelin sheath that traps chemicals and buffers ions that would otherwise damage the neurons if passed through to neurons.
- Synapse and chemical communication
Synapse is the space between the axon and dendrite of different neurons that support communication between two different neurons through neurotransmitters or electrical potential (Snyder & Smith, 2018). Communication occurs when the axon terminal of the sending neurons creates synapses by releasing neurotransmitters. The neurotransmittersdiffuse into the synaptic cleft to the dendrite of the receiving neuron cell. The process allows the transfer of messages from one neuron to another.
- Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to adjust and reorganize its neural networks to adapt to new experiences or learning. The concept of neuroplasticity means that neuron networks in the brain are not rigid but can be trained or influenced following new understandings. Neuroplasticity of the brain is the feature that supports growth and development in children as they encounter new experiences(Snyder & Smith, 2018). Additionally, neuroplasticity ensures that neuron networks that are barely used get eliminated while the frequently used ones are strengthened. An example of neuroplasticity is recovering from stroke and learning to do things such as relearning to move after the effects of stroke.
References
Kolasinski, J., Hinson, E., Zand, A., Rizov, A., Emir, U., & Stagg, C. (2019). The dynamics of cortical GABA in human motor learning. J Physiol, 597(1):271-282. https://doi.10.1113/JP276626.
Snyder, A. C., & Smith, M. (2018). Early steps toward understanding neuronal communication. Curr Opin Neurol, 31(1), 59–65. https://doi.10.1097/WCO.0000000000000512.
Sonne, J., Reddy, V. R., & Beato, M. R. (2021). Neuroanatomy, Substantia Nigra. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
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NURS 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches to Treat Psychopathology
Assignment: Short Answer Assessment
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, before you can recommend potential pharmacotherapeutics to address a patient’s condition or disorder, you must understand the basic function and structure of the neuron and central nervous system. For this Assignment, you will review and apply your understanding of neuroanatomy by addressing a set of short answer prompts.
To Prepare:
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- Reflect on the basic function and structure of the neuron in relation to the central nervous system.
- Reflect on the inter-connectedness between neurons and the central nervous system, including the pathway and distribution of electrical impulses.
- Reflect on how neurons communicate with each other and review the concept of neuroplasticity.
- Utilize scholarly, peer reviewed sources.
- Utilize SafeAssign drafts for authenticity report before final submission.
To complete:
Address the following Short Answer prompts for your Assignment. Be sure to include references to the Learning Resources for this week.
- In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples.
- Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions):
- What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?
- Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?
- What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control?
- In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glia cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples.
- The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific.
- In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.