BHU NO - 2015
Pharmacology
Easy
Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety by acting on which neurotransmitter?
Appeared in: BHU NO - 2015
Explanation
- Benzodiazepines exert their anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects by targeting the Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) system.
- GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, responsible for reducing neuronal excitability and producing a calming effect.
- Benzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators of the GABA-A receptor; they bind to a specific site on the receptor, which increases the affinity of GABA for its own binding site.
- This enhanced binding of GABA leads to a more frequent opening of the associated chloride ion channel, causing hyperpolarization of the neuron and making it less likely to fire, thus reducing anxiety.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option B: Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, and appetite. While it plays a significant role in anxiety disorders, it is the primary target for other drug classes like SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and SNRIs, not benzodiazepines.
- Option C: Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) is central to the 'fight-or-flight' response, alertness, and arousal. While its dysregulation is implicated in the physical symptoms of anxiety, it is not the direct target of benzodiazepines.
- Option D: Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy, not a neurotransmitter. It is a treatment modality that addresses psychological and interpersonal dynamics within a family to improve mental health.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pharmacodynamics of Benzodiazepines as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses must monitor patients on benzodiazepines for common side effects like sedation, dizziness, and ataxia, which increase the risk of falls, especially in the elderly.
- Patient education is crucial, emphasizing the risks of tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms with long-term use, and advising against concurrent use of other CNS depressants like alcohol.
- What if? If a patient on a benzodiazepine presents with severe respiratory depression and unresponsiveness, the nurse should anticipate the administration of flumazenil, a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, as a reversal agent.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core of the question, which asks for the specific neurotransmitter affected by benzodiazepines to reduce anxiety.
- Second, analyze the options provided. Recognize that three are neurotransmitters (GABA, Serotonin, Noradrenaline) and one is a type of therapy (Family therapy).
- Immediately eliminate 'Family therapy' as it does not belong to the same category as the others; it's a treatment modality, not a neurochemical.
- Recall the basic pharmacology of major psychotropic drug classes. Associate benzodiazepines with GABAergic transmission.
- Differentiate this from other drug classes: SSRIs are linked to Serotonin, and SNRIs/beta-blockers are linked to Noradrenaline.
- Select GABA as the neurotransmitter whose action is enhanced by benzodiazepines to produce an anxiolytic effect.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Pharmacodynamics of Benzodiazepines
- Stem keywords: Benzodiazepines, anxiety, neurotransmitter
- Lead-in keywords: acting on which
Question ID
QmCfUVaF7FCwitVN9RUNlE
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 5778-5780, 10511-10513
Practise the full BHU NO - 2015
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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