Psych Vivas · Foundations — neurotransmitters receptors signalling
Neurotransmitters, receptors and signalling — viva
Fellowship viva on monoamine, GABA, glutamate and ACh systems; GPCR cascades; drug-class mapping; serotonin toxicity vs NMS; delayed antidepressant onset.
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Study tools
Target exams
FRANZCPMRCPsychABPNMD-DNB
Prompt
Examiner draws a blank synapse on the whiteboard and says: 'Fill in transmitters, receptors, second messengers, then hang six drug classes and two toxidromes on your diagram.'
Station structure
Time: 8–10 minutes. Depth: consultant teaching registrar. Expect clean definitions, pathway tables, and safe toxidrome discrimination without undergraduate slogans.[1][3]
References6ShowHide
- [1]Howes OD, Kapur S The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia: version III--the final common pathway Schizophr Bull, 2009.PMID 19325164
- [2]Barnes NM, Sharp T A review of central 5-HT receptors and their function Neuropharmacology, 1999.PMID 10462127
- [3]Hyman SE, Nestler EJ Initiation and adaptation: a paradigm for understanding psychotropic drug action Am J Psychiatry, 1996.PMID 8561194
- [4]Dunkley EJ, Isbister GK, Sibbritt D, et al. The Hunter Serotonin Toxicity Criteria: simple and accurate diagnostic decision rules for serotonin toxicity QJM, 2003.PMID 12925718
- [5]Javitt DC, Zukin SR Recent advances in the phencyclidine model of schizophrenia Am J Psychiatry, 1991.PMID 1654746
- [6]Soyka M Treatment of Benzodiazepine Dependence N Engl J Med, 2017.PMID 28328330