Psychotropic medications

• The term "psychotropic medication" refers to any medication or drug used to treat mental disorders such as a depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

• Most psychotropic medications reduce symptoms of mental disorders by binding to receptors located on the surface of neurons or other cells within the nervous system. 

• After a drug or medication binds to a receptor, a series of biochemical events occur which signals the cell to change.

• The behavioral responses observed after administering psychotropic medications are the result of a combination of numerous intracellular and intercellular changes.

• As we move through the course, we will revisit these concepts in more detail.