A nursing student asks about drugs that interfere with the termination of transmitter action. Which statement by the nurse is correct?
A) "Drugs act on this process by altering the diffusion of the transmitter away from the synaptic gap."
B) "Drugs can interfere with termination by either increasing or decreasing reuptake of the transmitter."
C) "Drugs in this category lead to decreased activation by the transmitter in the synapse."
D) "These drugs reduce either reuptake or degradation of the transmitter, causing an increase in receptor activation."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Drugs that interfere with termination of transmitter action do so by blocking transmitter reuptake or inhibiting transmitter degradation, resulting in increased receptor activation, because more of the transmitter remains available. Diffusion of the transmitter occurs naturally, but it is a slow process with little clinical significance. Drugs that alter this process cause a decrease in reuptake, not an increase. The effect of drugs that interfere with termination of transmitter action is increased activation.

A Nursing Student Asks About Drugs That Interfere with the Termination