Affective

Definition

Affective refers to emotions, feelings, and mood states. In pharmacology, it's often used to describe the emotional changes targeted by psychopharmacologic drugs.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Affective symptoms in depression include persistent sadness and loss of interest.
2. Antidepressants aim to improve affective symptoms by altering neurotransmitter levels.
3. Common classes of antidepressants include SSRIs, SNRIs, and MAOIs which target affective disorders.
4. Affective disorders such as major depressive disorder can severely impact daily functioning.
5. Monitoring affective responses is crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy.

Review Questions

• What are affective symptoms in the context of depression?
• How do antidepressants target affective symptoms?
• Why is it important to monitor changes in a patient's affect when they are on antidepressant medication?

Related terms

SSRIs: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a class of drugs used to treat depression.

SNRIs: Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, another class of antidepressants that act on both serotonin and norepinephrine.

MAOIs: Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, an older class of antidepressants that prevent the breakdown of monoamine neurotransmitters.