In: Anatomy and Physiology
1. If you were to take a drug that depressed the nervous system how would that effect the ability to increase blood pressure when you needed to and how would heart rate respond?
CNS depressent acts by reducing the brain activity. This is done by its action on GABA and stimulating it which is a inhibitory neurotransmitter. As long as these neurotransmitter acts the brain will be in a relaxed state and no excitatory stimuli will be transmitted. So in our needs to raise the blood pressure the adrinaline should be stimulated. But it's excitatory in action. But the neural junctions are filled by the GABA so that the nerve impulsion is affected so the GABA won't be replaced by the acetylcholine. So thus till the end of depressive action of the drug such excitatory impulse doesn't reach the blood vessels,so that they remain relaxed and the blood pressure drops. As CNS depressent are used heart rate too can't be increased. As the brain is in a resting state without the excitatory stimuli the heart too won't raise. The heart rate will be less than normal even if the blood pressure drops.