5) Drugs & Addiction Flashcards
Psychoactive Drugs
Chemicals that influence subjective experience and behavior by acting on CNS
Alter consciousness by changing chemical processes in neurons
What is the basic definition of drugs?
- affects physiological functioning in some way
- exogenous
- comes from outside of body
(opposite of endogenous like insulin)
What are the ways that drugs scan be administered, and discuss the pros/cons
- Ingestion
- easy & safe
- unpredictable effects depend on type of food already in stomach - Injection
- speedy & predictable
- less time to counteract effects since its fast
- infection
- scarring & collapsed veins - Inhalation
- speedy
- unpredictable effects
- damage lungs - Absorption
- via mucus membranes (nose, under tongue, rectum
- damage membranes - Transdermally
- through the skin
Drug Penetration of CNS
Blood stream -> blood vessels -> blood-brain barrier only allows some to pass into CNS
Some drugs act diffusely on neuron membranes throughout CNS
Others act more specific ways
- Bind to synaptic receptors, change NT concentration, etc
- Either serve to inhibit or excite
Drug Metabolism
convert active drugs into non active ones so that they can’t pass through the blood brain barrier into the brain
- liver enzymes change chemical structure of drug
Drug tolerance vs sensitization
Repeated exposures produce a diminished effect
Need higher dose to maintain constant effect
ex/ alcohol
VS
Repeated exposures produce a heightened effect
Need smaller dose to maintain constant effect
ex/ cocaine
Specificity of drug tolerance/sensitization
- Cross tolerance
Drug can produce tolerance/sensitization to other drugs that act by same mechanism
ex/ act on same receptors, body reacts similarly - Only develop tolerance/sensitization to some effects of a drug but not to others
ex/ sensitive to heart rate increase but tolerant to psychological effects
Drug withdrawal
Adverse physiological reaction when suddenly removed from a drug used for long time
Ppl who suffer from withdrawal effects are physically dependent on that drug
Effects almost always the opposite of the initial effects of the drug
Severity of withdrawal depends on
drug type
how much is taken
duration of use
how fast its taken away
biggest effects: big dose over long time, and rapid redrawal
Physical and psychological dependence
physical: ppl take to prevent withdrawal effects
psychological: ppl take cuz of intense cravings
Drugs and conditioning
UCS: drug injection
UCR: drug effects
Repeated = compensatory response (tolerance)
NS/CS: context / envo
- Leads to conditioned compensatory response
- CS does NOT cause drug effects!
(this is diff from classical conditioning)
Alcohol
Alcohol molecules are small and soluble, invades all parts of body
Depressant
Sedative - calming effect
Hypnotic - sleeping effect
What drugs causes the most fatalities and are most widely used?
alcohol & tobacco
Short term effects of alcohol
Red Flush
Dilation of blood vessels
Leads to decrease in body temperature (hypothermia)
Dehydration
Diuretic, increases production of urine
Low doses
Stimulate neural firing & facilitate social interaction
Moderate doses
Cognitive, perceptual, verbal, motor impairment
Loss of control can lead to socially unacceptable outcomes
High doses
Unconsciousness
Risk of death from respiratory depression (if blood levels reach 0.5%)
Withdrawal effects of alcohol
Hangover
Mild syndrome of headache, nausea, vomiting
Withdrawal syndrome
When drink everyday and then suddenly not drink
3 stages
5hrs after last drink
hangover + severe tremors, agitation, cramps, sweating
15-30hrs after last drink
Convulsive activity
1-2 days after last drink and lasts 3-4 days
Delirium tremens (DTs)
Hallucination, delusions, agitation, fever, high blood pressure / heart rate
Chronic effects of alcohol
Brain damage
May lead to Korsakoff’s syndrome = can’t form new memories
Cirrhosis
Scarring liver
Major cause of death among alcoholics
Irritate lining of digestive tract
Increase risk of oral & liver cancer, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, gastritis
Inflammation of pancreas & stomach
On the roads and in home
Perception is impaired, some ppl get more aggressive
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Consumed by pregnant mother, child can suffer from:
Brain damage / mental retardation
Poor coordination
Low birth weight or muscle tone
Slow growth or physical deformity
What are some reasons why people drink alcohol?
Sociocultural influences
Addictive personality
May predispose people to use drugs
Learning & expectations
Drink alcohol because they believe it’s a stress reducer
Genetic Influences
Some genes cause unpleasant response to alcohol so we don’t drink as much (ex/ blushing and heart beating)
Heroin short term & overdose effects
Available & inexpensive & addicting
Short Term
Anti anxiety and pain relieving
Pleasure
Overdose effects
Slow breathing
Hypertension
Blue lips and nails
Muscle spasms
Coma, death