Addiction

Question 1

Agonist drug

Answer 1

mimics neurotransmitters to trigger same response e.g. pleasure

Question 2

Antagonist drug

Answer 2

Blocks receptor site meaning no response is triggered, NT doesn’t attach

Question 3

What neurotransmitter can dopamine be synthesised to?

Answer 3

Noradrenaline

Question 4

What are the 3 ascending dopamine pathways?

Answer 4

Nigrostriatal, Mesolimbic, Mesocortical

Question 5

Nigrostriatal pathway

Answer 5

Motor behaviour, damage leads to parkinsons.

Question 6

Mesolimbic pathway

Answer 6

Natural reward pathway, problem for addictive drugs

Question 7

Mesocortical pathway

Answer 7

Cognition and mood, when overused, pathway is implicated in schizophrenia

Question 8

Alcohol harms to users

Answer 8

Physical harm (acute, chronic, intravenous) and dependence (pleasure, psychological, physical)

Question 9

Alcohol harms to others

Answer 9

Social harms (intoxication, healthcare costs and others) and physical/psychological injury

Question 10

Acute psychological effects of alcohol

Answer 10

Decreased tension/anxiety (anxiolysis), impaired memory (amnesia), direct rewarding effects

Question 11

Psychological effects of chronic alcohol consumption

Answer 11

Neuropharmacological adaptations, withdrawal symptoms, alcohol dependence and severe cognitive deficits due to brain shrinkage (Wernike-Korsakoff Syndrome)

Question 12

Neuropharmacological targets of alcohol-
Nonspecific effects

Answer 12

Interactions with lipid bilayer, mainly at high concentrations

Question 13

Neuropharmacological targets of alcohol-
Specific effects

Answer 13

interaction with ligand-gated ion channels (NT receptors) and voltage-gated ion channels