Addictions Flashcards
What areas of the brain are associated with reward systems?
- ventral tegmental area
- nucleus accumbent
- prefrontal cortex
What are 2 examples of stimulant-type drugs?
- cocaine
- amphetamine
How is cocaine taken?
- coca leaves chewed or brewed
- cocaine hydrochloride is snorted or injected
- crack cocaine is smoked
What are the desired effects of taking cocaine?
- temporary stimulant and euphoriant (short lived)
- increases alertness and energy
- increased confidence and impaired judgement
- lessens appetite and desire for sleep
What are the bad effects of taking cocaine?
- damage to nose and airways
- convulsions with respiratory failure
- cardiac arrhythmias and MI
- hypertension and CVA
- toxic confusion
- paranoid psychosis
What are withdrawal effects of taking cocaine?
-depression
-irritability
-agitation
-craving
-hyperphagia
-hypersomnia
(reverse of desired effects)
How is amphetamine taken?
- sniffed
- swallowed
- injected
What are the desired effects of taking amphetamine?
similar to cocaine but effects are longer lasting
What are adverse effects of taking amphetamine?
- toxic confusion occasionally with convulsions and death
- amphetamine psychosis in heavy chronic use
What are examples of opiates?
- opium
- morphine
- heroin
- methadone
- codeine and dihydrocodeine
What are the 2 different substance types of heroin?
- tar like substance
- powder
How is heroin taken?
- snorting
- injecting
- smoking
What are the effects of opiates?
- analgesia
- drowsiness and sleep
- mood change (euphoria, intense pleasure)
- respiratory depression
- cough reflex depression
- sensitisation of the labyrinth with nausea and vomiting
- decreased sympathetic outflow (bradycardia and hypotension)
- lowering of body temperature
- pupillary constriction
- constipation
What signs are almost pathognomic of opiate overdose in adults? What are other signs?
- respiratory arrest with a pulse!!!!
- pinpoint pupils unreactive to light
- snoring giving way to shallow respiration
- bradycardia and hypotension
- varying degree of reduced consciousness/coma
What is the desired effect for people who abuse opiates?
- feelings of pleasure
- physical and emotional anaesthetic
What are side effects of taking opiates for the first time?
- nausea/vomiting
- headache