Alcohol

Question 1

What is GABA and what does it do?

Answer 1

GABA is inhibitory neurotransmitter. It makes it more difficult for messages to be transmitted. It slows neural activity so is therefore referred to as a depressant.

Question 2

What effect does alcohol have on GABA and what does this do?

Answer 2

Alcohol depresses activity in the brain by making GABA more effective, slowing down the speed with which messages are transmitted between neurons.

Question 3

What does alcohol reduce the effect of and what is this effect?

Answer 3

Alcohol reduces the effect of the inhibitory mechanism which ensures that we behave in a socially acceptable manner.

Question 4

What is noradrenaline?

Answer 4

Noradrenaline is also a neurotransmitter which boosts attention and boosts the fight or flight mechanism.

Question 5

What does alcohol do to noradrenaline and what does this do?

Answer 5

Alcohol anaesthetises the nerve endings of noradrenaline synapses so they become less effective. Alcohol therefore prevents the improvement of the reflexes and slows down the effectiveness of the reflexes

Question 6

Alcohol’s effects on blood vessels?

Answer 6

Even low levels of alcohol can dilate skin blood vessels making the user feel warm and look flushed.

Question 7

Alcohol’s effects on reactions?

Answer 7

Reactions slow down and at higher levels of alcohol perception and speech are impaired.

Question 8

Alcohol’s effects on inhibitory mechanism?

Answer 8

Reduced effectiveness of the inhibitory mechanism leads initially to relaxed confident behaviour but can develop into exhibitionism and extreme behaviour at high levels of alcohol.

Question 9

effects on frontal lobes?

Answer 9

Depression of activity in the frontal lobes impairs motor skills and co-ordination.

Question 10

Effects on hydration?

Answer 10

The hormone controlling urination is inhibited by alcohol causing dehydration. Dehydration is the main cause of hangovers and high levels of alcohol can lead to the brain losing up to a fifth of its weight.

Question 11

The most serious, physical effects?

Answer 11

Large amounts of alcohol can lead to nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness and even death.

Question 12

How is a tolerance formed due to it being a depressant?

Answer 12

Because alcohol acts as a depressant suppressing the activity of cells in the brain a process of up-regulation kicks in to try and compensate for the presence of alcohol and return the brain to its normal working state. This means that to obtain the same effect as experienced one needs to drink more

Question 13

How is a tolerance formed due to an enzyme?

Answer 13

Alcohol consumption stimulates the body to produce an enzyme that breaks alcohol down more quickly and therefore in just a few weeks a drinker will need to consume about 50% more alcohol to achieve the same effect.

Question 14

How is a tolerance formed due to behaviour?

Answer 14

Behavioural tolerance is mainly a result of practice because the drinker becomes better at coping with the side effects of drinking alcohol.

Question 15

How does one get a physical dependency for alcohol?

Answer 15

Physical dependency on alcohol often leads to the alcoholic wanting to start drinking early in the day as they have withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and shaking. The first drink usually alleviated these symptoms therefore increasing dependence.

Question 16

How does one get psychological dependence for alcohol?

Answer 16

Psychological dependency is demonstrated by relief at finding a drink. Gaining alcohol is prioritised over other activities such as socialising, eating and hygiene. A psychological effect of drinking alcohol is that the user will be less concerned about personal issues therefore many alcoholics use the drug as a way of coping with their problems but with increased use of the alcohol they become more psychologically dependent and less likely to cope with their personal issues.

Question 17

When do withdrawal symptoms start to appear?

Answer 17

Withdrawal symptoms usually appear 8 to 12 hours after the last drink although this can take as long as a week

Question 18

What do withdrawal symptoms include?

Answer 18

The symptoms include uncontrollable shakes, cramp, nausea, sweating, irregular heartbeat and vivid dreaming.

Question 19

How long can withdrawal symptoms last for?

Answer 19

Symptoms can last up to 48 hours

Question 20

What are the effects of withdrawal known as in people with heavy addiction?

Answer 20

In people with a heavy addiction the effects of withdrawal are known as delirium tremens (DTs).

Question 21

Why do DTs occur?

Answer 21

DTs occur because the brain habituates to the effect of the alcohol on GABA receptors and therefore has a less efficient GABA system. When there is less alcohol present to depress brain activity the fight/flight response mechanism starts operating at too high a level producing symptoms including hallucinations, tremors, delusions and even seizures.

Question 22

How fatal is untreated withdrawal?

Answer 22

Untreated withdrawal is fatal in about a third of cases and even with early treatment about 5% of patients are likely to die.