Alcohol and Drug Abuse Flashcards
How does alcohol potentiate inhibitory pathways?
Potentiates GABARs
Additive effect to benzodiazepines
How does alcohol depress excitatory pathways?
Inhibit NMDARs
Also depress VGCC
Define Tolerance.
Decreased response to the effects of a set drug concentration after continued use. Compensatory homeostatic mechanisms adapt to the presence of a drug.
Define dependence.
Need to take a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms produced by compensatory homeostatic mechanisms - can occur with non-addictive drugs.
Define Addiction.
Continued drug use despite knowing adverse consequences.
Compulsive drug seeking behaviour.
Can occur in absence of tolerance and dependence.
What is the Himmelsbach Hypothesis?
Expression of the mechanisms which characterise tolerance - without the drug = withdrawal symptoms.
Lag of removal of adaptation
Name two treatment options for alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
Hair of the dog.
Benzodiazepines.
How does Naltrexone and Nalmefene work?
Opioid R antagonist.
Acute alcohol exposure → release of endogenous opioids
How does Acamprosate work?
Mimics alcohol to help rebalance.
NMDAR antagonist
GABA agonist.
What receptor does nicotine act on?
nAChRs - many different subtypes
Which type of opioid receptor has the high abuse potential? Mu, Delta or Kappa? Give examples of drugs which are a strong agonist for this receptor type
Mu
Heroin, Oxycodone, Morphine, fEntanyl
What is used as replacement therapy for opioid R agonists?
Methadone or Buprenorphine
How would you treat an opioid overdose?
Opioid antagonist - Naloxone
Name three popular psychostimulants.
Amphetamines, Methamphetamine, Cocaine
How do psychostimulants work?
Put dopamine receptor in reverse, massive increase in synaptic concentration.
What are the signs for psychostimulant use? and what are the signs for overdose?
Signs: alertness, euphoria, bruxism (gurning), WL
Overdose: Psychosis, Cardiac effects, Stroke, Seizures
What is the treatment for psychostimulants?
Haloperidol
What are the withdrawal symptoms for psychostimulant use?
Great hunger
exhaustion
mental depression
What is an empathogen?
Psychoactive drug that causes emotional and social effets similar to those of MDMA
What is 4-MMC?
Mephedrone (meow meow)
What is the main hormone of the reward circuit? And where is it produced?
Dopamine produced in the Ventral Tegmental Area (Substantia Nigra)
What is the name given to the system of the projection from the VTA → Nucleus Accumbens?
Mesolimbic Dopamine System
What does reward stimulate the release of? and what is released in the intermediate step?
Reward Stimulates → Endogenous opioid release → Dopamine
What is dopamine actually used for behaviourally?
It is a learning signal, released when a predicted reward will be gained. The reward itself does not cause dopamine release.
