Amphetamines Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between what cocaine and amphetamine microinjections into the nucleus accumbens do to animals?

A

Amphetamine microinjections have a reinforcing effect, whereas cocaine microinjections don’t.

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2
Q

What family is amphetamine part of?

A

Synthetic psychostimulants related to dopamine.

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3
Q

Name the synthetic psychostimulants.

A

Amphetamine, methamphetamine, ephedrine, cathinone, MDMA, MDA, MDE.

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4
Q

Which synthetic psychostimulants have been used in plant form?

A

Cathinone - khat.

Ephedrine - ephedra vulgaris, a herbal remedy.

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5
Q

What dopamine pathway does amphetamine primarily affect?

A

The nigrostriatal pathway.

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6
Q

What have been the uses of ephedra?

A
  • It was used as a herbal remedy for 5000 years, as it decreases appetite and provides a feeling of heightened energy.
  • Was used as an appetite suppressant (now banned)
  • Used for asthma in 1920s, led to amphetamine inhaler
  • Later marketed for narcolepsy.
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7
Q

What is pseudoephedrine used for?

A

As a bronchodilator.

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8
Q

What is amphetamine used to treat?

A

ADHD - Ritalin.

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9
Q

What do amphetamines do on a neuronal level?

A
  • They’re indirect dopamine agonists
  • At high doses they inhibit catecholamine metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAOA)
  • Reverse dopamine transporters = extra release and no reuptake, also provokes release
  • Also noradrenaline release
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10
Q

Which is stronger out of amphetamine and methamphetamine?

A

Methamphetamine

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11
Q

What is the elimination half-life of amphetamine?

A

7-30 hours, but some users take repeated IV injections every few hours over a period of days.

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12
Q

What did Griffith et al (1972) do?

A

Gave 7 pts (users w/no history of psychosis) dextroamphetamine every hour for up to 5 days.

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13
Q

What did Griffth et al (1972) find?

A

All the participants became psychotic within 2-5 days, with delusions mostly auditory but also included poisoning by the experimenters and electric dynamo thought control.

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14
Q

What is dextroamphetamine commonly known as?

A

Speed.

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15
Q

What are the adverse effects of amphetamines?

A
  • Psychotic reactions (delusional beliefs, methamphetamine violence and flashbacks).
  • Neurotoxicity (reduced TH, DA and DAT density, ecstasy affects 5-HT).
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16
Q

What could amphetamine use predispose a user to?

A

Developing Parkinson’s - same reduction of DAT in striatum, which is progressive.

17
Q

MDMA is known as the _____ amphetamine.

A

Entactogenic. It’s supposed to elicit an enhanced ability to introspect.

18
Q

What psychological effects does MDMA produce?

A

Mild euphoria, enhanced sensory perception, increased energy, feelings of well-being and confidence, a desire to be with people and sexual arousal.

19
Q

What did McCann et al (1998) find?

A

Reduced striatal DAT binding in abstinent drug users and PD.

20
Q

What physiological effects does MDMA produce?

A

Increased HR, temp and BP, sweating, salivation, tremor, trismus and bruxism.

21
Q

What is trismus?

A

Tightening of the jaw muscles.

22
Q

What is bruxism?

A

Teeth grinding.

23
Q

What is MDMA’s primary mode of action?

A

It enhances the release and prevents re-uptake of serotonin - it’s an indirect 5-HT agonist.

24
Q

When was MDMA first developed and used?

A

1914, used therapeutically in the 1970s, made illegal in 1985.

25
Q

What neurotransmitter, apart from serotonin, does MDMA stimulate release of?

A

Dopamine.

26
Q

What is the main issue with repeated MDMA exposure?

A

It damages serotonergic pathways in the brain (Boot et al, 2000).
Pruning of serotonergic axons and terminals in cortex and hippocampus. Some abnormal reinnervation.

27
Q

What effects do amphetamines have on cue conditioning/associative learning?

A

According to Norman and Cassaday (2003), amphetamines increase CS salience in various procedures (latent inhibition, overshadowing, trace conditioning and contextual conditioning).

28
Q

What are the different treatment options for amphetamine addiction?

A
  • Pharmacological (DA antagonists)
  • Behavioural (avoid triggers, counterconditioning)
  • Psychosocial (counselling, CBT and cue exposure)
29
Q

What did Kuczenski and Segal (2002) do?

A

Gave adolescent rats Ritalin (or saline), reduced activity - treatment for ADHD (theory is that dopamine system is underactive).

30
Q

What is methylphenidate?

A

Ritalin.