Ch3: How We Adapt To Drugs Flashcards
Acute Tolerance
When tolerance develops during a single administration of a drug.
Drug effect is greater at blood level during absorption than it is at that same blood level during elimination.
Cross-tolerance
Tolerance to one drug diminishes the effect of another drug.
Pharmacokinetic Tolerance (aka Metabolic Tolerance, Dispositional Tolerance)
Arises from increase in the rate/ability of the body to metabolize a drug, resulting in fewer drug molecules reaching their sites of action.
Pharmacodynamic Tolerance (aka Physiological or Cellular Tolerance)
Arises from adjustments made by the body to compensate for an effect of the continued presence of a drug.
Adjustments are a result of homeostasis.
Functional Disturbances
Drug-induced change needs to have some significance to the animal. Tolerance to drug effects that are not detected/ do not disrupt functioning does not develop.
Behavioural Tolerance
Tolerance is influenced by learning & conditioning processes. Through experience with a drug, an animal can learn to decrease the effect that the drug is having.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Physiological changes that occur when the use of a drug is stopped or dosage is decreased.
Dependence
Describes a state in which discontinuation of a drug causes withdrawal.
Opponent Process Theory
Abused drugs stimulate an A process (i.e., euphoric state), but soon after, a compensatory B process (i.e., unpleasant state) kicks in. Process A dominates first, then process B cancels out some of the euphoria. As the drug wears off, so does the A process, but the B process stays for a while.
Explains the “hangover” effect after drinking alcohol or let-down after cocaine.
Sensitization
In some circumstances, an effect of a drug can increase with repeated administration.
Much less common than tolerance.
Nocebo Effect
When placebo generates side effects.
