Chapter 11_Neuropharmacology and Substance Use Flashcards
Neuropharmacology
The study of drugs that affect the nervous system and behavior.
Pharmacodynamics
How drugs affect the body, including mechanisms of action on the brain and nervous system.
Pharmacokinetics
How the body processes drugs, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Substance Use Disorder
A medical condition characterized by the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including dependence and addiction.
Addiction
A chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain.
Enteral Route of Administration
Drug administration involving the gastrointestinal tract, such as oral or rectal routes.
Parenteral Route of Administration
Drug administration avoiding the gastrointestinal tract, including intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous methods.
First-Pass Metabolism
The process by which drugs are metabolized by the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing their bioavailability.
Insufflation
The act of inhaling a powdered substance through the nose, allowing it to be absorbed through nasal blood vessels.
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
A midbrain structure involved in reward and motivation, critical in addiction.
Mesolimbic Pathway
A dopamine pathway from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens, involved in the sensation of pleasure and reward.
Nucleus Accumbens
A brain region involved in reward and pleasure, often affected by addictive substances.
Mesocortical Pathway
A dopamine pathway projecting from the VTA to the prefrontal cortex, implicated in decision-making and cognitive control.
Intracranial-Self Stimulation
A method where animals press a lever to stimulate brain regions involved in reward, helping to study the brain’s reward system.
Lateral Habenula (LHb)
A brain structure that inhibits dopamine neurons in the VTA, often involved in aversion and avoidance behaviors.
Ligands
Molecules that bind to receptors to initiate a cellular response, including drugs and neurotransmitters.
Agonists
Substances that activate receptors, mimicking the action of naturally occurring neurotransmitters.
Orthosteric Site
The primary binding site on a receptor where agonists and competitive antagonists bind.
Full Agonist
A ligand that fully activates a receptor, eliciting the maximum possible response.
Partial Agonist
A ligand that partially activates a receptor, producing a weaker response than a full agonist.
Inverse Agonist
A ligand that binds to a receptor and induces the opposite response to that of an agonist.
Antagonists
Substances that block or dampen the effects of agonists at receptors.
Competitive Antagonists
Substances that compete with agonists to bind to the orthosteric site on receptors.
Allosteric Modulators
Molecules that bind to a receptor at a site other than the orthosteric site, influencing receptor activity.
Allosteric Site
A distinct site on a receptor where allosteric modulators bind to alter receptor function.
Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM)
A substance that binds to the allosteric site and enhances the effect of the agonist on the receptor.
Negative Allosteric Modulator (NAM)
A substance that binds to the allosteric site and reduces the effect of the agonist on the receptor.
Psychoactive Substances
Chemicals that alter perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior.
Alcohol
A depressant psychoactive substance that affects various neurotransmitter systems, widely used recreationally.
Nicotine
The addictive substance in tobacco, acting as an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Receptors that respond to acetylcholine and nicotine, involved in muscle control and cognitive processes.
Cannabis
A plant containing psychoactive compounds like THC, used recreationally and medicinally.
Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
The primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, which activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain.
Cannabinoid Receptors (CB Receptors)
Receptors in the brain and immune system activated by cannabinoids, such as THC and endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoids
Naturally occurring compounds in the body that activate cannabinoid receptors.
Opioids
A class of drugs that include natural and synthetic substances, acting on opioid receptors to reduce pain and produce euphoria.
Opioid Receptors
Receptors that mediate the effects of opioids, involved in pain relief and pleasure.
Endorphin
A natural opioid-like neurotransmitter that reduces pain and enhances feelings of pleasure.
Cocaine
A stimulant drug that increases levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin by blocking their reuptake.
Reuptake Inhibitor
A substance that blocks the reabsorption of neurotransmitters into neurons, enhancing their effects.
Psychedelics
A class of drugs that alter perception, mood, and thought, often acting on serotonin receptors.
Tolerance
The diminished response to a drug after repeated use, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect.
Metabolic Tolerance
Tolerance that develops as the body becomes more efficient at metabolizing a drug.
Functional Tolerance
Tolerance where changes at the receptor level reduce sensitivity to a drug.
Conditional Tolerance
Tolerance that develops due to environmental cues associated with drug use, leading to anticipatory responses.
Sensitization
The increased response to a drug after repeated use, often associated with stimulants.
Dependence
The physical or psychological need to continue using a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal
Physical and mental symptoms that occur when a person stops or reduces drug use after dependency.
Self-Administration
A method where animals or humans control their own drug intake, used in research to study addiction.
Conditioned Place Preference
A behavioral test that measures an animal’s preference for a drug-associated environment.
Hedonia Hypothesis
The theory that addiction is driven by the dopamine-induced pleasure from drugs.
Incentive Sensitization Model
The theory that addiction results from increased motivation or “wanting” of a drug due to sensitized neural pathways.
Relapse
The return to drug use after a period of abstinence, often triggered by environmental cues.
Incubation of Craving
The phenomenon where craving for a drug intensifies over a period of abstinence.
Brain Disease Model of Addiction
The view that addiction is a chronic disease involving structural and functional changes in the brain.
