Chapter 15

Question 1

Another protective mechanism from drugs reaching the central nervous system involves liver enzymes stimulating conversion of active drugs into non-active forms, which is referred to as _______

Answer 1

Drug metabolism

Question 2

Describe the difference between metabolic and functional tolerance

Answer 2

Metabolic- decreased sensitivity to a drug that results from less of the drug getting to the site of action (body is able to filter drug out faster bc its use to it)

functional- decreased sensitivity to a drug that results from changes that reduce the reactivity of sites of action to the drug (brain and cns has adjusted and changed due to exposure to the drug, you function quite normally on it)

Question 3

Individuals experiencing physical withdrawal effects after discontinuing use of a drug usually experience withdrawal effects that are the same or different than the effects of taking the drug?

Answer 3

Withdrawal symptoms are usually opposite to the initial effects of the drug

Question 4

What is relapse?

Answer 4

The return to one’s drug taking habit after a period of voluntary abstinence

Question 5

One important goal of reducing drug addiction is to study what leads individuals to initially take drugs. Studies in rats have found that ______ is a behavioral trait linked to increased tendency for initial drug taking

Answer 5

Novelty seeking- personality trait (impulsive, seeks stimulation/reward, avoidance of frustration, and quick loss of temper

Question 6

Drug addiction has been summarized as a behavioral pattern involving “the inability to refrain from behavior despite its adverse effect” what are some behavioral characterize of individuals addicted to drugs? What anhedonia?

Answer 6

• poor decision making
• risk taking
• poor self control

Anhedonia- a general inability to experience pleasure while engaging in activities that were previously pleasurable

Question 7

Describe the three causes of relapse

Answer 7

1) stress
2) drug priming- a single exposure to the formerly abused drug
3) exposure to cues- Ex: people, time, places, or objects that have been previously associated with drug taking has been shown

Question 8

Drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream by many routes. What is one protective mechanism for drugs entering the central nervous system?

Answer 8

The blood-brain barrier