Chapter 3 - How Drugs Work in the Body and Mind Flashcards
Intramuscular (IM)
Into a muscle.
Intravenous (IV)
Into a vein
Subcutaneous (SC or Sub-Q)
Underneath the skin.
Intranasal
Applied to the mucous membranes of the nose.
Sublingual
Applied under the tongue.
Transdermal Patch
A device attached to the skin that slowly delivers the drug through skin absorption.
Biotransformation
The process of changing the molecular structure of a drug into forms that make it easier for the body to excrete it.
Metabolite
A by-product resulting from the biotransformation process.
Elimination Half-Life
The length of time it takes for a drug to e reduced to 50% of its equilibrium level in the bloodstream.
Latency Period
An interval of time during which blod levels of a drug are not yet sufficient for a drug effect to be observed.
Synergism
The property of a drug interaction in which the combination effect of two drugs exceeds the effect of either drug administered alone.
Potentitation
The property of a synergistic drug interaction in which one drug combined with another drug produces an enhanced effect when one of the drugs alone would have had no effect.
Cross-Tolerance
A phenomenon in which the tolerance that results from the chronic use of one drug indices a tolerance effect with regard to a second drug that has not been used before.
Cross-Dependence
A phenomenon in which one drug can be used to reduce the withdrawal symptoms following the discontinuance of another drug.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The portion of the nervous system that consists of the spinal cord and the brain.
Peripheral Nervous System
The portion of the nervous system that consists of nerves and nerve fibers that carry information to the central nervous system and outward to muscles and glands.
Sympathetic Branch of the Autonomic Nervous System
The portion of the autonomic nervous system that controls bodily changes that deal with stressful or emergency situations.
Parasympathetic Branch of the Autonomic Nervous System
The portion of the autonomic nervous system that controls bodily changes that lead to increased nurturance, rest, and maintenance.
Neuron
The specialized cell in the nervous system designed to receive and transmit information.
Cerebral Cortex
The portion of the forebrain devoted to a high level of information processing.
Synapse
The juncture between neurons. It consists of a synaptic knob, the intervening gap, and receptor sites on a receiving neuron.
Neurotransmitter
A chemical substance that a neuron uses to communicate information at the synapse.
Reuptake
The process by which a neurotransmitter returns from the receptor site to the synaptic knob.
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter active in the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system, cerebral cortex, and peripheral somatic nerves.
Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter active in the sympathetic autonomic nervous system and in many regions of the brain.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter in the brain whose activity is related to emotionality and motor control.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter in the brain whose activity is related to emotionality and sleep patterns.
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)
An inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Anti-anxiety drugs tend to facilitate the activity level of GABA in the brain.
Glutamate
An excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Glutamate receptors are associated with actions of PCP and ketamine and with feelings of drug craving.
Endorphins
A class of chemical substances, produced in the brain and elsewhere in the body, that mimic the effects of morphine and other opiate drugs.
Blood-Brain Barrier
A system whereby some substances in the bloodstream are excluded from entering the nervous system.
Nucleus Accumbens
A region in the limbic system of the brain considered to be responsible for the rewarding effects of several drugs of abuse.
Placebo
Any inert substance that produces a psychological or physiological reaction.
Double-Bind
A procedure in drug research in which neither the individual administering a chemical substance not the individual receiving it knows whether the substance is the drug being evaluated of an active placebo.
