Chapter 4 Flashcards
what does a neurotransmitter do?
helps neurons communicate with one another by activating specific receptors on nearby neurons
What are the 4 neurotransmitter categories?
Monoamines, amino acids, peptides, other
At what pace should neurons return to their baseline functions after being activated
quickly
what does enzymatic deactivation do?
enzymes break down the neurotransmitter
what does reuptake do?
transports the neurotransmitter back to the presynaptic neuron and repackaged for reuse
what is a monoamine?
-has one amine group
-examples: dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin
what part of the neuron sends and receives the neurotransmitter
-presynaptic neuron sends the neurotransmitter
-postsynaptic neuron receives the neurotransmitter
what is an amino acid
compounds with amino and carboxyl groups
What is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the CNS?
amino acids
what type of neurotransmitter is glutamate?
amino acid neurotransmitter
what does glutamate do?
-involved in brain plasticity, helps create synapses and strengthen connections
-helps facilitate learning and memory
what are the 2 glutamate receptors
NMDA and AMPA
What is GABA
primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
what can GABA inhibition lead to?
leads to seizures
What does an agonist do?
mimics or enhances the effects of a specific neurotransmitter
this activation results in inhibition of the brains cognitive and behavioral systems
examples of GABA agonist drugs
alcohol and muscimol (found in mushrooms)
examples of hallucinogen drugs
LSD, mushrooms, peyote, psilocybin
what do antagonists do?
block or decrease the effects of specific neurotransmitters
what is glycine? what is it involved with?
-another inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brainstem and spinal cord
-involved in sensory and motor pathways
inhibitory = _______
excitatory = _______
-don’t fire
-fire
what are peptides?
larger amino acid grouping of 3-40 amino acids
what type of transmitter are endorphins?
What are they involved in?
-one type of peptide neurotransmitter
-involved in pain and reward processes
oxytocin and vasopressin are examples of ________ neurotransmitters
peptide
oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in what?
regulation of specific fluids and social relationships
What is Acetylcholine involved with?
-motor function
-memory, cognition, and attention
-parasympathetic function
what happens when acetylcholine is release?
binds in the muscle and retracts
how do agonists and antagonists work?
-they bind to postsynaptic receptors where the neurotrnamitter would bind
-Agonist: after they bind, ion channel opens and they do just what the neurotransmitter would (like a lock and key)
-Antagonist: connect on the receptor and keep the ion channel closed (key goes in but doesn’t unlock). This prevents the actual neurotransmitter from entering
what is the route of administration?
inhalation, injection, pill
dose response curve
lowest amount of drug necessary to produce optimal responses
absorption and distribution
the areas of the brain and body that the drug affects
what are stimulants
drugs that facilitate arousal
what kind of drug is caffein
stimulant
what is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world
caffeine
what does it mean for a drug to be psychoactive?
it can cross the blood brain barrier and is active in the brain
psychological effects of caffeine
-increased energy
-self confidence
-alertness
-increased focus
what is the key neurotransmitter in caffeine
adenosine
what is adenosine and what happens when it is released?
-an inhibitory neurotransmitter
-it stops/prevents activity
How does caffeine affect adenosine in the body
Normally when adenosine is working neurons will not fire, but when we have caffeine, it inhibits adenosine leading to firing action potential and more activity
is caffeine an agonist or antagonist
antagonist, it blocks adenosine receptors
what type of drug is nicotine?
stimulant
psychological effects of nicotine
-heightened tension/arousal
-sustained attention
-stimulate metabolism
-increased heart rate/blood pressure
is nicotine an antagonist or agonist?
it is a acetylcholine agonist
what does nicotine bind to
nicotinic cholinergic receptors
nicotinic cholinergic receptors
-what nicotine binds to
-w/o nicotine, acetylcholine would bind to these receptors
-These receptors are presynaptic, influences what happens at the synapse such as what or how much of the neurotransmitter gets released
what makes smoking rewarding
-it is naturally rewarding
-activates dopamine “reward system” in the nucleus acumens
what type of drug is cocaine?
stimulant
psychological effects of cocaine
-euphoria
-increased energy/alertness
-feeling competent/powerful
is cocaine an antagonist or agonist?
agonist, it blocks reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin
what does reuptake of dopamine entail and how does cocaine change it?
after dopamin has done its job, we vacuum it up and save it for next time but cocaine blocks the vacuum and we can’t get the dopamine back to the presynaptic neuron which causes dopamine to stay there longer and have a bigger effect on the postsynaptic neuron
what happens to dopamine when cocaine breaks down?
dopamine will go back in the short term but changes with addiction cycle
what type of drug is amphetamine?
stimulant
what is amphetamine used for?
-antiasthmatic
-boost alertness, well being, reduce fatigue
-treatment for ADHD and narcolepsy
is amphetamine an agonist or antagonist?
agonist, blocks reuptake of catecholamine
what neurotransmitter does amphetamine interfere with
-catecholamine
-boosts presynaptic catecholamine release
what type of drug is MDMA (ecstasy)
stimulant
what does MDMA enhance
enhances social connection, sensory perception, well being
is MDMA an antagonist or agonist? what neurotransmitter is impacted?
monoamine agonist
how does MDMA negatively affect people?
-as a monoamine agonist is affects stored serotonin and dopamine release
-Theres not enough left over afterwards, creating that low feeling
-Long term impact on bodies ability to create serotonin and dopamine
What is a depressant?
drug that inhibits neural firing
what is the second most used psychoactive drug?
alcohol
psychological effects of alcohol
-improved mood
-drowsiness
-increased self confidence
-impaired judgement
-impaired muscle coordiantion
psychological effects of alcohol
-improved mood
-drowsiness
-increased self confidence
-impaired judgement
-impaired muscle coordination
what is the first area that alcohol affects
cerebellum (movement)
what excitatory neurotransmitter does alcohol interfere with and is it an agonist or antagonist?
glutamate antagonist
what receptor does alcohol bind to
NMDA receptor
where is NMDA found?
hippocampus
why do people forget what happens when they black out?
since alcohol is a glutamate antagonist that binds to NMDA found in the hippocampus, connections cannot be made to create memories
what inhibitory neurotransmitter does alcohol interfere with and is it an agonist or antagonist
GABA agonist
what happens when alcohol binds to GABA receptors
-mimics their effects
-makes our neuron more negative and less likely to fire action potential
-less and less action potential equals less brain activity
what are analgesics used for?
pain relief
where do analgesics come from and what are some examples
-derived from opium
-found from poppy plant
-morphine, codeine, heroin
how are analgesics administered into the body
injection
psychological effects of analgesics
-euphoria
-pain relief
physiological effects of analgesics
impacts muw, delta, and kappa receptors
what neurotransmitter do analgesics interfere with and is it agonist or antagonist?
GABA antagonist
how does use of analgesics affect dopamine in the body
leads to increased secretion of dopamine
what are hallucinogens?
drugs that alter our sense of sensation and perception
what kind of drug is LSD
hallucinogen
psychological effects of LSD
-hallucinations/illusions
-changing perception of time and space
-synesthesia
what is synesthesia
2 different sensations blend
ex: you can see and taste color
which neurotransmitter does LSD interfere with and is it an agonist or antagonist
serotonin agonist
psychological effects of cannabis
-alters sensation
-alter appetite
-can create a sense of euphoria
-disinhibition
-relaxation
-impaired memory/motor ability
what are long term effects of cannabis use?
lack of motivation, more cognitive decline in adulthood if used in adolescence
what receptors does cannabis interefer with
cannabinoid recpetors
what is the role of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway in addiction?
activation of this pathway can motivate/sustain drug use, it tells the brain that what you just did felt good and to do it again
how do drugs alter the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway?
the pathway becomes more sensitive to drug use and other things that use to be motivating may no longer be motivating which can lead to addiction
what is drug dependence
need for the drug to maintain physiological function, the body needs the drug to produce enough of what you need
what is tolerance
develops when a bodys reaction to a drug decreases over time
why does tolerance happen?
your body is trying to protect you from the substance and builds up this tolerance to decrease your reaction and increases metabolic ability to break the drug down
how does environment impact drug use
your brain associates certain environments with certain actions such as drug use, then physiologically prepares you for ingesting that drug
stages of drug addiction cycle
-binge phase
-withdrawal
-craving
what happens in the binge phase
-acute drug effects
-influences dopaminergic pathway
-leads to reward/feelings of pleasure
what happens during withdrawal
-heightened stress response
-activation of extended amygdala region: perceived threats
-increased anxiety
what happens in the craving stage
-can occur for months or years after discontinued use
-leads to relapse
-psychological and physiological components
