Chapter 6: Drugs and the Brain Terms

Question 1

Define:

Addiction

Answer 1

A complex brain disorder characterized by escalation, compulsive drug taking, and relapse.

Question 2

Define:

Agonist

Answer 2

A substance that enhances neurotransmitter function.

Question 3

Define:

Amphetamine

Answer 3

A synthetic compound that increases the neurotransmitter dopamine in the synaptic cleft by reversing the dopamine transporter.

Question 4

Define:

Antagonist

Answer 4

A substance that blocks neurotransmitter function.

Question 5

Define:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]

Answer 5

A developmental disorder characterized by core behavioral symptoms including impulsivity, hyperactivity, and/or inattention.

Question 6

Define:

Behavioral Myopia

Answer 6

“Nearsighted” behavior displayed under the influence of alcohol. Wherein local and immediate cues become prominent; remote cues and consequences are ignored.

Question 7

Define:

Competitive Inhibitor

Answer 7

A drug that competes with another drug for a receptor site; an example is naloxone, which acts quickly to block opioid action by competing with the opioid for binding sites.

Question 8

Define:

Disinhibition Theory

Answer 8

The explanation holding that alcohol has a selective depressant effect on the brain’s frontal cortex, which controls judgment, while sparing subcortical structures responsible for more innate behaviors, such as desire.

Question 9

Define:

Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia

Answer 9

The idea that excess dopamine activity causes symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 10

Define:

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD]

Answer 10

A range of physical and intellectual impairments observed in some children following significant alcohol exposure during gestation.

Question 11

Define:

Monoamine Oxidase [MAO] Inhibitor

Answer 11

A drug that blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase from degrading such neurotransmitters as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Question 12

Define:

Psychoactive Drug

Answer 12

A substance that acts to alter mood, thought, or behavior; used to manage neuropsychological illness, but also may be taken recreationally.

Question 13

Define:

Psychomotor Activation

Answer 13

Increased behavioral and cognitive activity so that at certain levels of consumption, the person using a drug feels energetic and in control.

Question 14

Define:

Psychopharmacology

Answer 14

The study of how drugs affect the nervous system and behavior.

Question 15

Define:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor [SSRI]

Answer 15

A drug that blocks 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT] reupale into the presynaptic terminal; most commonly used to treat depression.

Question 16

Define:

Sensitization

Answer 16

Learned behavior in which repeated administration of a stimulus results in the progressive amplification of a response.

Question 17

Define:

Substance Use Disorder [SUD]

Answer 17

A diagnostic term for a pattern of drug use in which people rely on a drug chronically and excessively, allowing it to occupy central place in their life.

Question 18

Define:

Tolerance

Answer 18

A decrease in response to a drug with the passage of time.

Question 19

Define:

Tricyclic

Answer 19

A drug, characterized by its three=ting chemical structure, that blocks 5-hydroxytryptamine 95-HT0 reuptake transporter proteins.

Question 20

Define:

Wanting-And-Liking Theory

Answer 20

The explanation holding that both wanting and liking mediated by separate neural systems underlie addiction also called incentive sensitization theory.

Question 21

Define:

Withdrawal Symptom

Answer 21

Any of the physical and psychological behaviors displayed when drug use ends.

Question 22

Define:

Zoopharmacognosy

Answer 22

Behavior in which nonhuman animals self-medicate.