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PSYC255 > Chapter 6 (MT2) > Flashcards

Chapter 6 (MT2) Flashcards

Drugs and Hormones

1
Q

Psychopharmacology

A

The study of how drugs affect the nervous system and behaviour

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2
Q

What influences how drugs effect people?

A

Secondary or unintended actions of the drugs
Individual differences (genetic makeup, adverse childhood experiences, sex, age, height)

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3
Q

Drugs

A

Chemical compounds administered to produce a desired change

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4
Q

Psychoactive drugs

A

Substance that acts to alter mood, thought, or behaviour, used to manage a neuropsychological illness

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5
Q

Route of administration (definition and examples)

A

The way a drug enters and passes through the body to reach its target

  • injecting directly to brain
  • injected into muscles
  • injected into bloodstream
  • absorbed through skin
  • inhaled into lungs
  • rectally (suppository)
  • orally
  • weak acids pass from stomach to bloodstream
  • weak bases pass from intestines to bloodstream
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6
Q

Where are drugs broken down (catabolized)

A

Kidneys, liver, intestines

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7
Q

How are drugs excreted

A

Urine, feces, sweat, breast milk, exhaled air

Some cannot be removed and can build up/become toxic (eg. Hg)

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8
Q

What prevents most substances (including drugs) from entering the brain via the bloodstream?

A

The blood brain barrier, using tight junctions

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9
Q

Why do substances move into and out of the bloodstream more easily?

A

Endothelial cells in capillaries are not tightly joined

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10
Q

Which three brain regions lack a blood brain barrier?

A

Area postrema (allows toxic substances to enter to induce vomiting)
Pituitary gland (entry of chemicals that influence pituitary hormones)
Pineal gland (entry of chemicals that effect day/night cycles)

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11
Q

What else enters the brain despite the blood brain barrier?

A

Fuel (oxygen and glucose)
Amino acids to build proteins
Some drugs

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12
Q

What are the two ways that molecules of vital substances cross the blood brain barrier?

A

Small molecules pass through the endothelial membranes

Complex molecules carried across membrane by active transport systems or ion pumps

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13
Q

Agonists
Antagonists

A

Agonists increase neurotransmission, antagonists decrease it

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14
Q

How do drugs modify synaptic actions (how they work)

A

(1) Synthesis of neurotransmitter in cell body, axon, or terminal

(2) Packaging and storage of neurotransmitter in vesicles

(3) Release of transmitter from presynaptic terminal

(4) Receptor interaction in postsynaptic membrane

(5) Inactivation by reuptake into presynaptic terminal for reuse, or by enzymatic degradation of excess neurotransmitter

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15
Q

Tolerance

A

Decreased response to a drug with repeated exposure

A learned behavior results when a response to a stimulus
weakens with repeated presentations

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16
Q

Metabolic tolerance

A

Increase in number of enzymes in the liver, blood, or brain needed to break down a substance

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17
Q

Cellular tolerance

A

Activities of brain cells adjust to minimize effects of the substance

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18
Q

Learned tolerance

A

People learn to cope with being intoxicated

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19
Q

Sensitization

A

The increased responsiveness to successive doses of a substance

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20
Q

What may underly the development of beneficial effects of drugs?

A

Sensitization - drugs may need to be taken for several weeks

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21
Q

What must happen before someone becomes dependent on a drug?

A

One must be sensitized by numerous experiences with the drug away from the home environment

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22
Q

What can produce effects resembling sensitization that prime the nervous system for addiction?

A

Life experiences, especially stressful ones

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23
Q

Categorization of psychoactive drugs (based on their primary neurotransmitter system of action)

A
  • Adenosinergic antagonist
  • Cholinergic agonist
  • GABAergic agonists
  • Glutamatergic antagonists
  • Dopaminergic agonists
  • Dopaminergic antagonists
  • Serotonergic agonists
  • Opiodergic agonists
  • Cannabinergic agonsists
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24
Q

Zoopharmacognosy

A

Behaviour where nonhuman animals self-medicate

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25
Q

Adenosinergic

A

Caffeine (mild dependence)

  • Binds to adenosine receptors without activating them (adenosine induces drowsiness)
  • Inhibits an enzyme that breaks down cAMP (increase in cAMP results in more energy)
  • promotes release of other neurotransmitters (like dopamine), leading to stimulant effects
26
Q

Cholinergic

A

Cholinergic = mimic ACh

Nicotine (dependence involves psychological and physical aspects)

(tobacco, tomato, potato, eggplant)
(stimulant in low doses, dampens neuronal activity at high doses)

  • nicotine stimulates ACh nicotinic receptors, indirectly causes the release of other neurotransmitters (dopamine gives reinforcement)
27
Q

GABAergic

A

(lower dose)
normal
anxiety relief
disinhibition
sedation (median dose)
sleep
general anesthesia
coma
death
(higher dose)

Alcohol, benzodiazepines (valium, xanax)

28
Q

Glutamergic

A

Receptors of glutamergic system: NMDA, AMPA, kainite

Antagonists for the NMDA receptor can produce hallucinations and out-of-body experiences (PCP, ketamine)

Both PCP and ketamine produce feelings of detachment/dissociation from the environment/self because they distort perceptions of sight/sound (dissociative anesthetics)

29
Q

Dopamine agonists

A

Methamphetamine (synthetic)

Amphetamine (adderall) and methylphenidate (ritalin) are prescribed for ADHD

Cocaine, amphetamine, meth all used recreationally

The use of dopamine antagonist drugs that preferentially
bind to D2 receptors has improved the functioning of people with schizophrenia

30
Q

Tardive dyskinesia

A

Movement disorder resulting from long term use of D2 antagonists characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements such as grimacing, lip smacking, rapid jerking or slow writhing movements

31
Q

Serotonergic

A

Used recreationally (good and bad trips)

Naturally occurring (plants and mushrooms): mescaline, DMT, psilocybin
Synthetic: LSD, MDMA (ecstacy)

32
Q

Major depression (and what is prescribed?)

A

Mood disorder characterized by prolonged feelings of worthlessness and guilt, disruption of normal eating habits, insomnia, a general slowing of behaviour, and frequent thoughts of suicide

Serotonergic agonists prescribed

33
Q

Opioid

A

Any endogenous or exogenous compound that binds to
opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects
Sleep-inducing (narcotic) and pain-relieving (analgesic) properties

34
Q

Three sources of opioids

A

– Isolated (morphine, codeine)
– Altered (heroin, oxycodone)
– Synthetic (fentanyl and methadone)

35
Q

Five classes of opioid peptides

A

Dynorphins, enkephalins,
endorphins, endomorphins, and nociceptin

36
Q

Active ingredient of opium

A

Morphine
(codeine and morphine isolated from opium in 1805)

37
Q

Physiological changes of opioid ingestion

A

– Altered pain perception
– Euphoria
– Constipation
– Respiratory depression
– Decreased BP

37
Q

Semi-synthetic and synthetic opioids

A

SS: Heroin and oxycodone
S: Fentanyl

38
Q

What is a competitive inhibitor of opioids?

A

Naloxone (narcan)

39
Q

Cannabinergic

A

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of 84 cannabinoids and the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis

  • THC alters mood by binding to cannabidiol (CB1) receptor and with CB2 receptors on glial cells/other body tissue
40
Q

What disorders is THC and CBD useful for?

A

– Relieves nausea & vomiting (chemo)
– Stimulates appetite (anorexia)
– Chronic pain
- MS
– Epilepsy
– Glaucoma

41
Q

Substance use disorder

A

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

42
Q

Withdrawal symptom

A

Physical and psychological behaviour displayed by an addict when drug use ends

43
Q

Addiction

A

A complex brain disorder characterized by escalation, compulsive drug taking, and relapse; called substance use disorder per the DSM-5

44
Q

Psychomotor activation

A

Increased behavioural and cognitive activity so that at certain levels of consumption, the drug user feels energetic and in control

45
Q

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

A

Environmental factors associated with an increased risk of drug initiation and drug addiction including:

– emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect, mental illness/substance abuse/incarceration of/by a household member, parental separation/divorce, & witnessing violence against one’s mother

46
Q

Are men or women more sensitive to drugs?
Are men or women more likely to abuse drugs?

A

Women, women

47
Q

The neural basis of addiction: wanting-and-liking theory

A

When a drug is associated with certain cues, the cues themselves elicit desire for the drug

wanting = craving
liking = pleasure

With repeated use:
– Tolerance for liking develops, and the expression of liking decreases
– Wanting sensitizes, craving increases

48
Q

Where is the decision to take a drug made?

A

Prefrontal cortex

  • drug activates opioid systems related to pleasurable experience
  • wanting drugs springs from dopaminergic activity
49
Q

Why aren’t we all addicted to drugs?

A

Genetics - no specific gene, but any explanation of drug use requires genetic and learning components

Epigenetics - can account both for the enduring behaviours that support addiction and for the tendency of drug addiction to be inherited

50
Q

How does chronic alcohol use cause brain damage?

A

Alcohol does not directly cause damage to thalamus/limbic system:
Alcoholics typically obtain low amounts of thiamine (vitamin
B1) in their diet, and alcohol interferes with intestinal absorption of thiamine

51
Q

Where does the strongest evidence that drugs cause brain damage come from?

A

Strongest evidence comes from the study of the synthetic
amphetaminelike drug MDMA (Ecstasy)

– In animal studies, doses of MDMA (approximating those
taken by human users) result in the degeneration of very fine serotonergic nerve terminals

52
Q

Feedback system of hierarchical control of hormones

A
  • Hypothalamus produces
    neurohormones
  • Neurohormones stimulate
    pituitary gland to secrete
    hormones into bloodstream
  • Hormones influence endocrine
    glands
  • Endocrine glands release
    hormones & send feedback to
    the brain
53
Q

Functions of hormones

A

Treat/prevent disease, replacement therapy, counteract aging, increase strength & endurance

54
Q

Classes of hormones

A

Peptide or steroid

55
Q

Steroid hormone

A

Fat-soluble chemical messenger synthesized from cholesterol. E.g., gonadal (sex) hormones, thyroid

56
Q

Peptide hormone

A

Chemical messenger synthesized by cellular DNA that acts to affect the target cell’s physiology. E.g., insulin, growth hormone

57
Q

Functional groups of hormones

A

(1) Homeostatic hormones: Maintain internal metabolic balance and regulation of physiological systems

(2) Gonadal (sex) hormones: Control reproductive functions, sexual development, and behaviour

(3) Glucocorticoids: Secreted in times of stress; important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism

58
Q

Anabolic-androgenic steroids

A

A class of synthetic hormones related to the male sex hormone testosterone that have both muscle-building (anabolic) and masculinizing (androgenic) effects

59
Q

Stressor

A

A stimulus that challenges the body’s
homeostasis and triggers arousal

60
Q

Stress response

A

Physiological and behavioural arousal and attempts to reduce stress

61
Q

Activating a stress response

A

Fast acting: primes body immediately for fight or flight (epinephrine)
Slow acting: mobilizes the body’s resources to confront a stressor and repairs stress related damage (cortisol)

PSYC255 (10 decks)

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