Cocaine and Amphetamines Flashcards
What are psychostimulants
Increase Vigilance, alertness, and mood
Heighten Mood
Reduce need for sleep
What are common psychostimulants
cocaine, caffeine, amphetamines, nicotine
what are sympathomimetics
increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system
what is the difference between amphetamine and methamphetamine
structurally analogous but methyl group in methamphetamine makes it more lipid soluble (more potent)
what is the medical uses of amphetamines
Antidepressant
Asthma
Narcolepsy
ADHD
Appetite suppressant
what are the routes of administration of amphetamines from slowest to fastest
oral, I.V, inhalation
what are the psychological effects of amphetamines in low doses
elevates mood
increases alertness, decreases fatigue
increases focus and attention
subjects report feeling “a desire to get to work and accomplish things”
how long do the effects of amphetamines last
3-6 hours
what are the psychological effects of amphetamines at high doses
dysphoria
social withdrawal
depression
irritability, anxiety
aggression
hallucinations
paranoid psychosis
stereotypy
what are the physiological effects of amphetamines at low doses
loss of appetite
dilated pupils
rapid breathing, increases heart rate
increased BP
arrhythmias
facilitates athletic activities requiring a burst of energy i.e sprinting
what are the physiological effects of amphetamines at high doses
fever
sweating
headaches
blurred vision
dizziness
coma
circulatory effects
what is the toxicity of amphetamines
direct lethal effects are unusual but when they occur are caused by stroke or internal bleeding (elevated BP)
what are the withdrawal symptoms of amphetamines
exhaustion, depression, lethargy, hunger
what are the routes of administration of cocaine from slowest to fastest
oral
mucous membrane
intravenous
inhalation
why is the route of administration important
faster the absorption means the more intense the high; faster the absorption means the more addiction potential
what are the psychological effects of cocaine in low doses
similar to amphetamines with shorter duration
confidence, alert, energetic, outgoing, fidgety, talkative
what are the psychological effects of cocaine in high doses
irritability
anxiety
psychotic behavior (rebound depression, anxiety, suicidal thought)
paranoid ideation
hallucinations
aggression
what are the physiological effects of cocaine
constricts blood vessels
increases heart rate
raises blood pressure
arrhythmias
increases body temperature
headaches
what is the toxicity of cocaine
loss of consciousness
seizures
damage to nasal membrane
liver damage with chronic use
respiratory arrest, cerebral hemorrhage, convulsions, arrhythmia (fatal)
what is cocaine psychosis
sleeplessness, tremors, nausea, psychotic behavior
what are the withdrawal effects of cocaine
increased appetite
sleepiness
depression
what does amphetamines do in the nervous system
enhance catecholamine neurotransmission
how does amphetamine effect dopamine release
- Competitive inhibition of DAT
- Phosphorylation of DAT results in internalization
- Inhibits DA uptake by VMAT-2 and collapses vesicular pH gradients resulting in DA flowing out of the vesicle in to the cytoplasm
- Intracellular AMPH causes reverse transport of DA by DAT
- High AMPH conc. inhibit MAO
what is the function of DAT
Dopamine reuptake and reduction in free dopamine
what does a DAT knockout cause
increase in spontaneous locomotor activity and decrease locomotor response to psychostimulants
What is characteristic of mice with a D1 receptor knockout
amphetamine induced conditioned place preference
cocaine induced conditioned place
preference
amphetamine self administration
cocaine self administration
how does cocaine affect neurotransmission
blocks dopamine re uptake
what is the mechanism behind tolerance of cocaine and amphetamines
autoreceptor activations leads to neurotransmitter depletion
What happens when D2 autoreceptors are activated
- causes inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase which depletes neurotransmitter
- activation of G protein subunits blocks voltage gated calcium channels and activate voltage gated potassium
- activation of G protein subunits activates voltage gated potassium channels
How does sensitization to cocaine happen
chronic use deletes dopamine which causes neurons to compensate by up-regulating receptor numbers and increasing sensitivity
what happens after extended exposure to cocaine
increase in reward threshold and escalation in cocaine self administration
