Drug dependence Flashcards
Depressants
decrease processing speed, CNS, BP
Barbiturates
used to be called a tranqalizer- depressant - anxiety, but not common bc lots of side effects, and prone to overdose- highly addictive
combined with alcohol–> lethal
Benzodiazepines
more commonly subscribed, increase GABA- causing sense of relaxation
- sleep aid or anti anxiety
- short acting (insomnia) or long acting (anxiety)
alcohol
depressant, lowering cognitive control, and all other depressant actions, reducing REM -> may affect memory
stimulants
increase BP, CNS, alertness
- amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, meth, MDMA, caffeine
opiates
depress CNS, BP and heart rate
- reduce perception of pain
- heroin and morphine
- act on endorphin receptors
- high dose lead to euphoria
amphetamine
increased arousal by increasing dopamine, nori serotonin and decreasing their re-uptake
hallucinogens
LSD - serotonin, increase HR, BP, sweating, dilate pupils and increase body temp
drug homeostasis
external cues- tell brain to start producing effects before you have even injected! that is why you need a higher and higher dose
(adjusting bodily functions)
define crash
you go to location to take drug, your body adjusts and prepares for the HIT by dipping below homeostasis, but then the HIT doesn’t come, you will experience a crash
why do overdoses occur frequently at different locations
the same reason of crashes, you body doesn’t adjust accordingly, it doesn’t recognize that the drug is coming, bc at a new location ( no external cues) but you take the same amount - overdose (doesn’t pre-adjust)
reward pathway in the brain
pleasure= dopamine from the VTA (ventral segmental area) which gets sent to the amygdala, nucleus accumbent and the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus ( formation of memories)
- amygdala tells body this was good, lets do this again, hippocampus says let me remember things about this experience, the NA controls motor functions says lets take another bit of cake
- continuted pathway
mesolimbic pathway
part of the reward centre in brain and includes the VTA, nucleus accumbent, medial forebrain bundle
serotonin in response to dopamine
top goes up and serotonin goes down
tolerence
altered brain chemistry if long term exposure, it doesn’t want to be overstimulated all the time, so the brain takes away some receptors - so now need more dopamine in synapse to experience the same high
