drugs Flashcards
what do doctors call an addictive drug?
if it has the ability to make you dependant on it
what may arise if a drug is taken regularly?
a tolerance
why is tolerance to drugs created?
the brain adapts to higher levels of dopamine caused by the drug causing the regulation of natural production to change
what regulation does tolerance change?
the natural production of dopamine
what area of the brain do addictive drugs activate?
the reward system
what is the reward system?
a pathway of dopamine releasing neurones
what does the reward system include?
the ventral tangent and the nucleus accumbuns
what happens when the reward system is activated?
increases the amount of dopamine being made
pleasurable feeling
what feeling is created that accounts for addiction?
feel pleasure
what are recreational drugs?
drugs that are taken in absence of medical grounds, for personal enjoyment
caffeine nicotine alcohol coke
what is the mode of action of cannabis?
cannabis binds to cannaboid receptors which prevents neurotransmission from the presynaptic N to the post
hippocampus has a lot here so it affects memory
stops neurones from preventing dopamine production in the reward system
more dopamine
which area of the brain has a lot of cannaboid receptors?
the hippocampus
what does cannabis stop?
the neurones that prevent dopamine production
what is the mode of action of amphetamines?
ampetemines force the release of dopamine and also block repute resulting in more dopamine in the synapse
in high doses can inhibit the enzymes that break down dopamine
have a similar stricter to dopamine so can enter the terminal button of presynaptic neurone via dopamine transporters and force the release of dopamine out of storage
can easily act on receptor sights so short term effects
what is amphetamines similar to in structure?
dopamine
how do amphetamines force the release of dopamine?
due to similarities in structure they can enter the presynaptic neurone via dopamine transporters and force the release from storage
why are amphetamines only short term?
as they can easily act on receptor sites
other than force release of dopamine what else do amphetamines do?
block reuptake of dopamine and inhibit enzymes that break it down in the synapse
what is the mode if action of nicotine?
it mimics the naturally occurring chemical acetylcholine by docking on its receptors and mimicking its actions
also targets the reward system by increasing amount and transmission of dopamine by blocking the enzyme that breaks it down
what chemical does nicotine mimic\?
acetylcholine
how does nicotine mimic acetylcholine?
docking to its receptors and mimicking its actions
other than mimicking what else does nictone do?
targets rewards system
how does nictone target the reward system?
increasing amount and transmission of dopamine by blocking the enzyme that breaks it down
where can credibility that Rdrugs create more dopamine but also a tolerance come from?
just observing people who take drugs and the fact they slowly take more and more
what is a weakness of the idea of addiction and why we take drugs?
other explanations such as the learning theories
why can it be too simplistic?
because ether is more than one reward pathway
having one mode of action for drugs is simplistic
