Drugs

Question 1

Types of Drug

2

Answer 1

Agonists -
(Nicotine, Cannabis, Heroin), Imitate neurotransmitters to activate the reward pathway, Much more powerful than natural neurotransmitters

Antagonists - (Amphetamines) Massively boost the number of normal neurotransmitters

Question 2

Nicotine

2

Answer 2

Mimics Acetycholine
Binds to the Acetycholine receptor, which excites the neuron, releasing dopamine which then excites the other neurons in the reward pathway

Question 3

Amphetamines

Answer 3

Blocks the reuptake of dopamine so it builds up in the synaptic cleft

Question 4

Neurobiology of drugs SODA

Answer 4

S - Olds & Milner (1954), Rats had electric wires connected to the septum (pleasure centre of the brain). They could trigger a pleasurable shock by pressing a lever, which they did over and over instead of other sources of pleasure e.g. food

O - Reductionist. Humans do drugs for reasons (coping etc.), not just the experience of pleasure that animals have. Neurobiological explanations ignore this and treat us as slaves to our own neurobiology

D - Freud thinks that we take drugs for sexual pleasure (eros) that we cannot achieve e.g. defence mechanism

A - has led to biological treatments for addiction. DRT gives users a similar drug in a controlled way, with the dosage eventually being cut over time.