Drugs And Addiction Flashcards
Effinity
The tendency of a drug to activate the receptor it binds onto
Antagonist
Drug that blocks a neurotransmitter
Agonist
Drug that mimics/increases the effects of a neurotransmitter
Tolerance
Homeostatic mechanism by which the nervous system decreases the number of active postsynaptic receptors in response to higher than normal levels of a substance
Nucleus accumbens
Place that gives you pleasure; releases dopamine or norepinephrine
Central to reinforcing experiences
Craving
An insistent search for the activity
Low reward salience
Person needs more pleasure/drug to feel the same amount of reward
Low D2 receptors = low reward salience
Priming
You start to crave the drug/addiction when something makes you think about it
Bet you can’t eat just one
Withdrawal
Body reacts strongly when drug is absent
Margin of safety
Margin between having a good time and the dependence potential
Dependence potential
How likely you are to become a habitual user
Korskoff’s syndrome
Due to thiamine deficiency; brain hemorrhage a cause severe anterograde amnesia
Cirrhosis
Scaring of liver
Type II alcoholism
Rapid onset, usually before 25, often in men with a family history of alcoholism
Type I alcoholism
Develop problems gradually, usually after 25, depends on a stressful life and less on genetics, less severe
Ecstasy
Damages serotonic and dopaminic systems
Damages memory circuits in hippocampus
Metamphetamine (crystal meth)
Can produce psychosis
Causes dryness of mouth
Toxic to DA neurons
Combined with heroin it causes death
Adderall
Small amount used to control symptoms, but too much causes dependence
Side effects
Psilocybin
A mushroom
Hallucinatory
Mimics effect of serotonin on brain receptors
Methadone
Activates same brain receptors and produces same effect as heroin and morphine, but taken orally so effects rise slowly
Naloxone
Blocks opiate receptors and decreases pleasure from alcohol
Used as treatment
Affinity
Whether or not a drug will bind to a certain receptor
