Drugs and Neurological Effects

Question 1

Meth

Answer 1

Meth increases dopamine levels in users by 12x, making everything awesome.

Then they get super depressed.

Question 2

Heroine/Morphine

Answer 2

Heroine/Morphine activate opiate receptors.

Physical addiction and withdrawal, but effects of withdrawal have been exaggerated.

Can be treated with an antagonist called neltreoxone (blocks pleasure receptor for Heroine).

Can be treated by partial agonists, which bind to the same receptors (endorphine receptors) but have smaller effects.

Question 3

Alcohol

Answer 3

Alcohol is an indirect agonist of GABA receptors.

It is an antagonist of NMDA receptors.

Causes apoptosis (cellular death).

Reducses flow of CA++ into neurons.

Question 4

Marijuana

Answer 4

Marijuana binds to receptors in lower and midbrain sections.

Question 5

Cocaine

Answer 5

Cocaine is a Dopamine (DA) agonist - it blocks reuptake of DA.

People feel high only once the reuptake is blocked.

Question 6

Amphetamines and MDMA

Answer 6

Amphetamines act similarly to cocaine.

MDMA is a neurotoxin damaging serotonin receptors.