Drugs of Abuse Flashcards
What is Abuse vs. Misuse?
Hedonism, social pressure, and vanity vs. Misguided therapeutics
Willful chemical manipulation of mood or behavior circumventing normal behavioral reinforcements is perceived as _____ when there is a cost to the society at large. (abuse, misuse)
ABUSE
What are the types of tolerance?
(1) Metabolic- nothing in why it is a drug of abuse
(2) Functional- part of the cycle of drug use and dependence (it is initially reinforcing and then you require the drug just to feel normal again)
(3) Behavioral- (psychological) the pattern of life becomes accustomed to the drug; people are impaired but don’t seem intoxicated
T/F Physical dependence arises from a behavioral tolerance.
FALSE; functional tolerance
What are the 2 types of dependence?
(1) Physical- abstinence syndrome
(2) Psychological- compulsive behavior
Addiction vs. Habit
What people are willing to do for addiction as opposed to a habit. (feel free to e-mail me to add more to this flashcard)
T/F Drugs of abuse is a social term, not a scientific one.
TRUE
What drugs are not desirable at first? What drugs are desirable from the first time?
- Not desirable: ethanol, heroin
- Desirable: cocaine, amphetamine
T/F There is a specific mechanism of action for drugs of abuse.
FALSE; there is no single mechanism of action or neural substrate or brain region involved.
How do many drugs of abuse work?
By increases the effects of dopamine in a “reward circuit” involving the midbrain and limbic system.
T/F The more physical dependence, the worse the withdrawal.
TRUE
T/F Tolerance is variable among classes, but not among actions for a single class.
FALSE, although the first part is true, the tolerance is variable even among actions for a single class (i.e. amphetamines)
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| Genetics vs. Environment in abuse potential</p>
<p>
Both have been implicated. Environmental factors are hard to discern from genetics, but animal models suggest genetics links. Also, kids of alcoholics are 4X more likely to become alcoholics (could be genes and modeling behavior).</p>
Drugs of Potential Abuse- Opioids: Mechanism of Action
(Heroin, Morphine, Methadone, Codeine)
- increases mu opioite receptors in the brain- endorphin (natural neurochemicals that stimulate these receptors and are part of our endogenous reward system)
Drugs of Potential Abuse- Sympathomimetics: Mechanism of Action
(Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine)
- increases catecholamine transmission (specifically dopamine and NE for an intrinsic reward mechanism)
(caffeine- espresso)
- decreases adenosine (increases cAMP, increases Ca2+) you get a stimulatory effects
Drugs of Potential Abuse- Depressants: Mechanism of Action
(Ethanol, Pentobarbital, Diazepam)
- increases GABA
Drugs of Potential Abuse- Nicotine: Mechanism of Action
(Tobacco products)
- Acetylcholine (CNS pre-synaptic )- nicotinic Ach receptors in the CNS like the dopaminergic nerve terminals which increases the dopamine activity in the reward system (very subtle)