Drugs of abuse (L16) Flashcards
measures of dependence
- lethality
- long term effects on health
- impaired brain function
- dependence liability
- harms to family and community
what is the DSM-5?
diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
allows clinicians to specify how sever use disorder is, depending on how many symptoms are identified
there are 11 different criteria
what does the amount of symptoms identified from the DSM-5 indicate?
2-3 = mild substance use disorder
4-5 = moderate substance use disorder
6+ = severe substance use disorder
when does drug abuse commonly start?
early and peaks in teen years
what are the risk factors of becoming addicted to drugs?
- genetics
- environment
- brain mechanisms
- availability of drug
- route of administration
drug classes
- opiates (heroin)
- stimulants (cocaine and amphetamine)
- methamphetamine
- nicotine
- hallucinogens (LSD, MDA)
- marijuana
- dissociate anaesthetics (ket)
- inhalants
- alcohol
what are analgesics?
pain-killers
what makes analgesics effective?
they can change the brain stem - controls automatic body functions and depressed breathing
can change the limbic system - controls emotions to increase feelings of pleasure
can block pain messages transmitted by the spinal cord from the body
can shut the medulla region down so it can no longer respond
short term effects of heroin use in humans
- ‘rush’
- depressed respiration
- clouded mental functioning
- nausea and vomiting
- suppression of pain
- spontaneous abortion
long term effects of heroin use in humans
- addiction
- infectious disease - HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C
- collapsed veins
- bacterial infections
- abscesses
- infection of heart lining
- arthritis
how do you get crack-cocaine?
ordinary cocaine hydrochloride is concentrated by heating the drug in a solution of baking soda until the water evaporates
this type of base-cocaine makes a cracking sound when heated
base-cocaine vaporises at a low temperature, so it can easily be inhaled via a heated pipe
effects of crack-cocaine
the high from crack-cocaine is intensely rewarding - euphoria
• extremely hard to forget
• relapse
when taken over long periods, can experience the opposite effects:
• blunting of emotions
• sadness
• depression
the brain of an addict
takes a long time for the brain to get its function back
it blocks dopamine receptor transporters - means a lot more dopamine in the synapse
what is methamphetamine?
made in illegal labs and has a high potential for abuse and dependence
- speed
- meth
- chalk
methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals, can be inhaled by smoking
• ice
• crystal
• glass
effects of methamphetamine
- neurotoxic effect
- damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin
- can result in Parkinsonism
what is ecstasy?
- MDMA
- a synthetic, psychoactive drug similar to meth
- dangerous and lethal
where does MDMA mainly effect?
in the brain on neurones that use serotonin to communicate with other neurones
serotonin system plays an important role in: • regulating mood • agression • sexual activity • sleep • sensitivity to pain
nicotine
- tobacco smoking
- there is no safe tobacco product
- easy to start, hard to quit
- activates areas of the brain involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward
- acts on acetylcholine receptors
people trying to quit smoking experience..
- irritability
- anxiety
- depression
- craving for nicotine
common mechanisms of action of drugs
all drugs of abuse target the brains pleasure centre
they all increase dopamine in the synapse
how do you assess dependence-producing effects of drugs?
animal models of drug-taking
human subjective ratings
human self-administrative studies
drug addiction and decision making
addicted people become unable to make drug-use choices on the basis of long term outcomes
what is addiction a product of?
imbalance between 2 separate, but interacting, neural systems that control decision making
1) impulsive
• amygdala
• signalling pain or pleasure of immediate prospects
2) reflective
• prefrontal cortex
• signalling pain or pleasure of future prospects
