Drugs of abuse (L16)

Question 1

measures of dependence

Answer 1

• lethality
• long term effects on health
• impaired brain function
• dependence liability
• harms to family and community

Question 2

what is the DSM-5?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

what does the amount of symptoms identified from the DSM-5 indicate?

Answer 3

2-3 = mild substance use disorder

4-5 = moderate substance use disorder

6+ = severe substance use disorder

Question 4

when does drug abuse commonly start?

Answer 4

early and peaks in teen years

Question 5

what are the risk factors of becoming addicted to drugs?

Answer 5

• genetics
• environment
• brain mechanisms
• availability of drug
• route of administration

Question 6

drug classes

Answer 6

• opiates (heroin)
• stimulants (cocaine and amphetamine)
• methamphetamine
• nicotine
• hallucinogens (LSD, MDA)
• marijuana
• dissociate anaesthetics (ket)
• inhalants
• alcohol

Question 7

what are analgesics?

Answer 7

pain-killers

Question 8

what makes analgesics effective?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

short term effects of heroin use in humans

Answer 9

• ‘rush’
• depressed respiration
• clouded mental functioning
• nausea and vomiting
• suppression of pain
• spontaneous abortion

Question 10

long term effects of heroin use in humans

Answer 10

• addiction
• infectious disease - HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C
• collapsed veins
• bacterial infections
• abscesses
• infection of heart lining
• arthritis

Question 11

how do you get crack-cocaine?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

effects of crack-cocaine

Answer 12

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

Question 13

the brain of an addict

Answer 13

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

Question 14

what is methamphetamine?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

effects of methamphetamine

Answer 15

• neurotoxic effect
• damaging brain cells that contain dopamine and serotonin
• can result in Parkinsonism

Question 16

what is ecstasy?

Answer 16

• MDMA
• a synthetic, psychoactive drug similar to meth
• dangerous and lethal

Question 17

where does MDMA mainly effect?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

nicotine

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

people trying to quit smoking experience..

Answer 19

• irritability
• anxiety
• depression
• craving for nicotine

Question 20

common mechanisms of action of drugs

Answer 20

all drugs of abuse target the brains pleasure centre

they all increase dopamine in the synapse

Question 21

how do you assess dependence-producing effects of drugs?

Answer 21

animal models of drug-taking

human subjective ratings

human self-administrative studies

Question 22

drug addiction and decision making

Answer 22

addicted people become unable to make drug-use choices on the basis of long term outcomes

Question 23

what is addiction a product of?

Answer 23

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