Drugs & The Nervous System Flashcards
Neuro 2000 Unit 3
What is a drug?
Any substance, natural or artificial, other than food, that by its nature alters structure or function in a living organism
What is a Psychoactive Drug?
drugs that specifically affect thoughts, emotions behavior
What is drug use?
When an organism actively takes a drug into its body to produce an effect
What is drug abuse?
using a drug in a manner that causes problems or greatly increases the chance of problems occurring
What is one drug effect?
Are drug effects dependent on dosage?
Do all drugs have multiple effects?
-exhibit characteristic phenomenon
-effects are dependent on dosage
-all drugs have multiple effects
Explain what nonspecific effects (placebo) is.
occurs when a person experiences a perceived improvement in symptoms after taking a non-active substance, simply because they expect it to work.
What are placebo effects important in treating?
pain and depression
80% of the effectiveness of the drugs was due to placebo
Explain what dependence is.
Consistent and frequent use of a drug, along with difficulty if use of the drug were discontinued
What happens when attempting to withdrawal from a drug?
produces characteristic physiological experiences that are relieved by administration of the drug
called Physiological Dependence or Physical Dependence
Name the general categories of drugs.
-stimulants
-hallucinogens
-marijuana
-depressants
-opioids
-psychotherapeutics
-nicotine
Examples of stimulants
Cocaine
Amphetamine
Caffine
Examples of hallucinogens
psilocybin
LSD
ayahuasca
Examples of depressants
alcohol
benzodiazepines
other sedatives
sleeping pills
inhalants
Examples of opioids
morphine
codeine
heroin
oxycodone
examples of psychotherapeutics
cymbalta
abilify
What is Marijuana made from?
leaves and flowers of plants in the Cannabis genus
Flowers contain
High concentration of resin
Leaves contain
Medium concentration of resin
fiborous stalks contain
little resin
How can the active ingredients in Cannabis be prepared?
dried and smoked
collected and purified (hashish)
How is hashish made?
resin is collected and purified from the cannabis
How many cannabinoids are known?
70
Name a few of the cannabinoids.
-Cannabinol
-cannabidiol
-cannabigerol
-9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol
Explain the function of the 9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Most pharmacologically active cannabinoid
Partial agonist of the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 & CB2)
A partial agonist: a drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, but produces a smaller effect than a full agonist. Partial agonists have an intrinsic activity between 0.0 and 1.0
Explain the function and location of CB1
CB1 is found in the brain, liver, and lungs
Regulate memory, feeding behavior, motor function
Explain the function and location of CB2
CB2 is found in immune cells of the body
(ex; thymus, tonsils, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, NK cells)
Regulate immune function
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the nucleus accubens?
to gate emotional and motivational responses
euphoria
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the cerebellum?
involved in the control of cerebellar motor function
Motor coordination difficulties
clumsiness or reduced physical control
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the cerebral cortex?
Reduced verbal communication
Increased non-verbal communication
Increased appreciation of humor
Decreased cognitive performance (more severe in infrequent users)
Paranoia, hallucination (often in infrequent users)
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the hippocampus?
Reduced short-term memory function (often in infrequent users)
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the hypothalamus?
Hunger
What happens when THC interacts with CB1 in the brainstem?
Anti-nausea
prevents vomiting
What active compound interacts with CB1 receptors after smoking marijuana?
9-delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
What are additional things what the THC produces?
-increased heart rate
-bronchodilation
-dry mouth
-bloodshot eyes
In what areas of the brain are CB1 receptors found?
-cerebellum
-basal ganglia
-hippocampus
-dorsal primary afferent spinal cord regions
-lungs
-liver
-kidneys
Why did marijuana become popular in the 1960s-1970s
became a symbol of rejection of authority
What is the most widely used illict drug?
marijuana
Can you overdose from marijuana?
No
If you take marijuana while having cardiovascular issues, what are you at risk for?
heart attack/stroke
If you take marijuana consistently, what decreases?
-cognitive performance
-motor performance
(increases risk of injury/death)
-testosterone
-sperm count (MALES ONLY)
Marijuana can cause…
anxiety and panic attacks (context-dependent)
Increases the likelihood of psychotic episode in those prone to psychosi
Marijuana can cause damage to the
lungs
What kind of potential does marijuana have?
moderate-dependence potential
Do people seek help for dependancy for marijuana?
Yes, higher than all drugs except alcohol and opioids.
