Effect of recreational drugs

Question 1

What are recreational drugs?

Answer 1

Drugs are biochemicals that have specific effects on the functioning of the body’s system.Drugs may be used for psychological purposes or psychological purposes. Drugs for psychological treatments are called “psychoative” and affect transmission in the Central Nervous System (CNS), altering an individual’s mental processes. A distinction is made between using such drugs for medical purposes and using drugs for enjoyment or leisure purposes.

Question 2

What do recreational drugs include?

Answer 2

Simulants, sedatives, hallucinogens and opiods.

Question 3

What type of drug is cocaine?

Answer 3

Stimulant

Question 4

Which neurotransmitter does cocaine impact the most?

Answer 4

Dopamine

Question 5

Do all recreational drugs increase dopamine release directly or indirectly?

Answer 5

Both- surprise shawtyyyyyy

Question 6

What does the “reward centre” activate?

Answer 6

A sense of pleasure

Question 7

What does cocaine block?

Answer 7

Blocks the reuptake of dopamine by binding with dopamine transporter molecules

Question 8

What are the roles of dopamine transporter molecules?

Answer 8

These are responsible for recycling dopamine back into the neuron that produced it.

Question 9

What does the surplus quantities of dopamine cause?

Answer 9

Euphoric high

Question 10

What are the long term effects of cocaine?

Answer 10

After repeated use of cocaine, dopamine receptors become downregulated. That is, fewer receptors are active- some are damaged and shut down and the quantity of dopamine produced declines. This explains withdrawal, craving for the drug and the higher doses needed to get the same effect (tolerance).

Question 11

What affect does heroin have on the CNS?

Answer 11

A depressent effect

Question 12

What affect does heroin have on neurotransmitters?

Answer 12

Slows down the CNS activity including the activity of neurons involved in pain

Question 13

Why are there receptors for heroin/morphine?

Answer 13

The CNS has its own opiod system.

Question 14

What are the bodies natural painkillers?

Answer 14

Endorphins and enkephalins

Question 15

What are the 2 types of drugs?

Answer 15

Antagonist and agonist

Question 16

Why is heroin an agonist drug?

Answer 16

It mimics the action of another natural biochemical (endorphins)

Question 17

Why is Naloxone an antagonist drug?

Answer 17

As it blocks opiate receptors.

Question 18

What are the long term effects of herorin?

Answer 18

The repeated heroin use on neural transmission include downregulation. Regular use of heroin over time means that opiod receptors on postsynaptic neurons are constantly binding with morphine molecules, which desensitises them to the effect of the drug. This is the basis of tolerance.

Question 19

Which findings support the view that cocaine’s effect is due to the activity of dopamine in the brain’s reward system (using mice)?

Answer 19

Damaging the mesocorticolimbic pathway in mice brains. This means neurons are unable to produce levels of dopamine normally associated with reward. When this is done, the mice then fail to self administer cocaine intravenously. This does not occur when the lesions are performed in other parts of the mouse brain.