Effect of recreational drugs

Question 1

what is a drug?

Answer 1

a chemical that has an effect on humans

Question 2

what is a recreational drug?

Answer 2

a drug which is taken for pleasure

Question 3

how do drugs (medical and recreational) affect the biology of the brain?

Answer 3

by altering the availability of one or more neurotransmitters

Question 4

what do stimulant drugs do?

Answer 4

speed up messages travelling between the brain and body

Question 5

what are the effects of stimulant drugs?

Answer 5

they can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident and energetic

Question 6

what is the effect of depressant drugs in small doses in people?

Answer 6

a person can feel more relaxed and less inhibited

Question 7

what is the effect of depressant drugs in large doses in people?

Answer 7

they can cause vomiting, drowsiness, unconsciousness and even death

Question 8

what do depressant drugs do?

Answer 8

slow down the messages between the brain and body

Question 9

what are the effects of depressant drugs?

Answer 9

they effect concentration and coordination, slowing down reaction time and reduce arousal and stimulation

Question 10

how do recreational drugs produce effects?

Answer 10

by changing the function of neurotransmitters either by increasing/decreasing the level of a particular neurotransmitter / changing level of uptake

Question 11

what encourages people to take recreational drugs?

Answer 11

they can produce a pleasant sensation as the reward pathway in the brain is stimulated which encourages individuals to repeat the behaviour

Question 12

what happens to the production of neurotransmitters when someone takes a depressant drug?

Answer 12

the brain increases its production of the neurotransmitter to compensate and so the person needs to continue to take the depressant

Question 13

what neurotransmitter has the central role in the effect of all recreational drugs

Answer 13

dopamine

Question 14

how does cocaine block the reuptake of dopamine?

Answer 14

by binfing with dopamine transporter molecules of the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron

Question 15

what are the long-term effects on dopamine of cocaine?

Answer 15

dopamine receptors become down regulated. Fewer receptors are active, some shut down and the number of dopamine produced declines.

Question 16

what affect does heroin have on dopamine?

Answer 16

increases amount of dopamine in reward pathway and boosts activation of dopaminergic synapses which causes a feeling of euphoria

Question 17

what depressant effects does heroin have on the CNS?

Answer 17

slows down activity of neurons involved in pain and CNS

Question 17

what is heroin processed into once at the brain?

Answer 17

morphine

Question 18

how does the brain react to the sudden increase of dopamine?

Answer 18

reduces its own natural production

Question 19

what happens when the heroin effect on the dopamine system wears off?

Answer 19

the person has less dopamine than they would have for normal brain functioning

Question 20

what effect does dysphoria have after heroin wears off?

Answer 20

it motivates the person to take more to stop feeling bad and reproduce the high

Question 21

how is heroin an agonist?

Answer 21

mimics the action of another natural biochemical

Question 22

What are the long-term effects of heroin use?

Answer 22

the opioid receptors on postsynaptic neurons are constantly binding with morphine molecules which desensitises them to the effects of the drug.

Question 23

what are some addiction risks of heroin?

Answer 23

-sharing needles is very risky as theres the possibility of catching/spreading a virus -damage of veins and arteries; can develop a blood clot or lead to gangrene (loss of limbs) -heroin sedates you and prevents you from coughing therefore if you vomit you wont be able to clear your throat and can block you from breathing- LEAD TO DEATH

Question 24

1. what are heroin users given? 2. what is it?

Answer 24

1. Methadone 2. a synthetic opioid which is "safer" than street heroine

Question 25

what are some credibility points of drugs? (Coda)

Answer 25

- Stralker and Mackie (2005) found that cannabis had an effect on the hippocampus of mice - observations of humans have shown that those who take drugs initially experience pleasure and then often become addicted (face validity) -Old and Milner (1954) found a pleasure centre in the brain

Question 26

How is the theory of drugs reductionist? (cOda)

Answer 26

The brain is complex an there is more than one reward pathway in the reward system and more than one grin region involved, so having one explanation for the mode of action of a recreational drug is too simplistic.

Question 27

how is the generalisability of drugs risky? (cOda)

Answer 27

mainly non-human studies have been used to understand drug effects on human CNS transmission. The basic transmission is similar however some differences arise because the human brain is more complex than the rat brain

Question 27

what is an opposition point of recreational drugs? (cOda)

Answer 27

doesn't take situational factors into account such as peer pressure, social situation, cognitive issues and learned behaviours.

Question 28

what does Beck suggest? (c.o.D.a)

Answer 28

suggests that people are stuck in negative schemas and substances merely help people out of these negative thought patterns and adapt an addictive behaviour

Question 29

What does Alexander (Rat park 1981) suggest? (c.o.D.a)

Answer 29

suggests it's social situations and our environment that makes us addicted

Question 30

what does the learning approach suggest about addiction?

Answer 30

addiction is learnt and maintained either through reinforcement association or imitation

Question 31

how can the effect of recreational drugs be applied to addicts? (c.o.d.A)

Answer 31

helps many addicts recover by developing rehabilitation facilities and synthetic substances

Question 32

how can the effects of recreational drugs be applied? (c.o.d.A)

Answer 32

helps to reduce the stigma around addiction to those who are suffering as it isn't entirely their fault

Question 32

how can the effect of recreational drugs be applied in relation to treatment? (c.o.d.A)

Answer 32

once heroin was identified as an agonist that binds to opiate receptors, other drugs were developed with a reverse mode of action. Naloxone is an antagonist drug that blocks opiate receptors and prevents heroin from occupying them. It doesn't produce the rewarding euphoria associated with heroin use so it can help manage the withdrawal process and reduce symptoms.