Exam 3: Psychopharmacology Flashcards
Psychoactive Drugs
Chemical substances that affect the brain and alter mood, behavior, or consciousness.
Psychopharmacology
The study of how drugs affect mood, cognition, and behavior.
Neuropsychopharmacology
An interdisciplinary field that explores how drugs affect brain function and behavior.
Pharmacodynamics
The physiological and behavioral effects of drugs due to interactions with receptors.
Pharmacokinetics
The movement of drugs through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Bioavailability
The proportion of a drug that enters the bloodstream and is available to have an effect.
Substance Use
The consumption of psychoactive substances, regardless of context or outcome.
Substance Misuse
Using a substance in a way that causes harm or is not intended.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
A diagnosed medical condition involving the compulsive use of a substance despite harmful consequences.
Tolerance
A reduced response to a drug over time, requiring more of it to achieve the same effect.
Dependence
A state in which the body adapts to a drug, leading to withdrawal symptoms if stopped.
Withdrawal
Physical and psychological symptoms that occur when stopping or reducing drug use.
Addiction
A chronic disorder characterized by compulsive drug use and loss of control despite negative consequences.
Brain Disease Model of Addiction
The view that addiction is a chronic brain disease involving neurobiological changes.
Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants
Drugs that decrease CNS activity, producing calming effects.
Stimulants
Drugs that increase physiological or CNS activity, boosting energy and alertness.
Opioids
Drugs that relieve pain and produce euphoria by binding to opioid receptors.
Hallucinogens
Drugs that alter sensory perception and cognitive processes.
Cannabinoids
Compounds, including THC, that act on cannabinoid receptors and affect mood and perception.
Dissociative Drugs
Drugs that distort perception of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment.
Enteral Route
Drug administration involving the gastrointestinal tract, such as oral intake.
Parenteral Route
Drug administration that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, such as injection.
Reward Circuitry
Brain systems that mediate the reinforcing effects of rewards, especially involving dopamine.
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
A midbrain region that produces dopamine and plays a role in reward.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, and pleasure.
Mesolimbic Pathway
A dopamine pathway from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens involved in reward processing.
Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)
A brain region central to the reward circuit and motivation.
Self-Stimulation of Reward Pathway in Rats
A method where rats press a lever to stimulate their own reward circuitry.
Rat Park Experiment
A study suggesting social and environmental factors influence drug use behaviors.
The Role of The Amygdala in Reward
Involved in processing emotions associated with rewards.
The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) in reward
Important for decision making and impulse control related to reward.
Lateral Habenula (LHb)
A brain region involved in processing aversive stimuli and regulating reward circuits.
Agonists
Drugs that activate receptors to produce a biological response.
Antagonists
Drugs that block receptors and inhibit biological responses.
Partial Agonist
A drug that binds to a receptor but produces a weaker response than a full agonist.
Inverse Agonist
A drug that binds to a receptor and induces the opposite effect of an agonist.
Reuptake Inhibition
A mechanism where drugs block neurotransmitter reabsorption, increasing synaptic levels.
Effects of Alcohol on Reward Pathways
Alcohol disinhibits dopamine release by modulating opioid and GABA systems.
Effects of Cannabis on Reward Pathways
Cannabis activates cannabinoid receptors, increasing dopamine signaling.
Effects of Psychedelics on Reward Pathways
May alter reward circuitry via serotonin receptor activation and neuroplasticity.
Effects of Opioids on Reward Pathways
Opioids disinhibit dopamine neurons in the VTA, enhancing dopamine in the NAc.
Effects of Cocaine on Reward Pathways
Cocaine blocks dopamine reuptake, increasing dopamine levels in the NAc.
Functional Tolerance
Changes in neuron responsiveness that reduce drug effects.
Metabolic Tolerance
Increased drug metabolism that reduces the drug’s concentration in the body.
Downregulation in Tolerance
Reduction in receptor number or sensitivity due to prolonged drug exposure.
Upregulation in Tolerance
Increase in receptor number or sensitivity in response to drug blockage.
Structural Plasticity in Tolerance
Long-term changes in neural connections in response to repeated drug use.
