Final Substance Use Disorder Flashcards
What are the 3 main categories that drugs of abuse fall under?
Stimulants
Depressants
Psychedelics
What does Schedule I mean?
These drugs have No Medical Use
-high abuse potential, safety not guaranteed
What are some examples of Schedule I drugs?
Marijuana, THC, LSD
What dose Schedule II mean?
Have a medical use but high abuse potential
-large risk of dependence
What are some examples of Schedule II drugs?
Cocaine, PCP
What does Schedule III mean?
Have a medical use, MODERATE abuse and dependence
What are some examples of Schedule III drugs?
Marinol (THC in oil capsule) -delta 9 THC
What does Schedule IV mean?
Medical potential, LOW abuse potential
What does Schedule V mean?
Lowest risk of abuse
What is the difference between Delta 9 THC and Delta 8 THC?
Cannabis has a thousand different bioactive molecules in it (all related to delta 9)
Delta 9 THC is the major active ingredient in marijuana
Delta 8 is slightly less potent at receptors
The Department of Agriculture Farm Bill states that some Delta 8 THC is derived from hemp which makes this molecule legal
(hemp derived molecules are legal but cannabis derived molecules are illegal)
*Note, the function between these two molecules is very very similar and therefore this does not really make sense
Which abuse substances act directly on G Protein-Coupled Receptors?
Opioids
LSD/ Mushrooms
Marijuana/ K2/ Spice
Gamma Hydroxy Butyric Acid
Caffeine
What receptors are targeted by marijuana, K2, and spice?
Cannabinoid receptors (CB1)
What substances of abuse act INDIRECTLY on G protein-coupled receptors?
Cocaine, Amphetamine
MDM/Ecstasy
Alcohol
How does Cocaine and Amphetamine create its abuse potential?
Block the dopamine transporter which blocks dopamine reuptake and allows dopamine to accumulate
-Indirectly causes overactivation of dopamine receptors
works on dopamine transporters
Which substances of abuse work on ion channels?
Nicotine
PCP, Ketamine
Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates
What receptors are targeted by nicotine and what is its function?
Acetylcholine receptors
-agonist
What receptors are targeted by PCP, ketamine and what is their function?
NMDA receptors
-antagonist
What receptor is targeted by benzodiazepines and barbiturates and what is their function?
GABA A receptors
Positive allosteric modulators
What part of the brain is in charge of decision making and impulsivity?
Frontal Cortex
What part of the brain is responsible for pleasure?
Nucleus accumbens
What part of the brain is responsible for reward/value?
Striatum
What part of the brain is the source of dopamine?
VTA
What is the dopamine hypothesis of addiction?
Pleasurable events release dopamine
*Dopamine is important for assigning value to reward prediction error
*Value provides the drug with an incentive salience (learning occurs in the brain around reward) ex: expecting a red apple to taste better than a green apple
True or False: Dopamine is required for reward learning
False
-dissociation between liking (direct effect) and wanting (motivation)
-“you don’t always like what you want”
How is dopamine involved in “liking”?
Dopamine does not encode liking, but is involved in making reward predictions and learning from outcome/error
what is the Glutamate Hypothesis of Addiction?
Glutamate can increase dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc)
Glutamate projects to the VTA (ventral tegmental area)
Destruction of this pathway reduces cocaine/morphine reward
What is Long Term Potentiation (LTP)?
Persistent increase in synaptic strength following intense stimulation
-Drug use induces long term changes in neuronal plasticity
-Increased glutamate AMPA receptors on surface which are making a signal more robust (easier to activate neurons)
-Rewarding substances like cocaine trigger LTP causing patients to have a memory associated with the exposure
Rewarding substances cause relative increase in glutamatergic AMPA receptors
What is drug abuse?
Use of a drug for a nontherapeutic effect
What is drug misuse?
Inappropriate, illegal, or excessive use of a prescription or nonprescription drug
What are the 11 Substance Abuse Criteria?
- Taking drug in larger amounts or for longer than prescribed
- Unable to stop taking
- Preoccupied with substance (spending lots of time around it)
- Cravings
- Distracted because of use and not keeping up daily tasks
- Continuing to use even when problems in relationships occur
- Giving up other activities because of use
- Using even when it creates danger
- Using against your own better judgement
- Tolerance (needing more)
- Withdrawal symptoms
How many substance use criteria must a person fit to be considered “Mild”?
2-3
How many substance use criteria must a person fit to be considered “Moderate”?
4-5
How many substance use criteria must a person fit to be considered “Severe”?
> 6
What are the 3 types of withdrawal symptoms?
Emotional Withdrawal Symptoms
Physical Withdrawal Symptoms
Dangerous Withdrawal Symptoms
What are some physical withdrawal symptoms?
Goose bumps (cold turkey)
Muscle spasms (kicking the habit)
Which substances are associate with dangerous withdrawal symptoms?
Alcohol
Tranquilizers
What are possible dangerous withdrawal symptoms?
Grand mal seizures
Delirium tremens (DTs)
What type of dependence is responsible for addiction (physical or psychological)?
Psychological dependence
*can occur even in absence of withdrawal
What is negative reinforcement?
Reward from escaping a negative/painful stimulus (such as withdrawal)
**NOT the same as punishment
What is positive reinforcement?
User feels pleasure/satisfaction
What is the function of psychostimulants?
Activate the CNS resulting in alertness, excitation, and elevated mood
What are commonly abused stimulants?
Methamphetamine
Ecstasy
Crack
Cocaine
Nicotine
Where does nicotine work on the dopamine receptor?
Ventral Tegmental Area
Where do stimulants work on the dopamine receptor?
Increase dopamine in synapses between the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens
Which neurotransmitter is nicotine structurally similar to?
Acetylcholine
What differentiates the function of nicotine from acetylcholine?
Nicotine is not degraded by acetylcholinesterase!
-Therefore nicotine has a longer half-life than acetylcholine and a longer duration of action (more potent)
What is the most addictive stimulant?
Tobacco
What is the MOA of varenicline (Chantix)?
Partial agonist
-stimulates enough dopamine release to prevent withdrawal but not enough to cause addiction
Fenethylline is a combination of which to drugs?
Amphetamine
Theophylline
Arrange the neurotransmitter transporters in order of MOST to LEAST potent
M:
DAT
SERT
NERT
L:
What is the MOA of cocaine?
Cocaine blocks the dopamine transporter and prevents reuptake
-Dopamine is in the synaptic cleft longer and causes more stimulation of the receptor