Illicit and Recreational Drugs

Question 1

Pyschomotor stimulants are a large class of diverse compounds, that stimulate alertness/arousal and motor activity

What are the 2 major subgroups?

Answer 1

Amphetamines and Cocaine

Question 2

Amphetamines are structurally similar to….

Answer 2

Adrenaline and nor-adrenaline = activate the sympathetic nervous system (sympathomimetic)

Question 3

Cocaine works by….

Answer 3

preventing the re uptake of nor adrenaline (as well as dopamine and serotonin) from synaptic cleft

Question 4

Nicotine stimulates….

Answer 4

the release of acetylcholine = causes adrenaline to be released

Gives similar activity profile to psycho-motor stimulants

Question 5

Psychedelic Drugs mechanism of action…

Answer 5

All psychedelic drugs act as partial agonists of Serotonin receptors, increasing the amount of serotonergic signalling all throughout the brain

Question 6

What is serotonin syndrome?

Answer 6

Serotonin Toxicity/Toxidrome, caused by excessive serotonin in the brain.

Many classes of antidepressants medications increase concentration of Serotonin.

This includes Selective-Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

If someone already taking antidepressants takes Serotoninergic drugs (eg: LSD, MDMA etc.), they may dangerously increase the amount of serotonin signalling.

Question 7

What is the classical Serotonin Sydrome Traid?

Answer 7

1: Altered Mental State – Agitation, Confusion, Anxiety, Restlessness, Mania, hallucinations

2: Muscular Abnormalities - Clonus, Twitching, Tremor

3: Autonomic dysregulation – sweating/shivering, tachycardia, vasoconstriction, nausea/diarrhoea

Question 8

The two allosteric promoter of GABA receptors are…..

Answer 8

Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

Question 9

Ketamine is a….

Answer 9

Allosteric inhibitor of glutamate receptors.

Question 10

Six common neurotransmitters are:

Answer 10

Glutamate: The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain.

GABA: The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain.

Dopamine: Important for reward, motivation, salience, mood and fine motor coordination.

Serotonin: Important for reward, mood, cognition, appetite/digestion and vasoconstriction.

Adrenaline/Noradrenaline: Stimulates the Sympathetic nervous system aka: “Fight or Flight” response.

Opioids: Important for pain, intestinal motility and control of respiration

Question 12

Alcohol mechanism of action

Answer 12

Alcohol primarily exerts its effects via Dopamine, Glutamate and GABA.
Increases Dopamine release in brain reward centres → makes alcohol pleasurable and rewarding.

Binds allosterically to glutamate receptors → makes them respond less to glutamate binding → reduced neuron activation.

Binds allosterically to GABA receptors → makes them respond more to GABA binding → reduced neuron activation.

Question 13

Cocaine and amphetamines are…

Answer 13

Indirect adrenergic agonists