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PSGY1005 Addiction and the Brain > inhalants and GHB > Flashcards

inhalants and GHB Flashcards

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1
Q

how can inhalants be categorised?

A
  • inhalants = solvent or other material producing vapour, inhaled by drug abusers
  • categorised based on structural similarities
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2
Q

what are inhalants and what do they have in common?

A
  • volatile liquids and gases that vaporise
  • volatile solvents that are liquid at room temperature
  • they give off fumes
  • aerosols that contain solvents
  • gases that can be sniffed/inhaled
  • they are all euphoriants
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3
Q

what is meant by inhalants/chemicals being euphoriants?

A
  • they produce euphoria or extreme positive mood
  • this results in a high
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4
Q

what do behavioural effects of inhalants depend on?

A
  • depends on duration of exposure
  • depends on compound used
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5
Q

identify acute behavioural effects of inhalants

A
  • positive mood
  • disinhibition
  • stimulation followed by lightheadedness
  • drowsiness
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6
Q

identify behavioural effects of heavy exposure to inhalants

A
  • slurred speech
  • ataxia (loss of bodily control)
  • lethargy
  • hallucinations
  • sometimes delusions
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7
Q

identify behavioural effects of very heavy exposure to inhalants

A
  • anaesthesia
  • coma
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8
Q

what is sudden sniffing death syndrome?

A
  • happens when inhalants force heart to beat rapidly and erratically until user goes into cardiac arrest
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9
Q

what does repeated use of inhalants cause?

A

damage to:

  • lungs
  • kidneys
  • liver
  • subcortical brain abnormalities
  • damage to myelin sheaths around axons
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10
Q

where have subcortical abnormalities in inhalant abusers been identified?

A

abnormalities in 10-40% of inhalant abusers:
- basal ganglia

  • cerebellum
  • pons and thalamus
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11
Q

identify additional adverse effects from using inhalants

A
  • hypoxia (hypoxia)
  • frostbite (due to some sprays designed to have rapid cooling effect)
  • risks arise from some inhalants being flammable or explosive
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12
Q

what evidence is there for addiction to inhalants?

A
  • tolerance (when user requires increased doses to produce same effect)
  • withdrawal symptoms (when user stops using, get symptoms of nausea, tremor, irritability. This is relieved when start using again)
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13
Q

why is mechanism of inhalant action not fully understood?

A
  • recent phenomenon
  • they are chemically diverse
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14
Q

outline evidence for the reinforcing properties of inhalants

Funada et al. (1992)

A
  • animal studies
  • put mice in place conditioning task
  • this task relies on the use of distinctive chambers
  • one chamber is paired with drug administration (toluene)
  • researcher found mice preferred the chamber with toluene
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15
Q

what is the substrate and pathway of normal reward systems?

A

dopamine

mesolimbic pathway

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16
Q

outline the findings of Riegel & French (1999) who measured the firing in ventral tegmental brain region in rats given toluene

A
  • gave anaesthetised rats toluene
  • measured firing in ventral tegmental area
  • found that some neurones increased in firing rate then decreased again within minutes of toluene exposure
  • also found sometimes firing rate was completely inhibited
17
Q

how are the effects of inhalants mediated in the brain?

A
  • inhalants = rapidly absorbed, fat soluble
  • makes neurones very vulnerable to effects of inhalants
  • due to this, inhalants distributed widely around the brain
  • particularly to striatum, thalamus, deep cerebellar nuclei
18
Q

identify 2 ideas that explain the effects inhalants have on CNS excitability

A

1/ inhalants enhance function of GABA and glycine inhibitory receptors

2/ inhalants inhibit excitatory NMDA glutamate receptors

idea is that inhalants reduce CNS excitability

19
Q

identify legal issues with inhalants

A
  • solvent misuse = not illegal
  • shopkeepers not allowed to sell intoxicating substances to those likely to be inhaling them
  • Scottish law = can be prosecuted for recklessly selling substances
  • it is illegal to supply gas lighter refills to under 18’s
20
Q

identify social issues of inhalants

A
  • in US -> 6% of children have tried inhalants by 4th grade
  • in Australia -> problem with petrol sniffing in indigenous communities
21
Q

what is GHB?

A
  • Gamma Hydroxybutyrate
  • related to GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter)
22
Q

what was GHBs original use?

A
  • made to treat cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle control)
  • but reported adverse effects which resulted in a ban
23
Q

compare GABA and GHB

A
  • very similar chemical structure
  • GABA has neuromodulatory effects -> this doesn’t lead to extreme effects
  • GHB has more extreme effects
24
Q

identify behavioural and physical effects from low doses of GHB in humans

A
  • mild euphoria
  • disinhibition
  • relaxation
25
Q

identify behavioural and physical effects from high doses of GHB in humans

A
  • slurred speech
  • ataxia
  • lethargy
  • dizziness
  • nausea
  • vomiting
26
Q

identify behavioural and physical effects of overdosing from GHB in humans

A
  • respiratory depression
  • lack of consciousness
  • seizures
27
Q

what is the evidence for addiction of GHB?

A
  • tolerance = informal reports from users that report increasing dosage
  • withdrawal = symptoms reported as insomnia, anxiety and tremors when stop using
28
Q

identify the effects of low doses of GHB in lab animals

A
  • sedation
  • reduced locomotor activity
  • decreased anxiety
29
Q

identify the effects of high doses of GHB in lab animals

A
  • catalepsy
  • paradoxical CNS excitation (absent seizures)
30
Q

outline a study that looks into the tolerance to locomotor-suppressant effects of GHB in mice

A
  • on first day of treatment, locomotion = suppressed
  • later days of treatment = mice hit with same doses of GHB and locomotor activity recovered
31
Q

outline study that confirms treatment with GHB stimulates the reward system

A
  • GHB induced conditioned place preference in mice
  • mice given either 125 or 250 mg GHB in least preferred chamber
  • saline injection given in preferred chamber
  • recorded time spent in chamber before and after conditioning
  • 250mg GHB produced significant conditioned place preference
32
Q

identify 2 theories that explain how the effects of GHB are mediated

A

1/ GHB acts on inhibitory GABA receptors

  • GHB has weak affinity for GABA receptors
  • GHB is metabolised into GABA (but GABA does not cross blood-brain barrier)

2/ there are specific excitatory GHB receptors

  • GHB = naturally occurring
  • there are selective GHB binding sites in the brain
  • some evidence that GHB synthesised in the brain from GABA

idea that both GABA and GHB receptors affect dopamine release

33
Q

outline legal issues with GHB?

A
  • class C drug

can be used for legitimate use in industry

  • possession and selling = offence
34
Q

outline social issues with GHB?

A
  • used in clubs
  • like ketamine, ecstasy
  • date rape drug

PSGY1005 Addiction and the Brain (18 decks)

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