L13 - Socially used and Abused drugs Flashcards
1
Q
How do social drugs evoke pleasure?
A
Involves activation of dopaminergic reward pathways in the brain that run from ventral segmental area (VTA) to nucleus accumbens (reward pathway)
2
Q
What drugs activate the reward pathway directly?
A
Nicotine and ecstasy
3
Q
What drug activate the reward pathway indirectly?
A
Cannabis - it inhibits the inhibitory transmitter (GABA) from inhibiting the reward pathway
