Lecture 7- Psychomotor Stimulants I: Amphetamines And Cocaine

Question 1

Psychomotor stimulants do what

Answer 1

-Psycho: stimulate alertness, arousal
-Motor: stimulate motor activity

Question 2

Amphetamines have a similar structure to

Answer 2

Catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine)

Question 3

What’s the base structure of amphetamines

Answer 3

Phenylethylamine

Question 4

Naturally occurring amphetamines

Answer 4

-Cathinone
-Ephedrine/ pseudoephedrine

Question 5

Effects of cathinone

Answer 5

-Increased heart rate
-Excitement
-Euphoria
-Decreased appetite
-Potent stimulant

Question 6

Effects of ephedrine

Answer 6

-Constricts nasal blood vessels
-Cold treatment

Question 7

Amphetamines have a racemic (1:1) mixture of

Answer 7

-d- and l-isomer
-Can be called amphetamines even if not 1:1

Question 8

What is d-amphetamine

Answer 8

Dextroamphetamine

Question 9

What is L-amphetamine

Answer 9

-Levoamphetamine
-Less potent

Question 10

Methamphetamines were first synthesised by

Answer 10

Akira Ogata in Japan (1919)

Question 11

What is pseudoephedrine (PE)

Answer 11

Precursor to meth

Question 12

What is appetrol

Answer 12

-Amphetamine
-Used for weight loss
-Only a small amount maintained weight control

Question 13

Most ADHD and ADD drugs are

Answer 13

Psychomotor stimulants

Question 14

Amphetamines elimination half life is

Answer 14

10 hours

Question 15

Amphetamines have what autonomic functions in humans

Answer 15

-Increased blood pressure
-Hyperthermia
-Bronchodilation

Question 16

What are the withdrawal effects of amphetamines

Answer 16

-Increased fatigue
-Anxiety
-Depressed mood
-Craving that can last for days

Question 17

Major effects of amphetamines

Answer 17

-Analeptic
-Anorexia
-Decreased fatigue, increased alertness
-Euphoria
-Amphetamine psychosis

Question 18

What are the psychomotor stimulant effects of amphetamines in non humans

Answer 18

-Complex dose-effect relations
-Low doses-locomotor hyperactivity
-Higher doses-stereotyped behaviour

Question 19

Do non-humans have the same autonomic functions as humans

Answer 19

Yes

Question 20

Unconditioned effects of amphetamines in non humans

Answer 20

-Lower dose produces more naturalistic behaviours
-Increasing dose cause naturalistic behaviours to become repetitive ’mindless’ fragmented stereotypes

Question 21

Features of alkaloid in leaves of erythroxylon coca

Answer 21

-Reduces altitude sickness
-Reduces hunger and increases energy
-Taken as tea
-Naturally occurring insecticide

Question 22

Forms of cocaine

Answer 22

-Raw leaves
-Cocaine paste
-Cocaine hydrochloride
-Crack
-Cocaine free base
-Cocaine with other ingredients

Question 23

Features of cocaine in the form of raw leaves

Answer 23

-Alkaloid content low
-Absorbed in the mucous membranes of the mouth
-Eat with lime to increase pH of the saliva, release more active ingredient
-Low addictive potential
-Does not produce a high

Question 24

Features of cocaine paste

Answer 24

-Made in pit ‘pozo’
-20-80% cocaine sulphate
-100kg of leaves= 1kg of paste
-Cheap, low grade smokable cocaine

Question 25

Method of cocaine paste

Answer 25

-Cocaine alkaloids are mixed with dilute sulphuric acid
-Followed by sodium carbonate

Question 26

Features of cocaine hydrochloride

Answer 26

-Usually snorted or injected
-Snorted results in 20-30% entering the bloodstream
-Inefficient to smoke since vaporisation temp is close to burn temp
-Street cocaine is often cut with mannitol

Question 27

Method of cocaine hydrochloride (salt form)

Answer 27

-Cocaine paste is further processed with potassium permanganate
-Acetone/ether added
-Hydrochloric acid and crystalline powder is extracted

Question 28

Features of cocaine free base

Answer 28

-Prepared by adding water and base (e.g ammonia) and mixing with ether
-Low melting point (90c)
-Can be vaporised and smoked

Question 29

Features of crack

Answer 29

-Crude preparation of free base
-75-90% pure
-Reaches the brain within seconds
-Finished by 5-15 mins

Question 30

Similarities between cocaine and

Answer 30

Amphetamines with
-behavioural effects
-subjective effects from users
-Difficulty discriminating between the two

Question 31

What is cocaines half life

Answer 31

-Between 0.5 to 1.5 hours
-Rapid metabolism and elimination

Question 32

Duration of action in amphetamines

Answer 32

7-30 hours

Question 33

Differences between cocaine and amphetamines

Answer 33

-Cocaine is a local anaesthetic, inhibits Na+ channels
-Cocaine can cause a stroke, convulsive properties

Question 34

Effects of repeated psychostimulant administration

Answer 34

-Typically tolerance effects: autonomic effects, anorectic effect, euphorigenic
-Escalation of dose to achieve similar effects

Question 35

Tolerance is likely to occur with

Answer 35

-Closely spaced drug exposure
-Continuous infusion of drug
-Binge usage

Question 36

Examples of punding

Answer 36

-Non-goal directed, socially meaningless activities:
-Repetitious picking
-Collecting
-Assembling/ disassembling

Question 37

Increased YMRS activity after

Answer 37

2nd amphetamine dose

Question 38

Factors that influence sensitisation

Answer 38

-Stress
-Sex
-Rate of infusion
-Environment

Question 39

Repeated cocaine increases what in mice

Answer 39

Distance travelled compared to saline