Lesson 7 - Flashcards
What is addiction?
A state, psychic and sometimes physical, resulting from the interaction between a living organism and a drug, characterised by behavioural and other responses that always include a compulsion to take a drug on a periodic basis in order to experience its physic effects. Tolerance may or may not be present
What is tolerance?
The more you take the same dose of a drug, there is a less of an effect. like alcohol, heroine
What is sensitisation?
Where you take the same dose of a drug and it might elicit more of an effect, like caffeine, cocaine
Linked to addiction, as the effect gets better and better
What is withdrawal?
Lack of general motivation, lethargic.
Where are Maximal tolerance effects seen?
In conditioned drug tolerance
In the environment in which a drug is usually taken. When you’re drinking alcohol you respond to env cues, and the tolerance you have to alcohol.
When does tolerance go away?
When you change cues in the environment, eg change places. If you constantly drink alcohol in the same environment, tolerance goes up. But changing that environment you’re surrounded with makes the tolerance go away.
What is conditioned drug tolerance?
Maximal tolerance effects are seen in the env you take the drug. when you drink alcohol you respond to env cues and the tolerance you have to alcohol
How can you ingest drugs? give an example
(Orally), ingest drugs such as LSD
What is contingent drug tolerance?
Tolerance only develops to drugs effects that are experienced
-The side effects of the drugs may decrease bc you get tolerance to it.
- Rats are given a seizure with direct electrical stimulation of the brain
- Alcohol stops the seizure (alcohol is inhibitory)
- Tolerance develops to the alcohol stopping the seizure - it stops stopping
- BUT
- Only if the rats get the alcohol BEFORE they are given the seizure, not after.
What are the 4 main ways to administer drugs? (get drugs into the body)
Ingestion
Injection
Inhalation
Absorption through mucus membranes
What is a strength of ingestion of drugs?
Easy and relatively safe
Absorption via digestive tract is unpredictable
Give 3 examples of injecting drugs?
Subcutaneously (under the skin)
Intramuscularly (into large muscles)
Intravenously (into veins) - drug is delivered directly to brain
How do you inject drugs subcutaneously?
Under the skin
How do you inject drugs intramuscularly?
Into large muscles
How do you inject drugs intravenously?
Into veins where drugs are directly delivered to the brain
Give 2 examples of drugs you can inhale
Tobacco and marijuana
How can you absorb drugs through the mucous membrane?
Through your nose / mouth
How do recreational drugs work?
Through synaptic transmission
How does synaptic transmission work w drug use?
Action potential moves down neuron, a periodic of chemical or synaptic transmission where action potential goes down the end of the neuron
calcium comes in allowing nt molecules and vesicles at dock with membrane
nt into synaptic cleft bind to post synaptic receptors
What do both cocaine and amphetamine increase?
Dopamine and theyre also stimulants.
They block reuptake of nt dopamine, therefore leaving more in the synapse.
Dopaminergenic neurons ? (3)
midpooint in human brains
Substantia nigra
Nucleus accumbens
Ventral tegmental area
What do MDMA (Ecstasy) block the reuptake of?
Serotonin, also reverses reuptake transporter (lots of serotonin in synapse)
What does LSD do?
Bind to serotonin receptors
Interferes w sleep waking systems
Gives hallucinations
(not rlly addictive)
What does caffeine bind to?
Adenosine receptors (which promotes sleep normally)
Where do adenosine receptors live?
What does marijuana bind to/cannabis bind to?
Cannabinoid receptors
THC - primary psychoactive constituent
although over 80 are present
What does alcohol potentiate? (increase the power of)
GABA (inhibitory)
What is morphine and codeine obtained from?
Opium poppy
What are the medicinal uses of codeine and morphine
Painkillers (analgesics)
treats cough and diarrhea
What does heroin and morphine bind to
Opioid receptors
Opiates - these drugs and others w similar structures or effects
