Module 5.3 - Drugs

Question 1

drugs

Answer 1

external substances that are taken for a specific effect

Question 2

agonist

Answer 2

a substance that enhances or mimics the activity of a neurotransmitter

Question 3

antagonist

Answer 3

a substance that blocks or inhibits the activity of a neurotransmitter

Question 4

do agonists produce “drug effects” or do antagonists?

Answer 4

Both agonists and antagonists can produce “drug effects”

Question 5

list 4 ways that drugs affect the brain

Answer 5

1) altering the amount of the neurotransmitter being released into the synapse
2) preventing the reuptake (i.e., reabsorption back into the cell that released it)
3) blocking the receptor that the neurotransmiter would normally bind to
4) binding to the receptor in place of the neurotransmitter

Question 6

dopamine

Answer 6

a neurotransmitter that is involved in responses to rewarding, pleasurable feelings

Question 7

what is likely related to the ‘high’ associated with many drugs?

Answer 7

dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is likely related to the ‘high’ associated with many drugs

Question 8

true or false: the environmental setting influences drug effects

Answer 8

True

ie., 3 glasses of wine at a part vs. at home

Question 9

what are 3 long term effects of drug abuse?

Answer 9

1) tolerance
2) Physical Dependence
3) Psychological Dependence

Question 10

Tolerance

Answer 10

when repeated use of a drug results in a need for a higher dose to get the intended effect

Question 11

down regulation

Answer 11

receptors move further from the surface of the post synaptic cell. as a result theres fewer receptors available for the neurotransmitter and the stimulation goes back to the normal state like before you started messing with drugs

Question 12

physical dependence

Answer 12

the need to take a drug to ward off unpleasant physical withdrawal symptoms

Question 13

psychological dependence

Answer 13

occurs when addiction develops without any physical symptoms of withdrawal

Question 14

what 3 factors cause dependence

Answer 14

Biological, Psychological and Social factors

Question 15

stimulants

Answer 15

a category of drugs that speed up the nervous system, typically enhancing wakefulness and alertness

Question 16

what drug blocks dopamine reuptake?

Answer 16

cocaine

Question 17

what drug stimulates dopamine release?

Answer 17

methamphetamines

Question 18

ecstasy (MDMA)

Answer 18

a club drug that is typically classified as a stimulant but also has hallucinogenic effects

Question 19

what does ecstasy do?

Answer 19

stimulates the release of serotonin and also blocks its reuptake

Question 20

hallucinogenic drugs

Answer 20

substances that produce perceptual distortions

Question 21

what 2 drugs influence serotonin?

Answer 21

LSD and psilocybin (mushrooms)

Question 22

what drug blocks glutamate receptors?

Answer 22

Ketamine

Question 23

what is the primary psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca

Answer 23

DMT (the “spirit drug”)

Question 24

salvia divinorum

Answer 24

an herb that grows in central and south america that induces highly intense but short-lived hallucinations

Question 25

dissociative experiences

Answer 25

a detachment between self and body (salvia divinorum leads to it)

Question 26

Marijuana

Answer 26

a drug comprising the leaves and buds of the cannabis plant that produces a combination of hallucinogenic, stimulant and relaxing (narcotic) effects

Question 27

what is the active ingredient in marijuana? what brain chemical does it mimic?

Answer 27

the active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and it mimics the brain chemical anadamide

Question 28

what does THC affect

Answer 28

THC affects executive processes like attentional control and decision making

Question 29

Opiates (narcotics)

Answer 29

drugs such as heroin and morphine that reduce pain and induce extremely intense feelings of euphoria

Question 30

where do opiates bind

Answer 30

opiates bind to endorphin receptors in the nervous system; they reduce pain and produce pleasurable sensations

Question 31

sedative drugs

Answer 31

drugs that depress or reduce activity of the central nervous system

Question 32

barbiturates

Answer 32

were used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders; they could also impair brainstem functioning

Question 33

benzodiazepines

Answer 33

include prescription drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, and Valium

Question 34

what increases the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Answer 34

benzodiazepines

Question 35

GABA

Answer 35

an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps reduce feelings of anxiety or panic

Question 36

True of False: Non-prescribed drugs are among the most commonly abused substances in north america

Answer 36

FALSE: prescription drugs are among the most commonly abused substances in north america

Question 37

stimulants like _____ stimulate similar brain areas as cocaine (although the effects are slower and less intense)

Answer 37

ritalin

Question 38

oxycontin

Answer 38

a pain reliever that slowly releases an opioid over the course of approximately 12 hours

Question 39

alcohol

Answer 39

alcohol initially targets GABA receptors in the brain, and subsequently affects opiate and dopamine receptors

Question 40

alcohol myopia

Answer 40

o When intoxicated, people often pay more attention to cues related to their desires and impulses (e.g., good-looking people) and less attention to cues related to inhibiting those desires (e.g., friends, condom machines)