Psychomotor Stimulants

Question 1

What are naturally occurring amphetamine-like compounds?

Answer 1

cathinone

ephedrine/pseudoephedrine

Question 2

What is the function of cathinone?

Answer 2

potent stimulant, increases HR, excitement, euphoria, anorectic

Question 3

What is the function of ephedrine?

Answer 3

constricts the nasal blood vessels reducing congestion

Question 4

What are some medical uses for amphetamines?

Answer 4

reducing congestion
alertness
anorectic
antidepressant
attention deficits

Question 5

What are the major effects of amphetamines on humans?

Answer 5

autonomic function
analeptic
anorectic
decreased fatigue
alertness
euphoria
withdrawal
psychosis

Question 6

What are the major effects of amphetamines on non-human animals?

Answer 6

autonomic functions
psychomotor stimulant
reinforcement
fragmentation of natural behaviours

Question 7

What are the possible forms of cocaine?

Answer 7

raw leaves
paste
hydrochloride
free base
crack

Question 8

How do the different forms of cocaine affect its function?

Answer 8

changes the method of administration
paste/free base/crack; smokable
hydrochloride; injected

Question 9

Describe the pharmacokinetics of cocaine

Answer 9

rapid metabolism and elimination

half life; 0.5-1.5 hours

Question 10

What are the differences between the action of cocaine and amphetamine?

Answer 10

duration of action

cardiovascular effects

Question 11

What are the effects of repeated psychostimulant administration?

Answer 11

tolerance; escalation of dose for same effect

sensitisation; decreased dose for same effect

Question 12

What can cause psychostimulant tolerance?

Answer 12

closely spaced drug exposure
continuous drug infusion
binge usage

Question 13

What can happens in psychostimulant sensitisation?

Answer 13

psychoses
punding
animals; increased locomotor activity/stereotypy

Question 14

What can influence psychostimulant sensitisation?

Answer 14

stress
sex; increased in females
rate of infusion
administration environment

Question 15

What are catecholamines?

Answer 15

neurotransmitters mediating reward

Question 16

Name the catecholamines

Answer 16

dopamine
epinephrine
norepinephrine

Question 17

Name an indolamine and its function

Answer 17

serotonin; mood regulation

Question 18

How are catecholamines synthesised?

Answer 18

tyrosine

Question 19

Where are DA cell bodies?

Answer 19

VTA/nigra

Question 20

Where are NE cell bodies?

Answer 20

locus coeruleus

Question 21

Where is NE released from?

Answer 21

sympathetic nervous system and adrenal glands

Question 22

Where is serotonin released from?

Answer 22

raphe nuclei

Question 23

What are the types of monoamine?

Answer 23

catecholamine

indolamine

Question 24

What is the rate-limiting step in catecholamine synthesis?

Answer 24

tyrosine-hydroxylate

Question 25

What is dopamine synthesised from?

Answer 25

L-dopa

Question 26

What is l-dopa synthesised from?

Answer 26

l-tyrosine

Question 27

What is NE synthesised from?

Answer 27

dopamine

Question 28

What is epinephrine synthesised from?

Answer 28

NE

Question 29

What are monoamines packed into vesicles by?

Answer 29

VMAT2

Question 30

What are monoamines degraded by?

Answer 30

monoamine oxidase

Question 31

Where is dopamine expression particularly high?

Answer 31

striatum neurons ~ half express D1 ~ half express D2

Question 32

what is the difference in action of D1 and D2?

Answer 32

d1 stimulates | d2 reduces

Question 33

What types are the d1 class?

Answer 33

d1, d5

Question 34

what types are in the d2 class?

Answer 34

d2, d3, d4

Question 35

What is the primary site of action of amphetamines and cocaine?

Answer 35

monoamine transporters

Question 36

What action does cocaine have on monoamines and where?

Answer 36

blocks DAT enhances size and duration of monoamine release events 2-4 fold increase in stratal DA

Question 37

What action do amphetamines have on monoamines?

Answer 37

stimulate DA release by inhibiting storage | reverse DAT

Question 38

What is the core mechanism or cocaine addiction?

Answer 38

DAT blockade

Question 39

Dopamine blockade in which brain area disrupts cocaine self-administration?

Answer 39

NAcc

Question 40

Which neural system promotes psychomotor and rewarding effects?

Answer 40

increased DA transmission at DA terminals in SN and VTA

Question 41

Which pathways involve drug seeking?

Answer 41

excitatory input to VTA