Routes of Use and Stimulants Flashcards

1
Q

Routes of Use (Slowest to Fastest)

A
  1. Chewing
  2. Drinking/eating
  3. Rubbing
  4. Snorting
  5. Shooting
  6. Smoking
  7. Inhaling
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2
Q

Kinetics

A

speed of on-/offset of a drug, fast kinetics -> increase in addictiveness

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3
Q

Dynamics

A

efficacy of drug (maximum effect it can produce), high efficacy -> increased addictive potential

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4
Q

Why does route of use (or kinetics and dynamics) matter?

A

methods like chewing and eating have to be metabolized in the liver first thus they take longer to reach the brain and produce an effect

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5
Q

Cocaine - What is it

A
  • psychoactive component of coca plant
  • chewing not (as) addictive
  • snorted, rubbed, injected
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6
Q

Cocaine - Neurochemistry

A
  • inhibits reuptake of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenalin (TRI - Triple Reuptake Inhibitor)
  • leads to higher self-interest, aggressiveness, and risk-taking behavior
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7
Q

Cocaine - Harm

A
  • highly addictive
  • OD: constricted blood vessels (-> heart attack), seizures, rupture of the aorta
  • regular use: psychosis (-> formication; ants under skin)
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8
Q

Crack

A
  • cheaper version, not synthesized

- more harmful in terms of crime and more addictive because of kinetics (smoking crack vs. snorting coke)

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9
Q

Why is Ritalin (methylphenidate) not as addictive as cocaine?

A

Kinetics (-> taken in pill form); despite being chemically similar to cocaine and even more potent it takes much longer than cocaine to reach the brain

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10
Q

Why does Ritalin help against ADHD?

A
  • Hypothesis: ADHD patients have too many dopamine transporters -> dopamine fired into synapse is sucked back in before it can have an effect
  • Ritalin blocks dopamine transporters thus attention is increased
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11
Q

Drugs and Performance

A
  • Physical performance is increased with steroids (muscle growth, strength), amphetamines (wakefulness), and alcohol (calming effect)
  • Cognitive performance increased by using stimulants i.e. modafinil to stay awake longer in or der to study/work
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12
Q

Article - What are legal highs?

A
  • drugs classified as novel psychoactive substances

- compounds designed to mimic existing drugs (by tweaking their chemical structure)

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13
Q

Article - Stimulant NPS

A

mimic the effect of MDMA, cocaine and amphetamines; act as RIs or active releasers, serotonergic more similar to MDMA and dopaminergic more similar to cocaine

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14
Q

Article - Cannabinoid NPS

A

SCRAs have similar effects but are much more harmful than cannabis, major psychoactive component is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) a partial agonist for cannabinoid receptors, lacks cannabinidol (antipsychotic and anxiolytic)

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15
Q

Article - Hallucinogenic NPS (Dissociatives)

A

i.e. “Mexxy” act similar to ketamine or PCP, produce a dissociative state (out of body, time warp), have the same risks (psychosis, catatonic state)

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16
Q

Article - Hallucinogenic NPS (Psychedelics)

A

same effects as illegal psychedelics, act on 5-HT2A-receptor (possibly on 5-HT1A as well), some act as stimulants as well thus have additional risks associated with traditional stimulants

17
Q

Article - Depressant NPS (Benozodiazepines)

A

act similar to traditional benzos, act on GABA receptor thus enhancing inhibitory signalling in CNS, longer duration than traditional benzos

18
Q

Article - Depressant NPS (Opioids)

A

i.e. novel fentanyls (cheap heroin replacement), exert euphoric effects on pre-synaptic µ-opioid receptors, similar risks as traditional opioids

19
Q

Article #2 -What is Mephedrone

A
  • MDMA replacement after ban, aka bath salts
  • based on khat, similar effects as MDMA and amphetamine
  • one of the most used emergent psychoactive substances
  • acts as monoamine transporter substrate (monoamine reuptake inhibitor, similar to MDMA)
20
Q

Article #2 - Behavior under the influence of Mephedrone

A
  1. Desired: stimulated mood and sex drive
  2. Undesired: altered level of consciousness, hyperthermia, tachycardia, addiction, decreased locomotor behavior
    - > no chewing off faces (associated with poly drug use or underlying mental disorder)