Stimulants 1 Flashcards
what are three widely used stimulant drugs?
caffeine: from coffee, tea (legal, socially acceptable)
Nicotine: (legal, socially unacceptable??)
Cocaine: illegal, socially unacceptable depending on location
stimulant containing plants create a _______?
- state of well being
-self confidence
-euphoria
-increased alertness
-mental functioning
-alleviate fatigue and drowsiness
-peripheral organs may be effected
-increased heart rate, blood pressure
____________ is common with some stimulants?
addiction
continued use of stimulant drugs may lead to…..?
increased agitation, apprehension, and anxiety
what is the mechanism of action of stimulants?
increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system
neurotransmitter action is regulated
stimulant plants can be organized based on their compounds mechanism of action…. list the three
cholinergic
adrenergic
purinergic
-these terms refer to the type of neurotransmitter or neuron that is affected by the plant compound
chemical and electrical signals are received by the ________?
dendrites
information is transmitted down the _____ by an action potential
axon
neurons are organized into pathways and transfer information at ________?
synapses
chemical and electrical signals leave the neuron from the ____________?
terminal bulb
central nervous system
-consists of the brain and the spinal cord
-the brain is subdivided into anatomically and functionally distinct areas
-neurons are organized into pathways that link the brain areas to each other
-the CNC receives and processes information and relays it back to the peripheral nervous system to create an appropriate response
peripheral nervous system
the somatic branch
-consciously controlled
-movement, respiration, posture
-skeletal muscle contraction
autonomic branch
-unconsciously controlled
-cardiac action
-blood flow
-digestion
-the autonomic branch is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
-the difference would be the locations of neurons along the spinal cord
-organs are controlled by neurons from both systems
-actions are often opposing
parasympathetic projections originate from:
-cranial nerves
-sacral portion of the spinal cord
-‘breed or feed response’
-constricts pupils
-stimulate salivation
-slow heartbeat
-stimulate digestion
-inhibit hormone and enzyme release
-dilate blood vessels
-stimulate urinary bladder to contract
-stimulate penile or clitoral arousal
-stimulate gut motility and secretions
-stimulate gallbladder to release bile
sympathetic projections originate from the:
-thoracic and lumbar portions of the spinal cord
-‘fight or flight response’
-dilate pupils
-inhibit salivation
-constrict blood vessels
-relax airways
accelerate heartbeat
-stimulate secretion by sweat glands
-celiac ganglion
-inhibit digestion
-stimulate secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine
-inhibit gut motility and secretions
-relax the urinary bladder system
-stimulates orgasm
-stimulate glucose production and release
pharmacokinetics
-an organism’s normal body systems relate to how rapidly and how long a drug will appear at a target organ
-absorption of the drug
-distribution of drugs in the body
-elimination or clearance of drugs from the body
-these factors determine the appropriate concentration, route of administration, or dose of the drug that is to be given
pharmacodynamics
-the nature of the drug/ target interaction is essential in determining the dose of a specific drug that is to be given
-how readily it will bind, dictated by its chemistry
-dose-response curves determine how drugs interact with specific receptors
-this information can be used to help determine the appropriate dosage of a drug
- we can see the tradeoff between toxicity and efficacy
receptors
-normal cellular processes work due to the interaction of endogenous chemicals with receptors
-may inhibit or activate
-drug structures relate to receptor binding –> the structures matter because they control how quickly they will bind
-drugs may bind permanently or reversibly
the normal or endogenous molecule is an _________?
endorphin
-it binds to a receptor in the brain in order to elicit a pain-relieving response
morphine is a ___________ of an endorphin molecule and binds to the same receptor?
structural mimic (analog)
-morphine is found in the opium poppy
morphine also elicits a _________________?
pain-relieving response through receptor activation
-it is labeled as an agonist at the endorphin receptor
-the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of morphine will determine the strength of this response
morphine has a lower __________?
dissociation rate and does not go away as quickly, this triggers the pathways more intensely
the final effect of a drug is based on:
-how much makes it to the target
-how the action of the drug at the target leads to an outcome
interactions of drug with receptor
-agonist or antagonist (or mixed)
-may bind better or worse than endogenous molecule
-drugs may outcome endogenous molecules
possible outcome of drug/receptor interaction?
-activation of neuronal action potentials
-activation of signalling pathways
neurotransmitters
-chemicals used to relay, amplify, and modulate signals between cells
-synthesized in presynaptic neurons
-released in response to action potentials (electrical signalling)
-elicit physiological effects depending receptor(s) they bind to and activate