Study Guide Ch. 15

Question 1

Another protective mechanism from drugs reaching the central nervous system involves liver enzymes stimulating conversion of active drugs into no active forms, which is referred to as ____________

Answer 1

Drug metabolism

Question 2

Describe the difference between metabolic and functional tolerance

Answer 2

• Metabolic: Decreased sensitivity to a drug that results from less of drug getting to site of action
• Functional: Decreased sensitivity to a drug that results from changes that reduce the reactivity of sites of action to the drug

Question 3

Individuals experiencing physical withdrawal effects after discontinuing use of a drug usually experience withdrawal effects that are the same or different than the effects of taking the drug?

Answer 3

Withdrawal symptoms are usually opposite to the initial effects of the drug

Question 4

What is relapse?

Answer 4

The return to ones drug taking habit after a period of voluntary abstinence

Question 5

One important goal of reducing drug addiction is to study what leads individuals to initially take drugs. Studies in rats have found that ________ is a behavioral trait linked to increased tendency for initial drug taking

Answer 5

Novelty seeking

Question 6

Drug addiction has been summarized as a behavioral pattern involving “the inability to refrain from a behavior despite its adverse effects.” What are some behavioral characteristics of individuals addicted to drugs? What is anhedonia?

Answer 6

• Poor decision making
• Risk Taking
• Poor self control

•Anhedonia: A general inability to experience pleasure while engaging in activities that were previously pleasurable

Question 7

Describe the 3 causes of relapse

Answer 7

1. Stress
2. Drug priming: single exposure to the formerly abused drug
3. Exposure to cues: ex: people, times, places, or objects that have been previously associated with drug taking has been shown

Question 8

Drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream by many routes (oral, injection, etc.). What is one protective mechanism for drugs entering the central nervous system?

Answer 8

The blood brain barrier