SUD and Cannabis Flashcards
What is reward?
Reward refers to stimuli that are in some way desirable or positive and can affect behaviour
What is the Mesocorticolimbic dopamine system?
The mesocorticolimbic dopamine system is made up of the Ventral tegmental area, Hippocampus, Nucleus accumbens, and the prefrontal cortex?
How does the mesocorticolimbic system work?
The Ventral tegmental area (VTA) is at the center of it. It contains neurons that produce dopamine. When a rewarding stimulus is detected, neurons in the VTA are activated. They then send dopamine into the PFC, NAc, and hippocampus
Which aspect of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system is involved with learning?
The Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)
What do addicvtive drugs lead to in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system?
They lead to a supraphysiological dopamine, which means a dopamine release much larger than what is seen with naturally occurring rewards
What is addiction
A syndrome at the centre of which is loss of control over a reward seeking behaviour
What is person first language?
Person-first language is language that acknowledges someone as a person before describing their personal attributes or health conditions.
eg. instead of “druggie” use “person who uses substances”
What is the term used to refer to addiction in the DSM%
Substance Use Disorder is used to classify the term addiction
What are the symptoms that need to be shown in order to Substance Use Disorder?
Need to show 2 of 11 listed behavioural criteria within the past year
-Using in spite of adverse consequences
-Preoccupation with obtaining the drug
-Great deal of time spent trying to get the drug
-Craving
-Use results in failure to fulfill major role obligations
-Tolerance
-Withdrawal
What is drug intolerance?
The increased amount of drug needed to achieve intoxication, or a diminished drug effect with a continued drug use of the same of a drug
What is drug withdrawal?
Behavioural and physiological symptoms that occur upon cessation of drug use. It is the compensation of drug effects on the body
What leads to drug withdrawal?
Acute and protracted drug use leads to drug withdrawal
What are the steps in withdrawal effects?
- The brain normally exists in a state of drug-free homeostasis
- Taking drugs leads to an imbalance
- Compensatory adaptations attempt to restore homeostasis
- Withdrawal: Quitting drugs leads to an imbalance in the opposite direction
How common are substance use disorders?
It varies across countries and by substances but around 4% of population will receive a diagnosis of a substance use disorder
What are addictions associated with?
-recent stressful experiences
-negative early life events
-multiple or cumulative stressor experiences
-chronic psychiatric illnesses
This leads to strong suggestion that addiction is not the disease but rather a result of coping with stress/ or a form of PTSD
What is one of the biggest predictors of later life addiction?
Early life trauma
What is the Adverse Child Experiences Scale and what are Adverse Childhood Experiences linked to?
The Adverse Child Experiences Scale is a scale that assesses negative childhood experiences.
Adverse Childhood experiences are linked to
-Risky health behaviours
-Chromic health conditions
-Increased morbidity and mortality
What is cannabis? Where does it come from?
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world, it comes from the cannabis sativa and indica plant. There are over 80 cannabinoids know.
What are the ways to administer cannabis?
- Through Inhalation: 50% enters lungs, and almost all of that enters the body, it reaches brain in 30 seconds, peaks in 30-60 mins, and lasts 3-4 hours (Vaping: peak concentrations occur 10 mins in). When inhaled it likes to stay in fatty tissue
- Orally: Absorbed from gut slowly, absorption improved by adding oil, Onset hits around 1 hour in and peak hits 2-3 hours in
What is the endogenous cannabinoid( endocannabinoid; eCB) system?
The endocannabinoid system is a system activated in times of stress that helps regulate stress and return it to baseline.
It has 2 endogenous ligands: anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)
Its 2 main receptors are CB1(brain) and CB2(immune system)
Anandamide and THC bind to CB1
2-AG and CBD bind to both CB1 and CB2
Where are CB1 receptors located?
They are located presynaptically on axon terminals
How does THC work in the brain?
AEA and 2-AG are retrograde messengers, which means that they carry information in the opposite direction. They are released in response to depolarization of the postsynaptic cell. THC then mimics the shape of AEA and works by this mechanism
Cumulative effect of pathways is euphoric feelings associated with cannabis use -> increased dopamine in nucleus accumbens
What are the harms associated with cannabis use?
-Can be harmful to physical health
-Can be harmful to mental health
-Can be addictive
Who is using cannabis?
16-24 year olds are 2x more likely to use
Students used more than working, unemployed, etc, and the average of initiation os 18.7 years
What is the sex difference in usage?
Males: Males usually use dried cannabis flower, males use alone, and men use in the evenings
Females: Usually use edibles, and women use socially
