THE EFFECT OF RECREATIONAL DRUGS Flashcards
what are recreational drugs?
substances taken for pleasure rather than for medical reasons - alter brain chemistry , mood , perception , behaviour
examples of recreational drugs
cannabis, cocaine , MDMA , heroin
what are the two types of psychoactive drugs?
stimulants and depressants
what are stimulants - with examples
increase activity in the CNS
eg. cocaine, nicotine
effect: alertness
what are depressants - with examples
decrease brain activity
eg. alcohol , heroin , cannabis
effect: drowsiness, slower reactions
what is a psychoactive drug?
drug that changes brain function
what are the two brain systems involves in drug effects?
- mesolimbic dopamine system (reward system)
- CNS
how do recreational drugs affect neurotransmitters?
they either mimic neurotransmitters, block reuptake or cause excess release - disrupts communication between neurons
what is dopamine and why is it important in drug use?
dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and rewards , many drugs increase dopamine reinforcing use
what is serotonin and which drugs affect it?
serotonin regulates mood and emotion
MDMA increases serotonin levels
how does cocaine work?
blocks the reuptake of dopamine and serotonin - leads to excess dopamine and intense euphoria
how does cannabis work?
THC binds to cannabinoid receptors mainly in hippocampus and cortex - affecting memory and concentration
how does heroin work?
binds to opioid receptors increasing dopamine - causing intense pleasure and pain relief
define tolerance
when a person needs a higher dose of a drug to achieve the same affect due to desensitisation of receptors
define dependence
a state where a person needs to drug to function normally
what is withdrawal - with examples
physical and social symptoms that occur when a dependent user stops taking the drug
eg. anxiety , nausea
what is addiction?
chronic condition characterised by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences
sam uses MDMA and feels euphoric . explain this effect using neurotransmitters
MDMA increases serotonin levels buy blocking its reuptake and promoting release , which causes elevated mood and the euphoric feeling
a person develops memory issues after using cannabis regularly. explain this biologically
THC has bonded to the cannabinoid receptors in the hippocampus , impairing memory formation and retrieval
jake experiences a crash after using cocaine. why?
cocaine floods the synapse with dopamine , once it wears off the dopamine levels drop causing low mood and fatigue
why might someone develop a tolerance to nicotine?
nicotine stimulates receptors and dopamine release so the brain adapts by reducing nicotine , needing more nicotine for the same effect
a heroin user feels pain relief and calm. how does this happen?
heroin activates opioid receptors which reduces perception of pain and increase dopamine for relaxation
recreational drugs: strength of scientific support for drug effects
use of PET/fMRI scans allows direct observation of brain activity - objective , reliable data
recreational drugs: strength of controlled research
lab experiments control variables and isolate cause-effect relationships
