topic 4 - drug addiction Flashcards

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1
Q

what are psycho-active drugs

A
  • any chemicals that influence how we feel or act
  • usually they interact with the nervous system and/or the endocrine system
  • mostly act in synapses
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2
Q

agonist vs antagonist at the synapse level (effect on post-synaptic cell)

A

agonist: mimics action of the neurotransmitter
antagonist: blocks action of the neurotransmitter

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3
Q

agonist vs antagonist at the receptor level (effect on receptor)

A

agonist: mimics action of neurotransmitter
antagonist: blocks action of neurotransmiter

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4
Q

pharmacokinetics: intake

A
  • digestive tract
  • respiratory tract
  • through skin
  • through mucous membranes
  • intravenous injection (directly into blood)
  • intramuscular injection
  • subcutaneous injection (under the skin)
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5
Q

pharmacokinetics: distribution

A
  • bloodstream goes all across the body
  • water-soluble molecules can be directly dissolved in the blood, but do not pass through cell membranes
  • lipid-soluble molecules need carriers to transport them through the blood but can pass directly through the cell membranes
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6
Q

pharmacokinetics: elimination

A

all drugs are eventually eliminated from the body:
- by chemical breakdown (by enzymes)
- by excretion (in urine)
Some drugs can be stored in the body for a long time (e.g. lipid-soluble drugs in fat tissue)
- biological half-life can vary from minutes to weeks

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7
Q

mechanisms of drug tolerance

A

metabolic tolerance (better elimination of the drug)
functional tolerance:
- Change in receptor numbers and sensitivity
- Change in intra-cellular cascades

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8
Q

dopamine pleasure or…?

A

-Dopamine is released with punishing stimuli as well
- overtrained rats do not release dopamine upon reward
- Dopamine blockers make rats work less hard for food, but they still enjoy it

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9
Q

Psychological dependence

A
  • when drugs directly interact with the brain’s reward system
  • Addict will crave the drugs, even while disliking their effects
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10
Q

what is involved in the ‘reward’ system

A

The Ventral Tegmental Area

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11
Q

what is involved in the ‘seeking’ system

A

Nucleus Accumbens

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