Unit 2 Flashcards
Effects of drugs
What effects do recreational drugs have
-cognitive,emotional and behavioural changes
How do recreational drugs go about making their changes
They change what happens at synaptic transmission
-exact affect depends on which synapses it affects and where it occurs in the brain
How does cocaine affect the nervous system
-acts as a powerful stimulant by blocking the reuptake of dopamine at synapses
Where does the dopamine build up and what affect does it have (cocaine)
-builds up in synaptic cleft which intensifys its affect on DSN
-the inc dopamine levels overstimulate reward pathway leading to euphoric high
What brain structures does cosine affect
-mesolimbic dopamine system
-reward system
-pre frontal cortex
-amygdala
How does cocaine affect the amygdala
Stimulates it which heighten emotional reactions leading to anxiety and paranoia
How does cocaine affect the pre frontal cortex
Imparts judgment and inc impulsiveness
What does overstimulation of the reward pathway lead to
Feelings of euphoric highs
What does the mesolimbic dopamine system include and what is it important for
-includes the nucleus accumbens and the VTA
-crucial for reward motivation and pleasure
What are some cognitive affects of cocaine
1)blocking the reuptake of NT leads to a flood of signals which enhances focus,alertness and energy levels
2)poor decision making
3)lack of self control
4)poor memory and bad concentration
5)intense cravings
What are some emotional effects of using cocaine
1)euphoria,confidence and exhilaration
2)heightened emotional intensity
3)socially engaged and more energy
4)anxiety,irritable,emotional sensitivity
What are some effects of high dosages and long term use of cocaine?
1)paranoia
2)agitation
3)aggression
4) emotional disregulation eg panic attacks
What happens when cocaine wears off
Emotional crash due to depletion of dopamine leading to feelings of depression anxiety and emotional numbness
What are some long term affects of using cocaine?
1)impairs brains ability to naturally regulate mood and emotions
2)damages nervous system
3)dopamine receptor downregulation due to overstimulation means less pleasure in activities that they used to enjoy
How does alcohol affect the CNS
-depressant which affects synaptic transmission by enhancing inhibitory effects of the NT GABA as well as reducing the excitatory effects of GLUTMATE
How does alcohol works
1)makes GABA receptors more sensitive to DSN so it becomes more responsive to an inc in GABA
2)GABA has an inhibitory affect and so it slows down communication between neurons and diff brain areas
3)alcohol reduces GLUTMATE activity by blocking receptors for it without activating them
What brain structures does alcohol effect
1)PFC
2)cerebellum
3)hippocampus
How does alcohol affect the PFC
Poor judgment and risky behaviour
How does alcohol affect the cerebellum
Clumsiness and loss of motor control=no balance
How does alcohol affect the hippocampus
Responsible for memory formation so causes blackouts and memory lapses
What are some emotional affects of alcohol
1)short term emotional highs
2)heightens emotional instability
3)mood swings and exaggerated emotional responses
4)relaxing and calming affect
What are the long term affects of alcohol usage?
1)damages CNS
2)memory problems
3)damage to cerbellum=long term problems with Co-ordination and balance
4)tolerance and withdrawal symptoms
What is a psychoactive drug
Substance that changes the functioning of the brain causing changes in thinking,feeling and behaviour
What is a recreational drug
Psychoactive drug taken for non medical reasons because user wants to feel the effect
What is the drug noradrenaline responsible for
Emotion,mood control,sleeping.dreaming,learning
What is the drug dopamine responsible for
Emotions
What is the drug serotonin responsible for
Mood control in lymbic system,pain,sleep,hunger,regulating body temp
Step 1 of how drugs cause addiction
The drug inc the amount of dopamine in the reward pathways by boosting the activation of the synapses which creates feelings of euphoria
Step 2 of how drugs cause addiction
The brain reacts to this inc in dopamine by reducing and down regulating it’s natural dopamine prod so when the drug wears off the person has less dopamine than usual
Step 3 of how drugs cause addiction
The lack of dopamine causes dysphoria which motivates the user to take more of the drug to repeat the high
Step 4 of how drugs cause addiction
The repeated drug use causes further down regulation of dopamine prod which makes them dependent on the drug and creates withdrawal symptoms causes by lack of dopamine in the brain,making them addicted to the drug
What and when was olds and milners experiment
1954,wired rats to an apparatus which would deliver electrical stimulation to a part of the rats brain.
What did olds and Milner find from the experiment
The rats would repeatedly press the button and ignore other possible rewards until they collapses from exhaustion
What did olds and Milner conclude from the research
-discovery of the reward pathway which links to why people take recreational drugs
-reward system relies on dopamine as its main NT
Give the three ways that recreational drugs inc or dec activity at synapses
1)AGONISTS:activates receptors directly by pretending to be its NT
2)REUPTAKE:they block/inhibit the NT reuptake
3)ANTAGONISTS:they bind to the receptors without actually activating them
1)AGONISTS
Example is LSD and it links to serotonin
-inc synapse activity
2)REUPTAKE INHIBITORS
Example is cocaine and links to dopamine
-causes dopamine to build up by b,o king reuptake so activate the DSN more often
-inc synapse activity
3)ANTAGONISTS
Example is alcohol and links to glutamate
-makes synapses less active by binding to receptors but doesn’t activate them (occupies receptor so NT can’t bind to it)
What type of system is the Brain
Homeostatic
What are three ways that the brain responds to continuous drug usage
1)changes in prod of NT
2)changes in the sensitivity of receptors
3)changes in the no of receptors
What is the first sign of a change to the CNS
Tolerance,occurs when the brain adapts to the drug so the user has to take more of the drug for the same affect
What is the second sign of changes to the CNS after continual use
Withdrawal,feeling bad when trying to quit or reduce intake of the drug as brain cannot function like it previously could
Explain some signs of cocaine withdrawal and why
Dopamine levels dec so don’t enjoy things that they previously did and reward pathway doesn’t function as it previously did=miserable
Explain some signs of alcohol withdrawal and why
GABA activity is impaired by alcohol so more stress and anxious as GABA causes a calming affect
What leads to addiction
Withdrawal symptoms as user goes back to the drug to relieve these feelings
When does drug addiction occur
When a user has diminished control over drug use and their normal functioning is affected
What are the four signs of addiction
1)tolerance and withdrawal
2)impaired control (cravings,failing to quit)
3)social or work problems
4)risky use (taking the drug in dangerous ways;risk of overdose or infections)
