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W2: DRUG EFFECTS BASIC PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY > W2: Basic Psychopharmacology and Drug Effects > Flashcards

W2: Basic Psychopharmacology and Drug Effects Flashcards

1
Q

What is a drug?

A

A drugis any chemical compound either synthesised in laboratory or of plant, animal or marine origin which is intended to bring change in typical physiological functions of body and brain.

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2
Q

What is a psychoactive substance?

A

Substances that, when taken in or administered into one’s system, effect mental processes, e.g. cognition, mood, affect.

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3
Q

What does psychoactive depend on?

A

Effects depend on numerous factors

Physical: drug class/receptor targets, dose, route of administration, metabolism etc.

Psychical and Psychological: tolerance, experience and expectations

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4
Q

Talk about Substance use in a social context

A

Patterns of use and attitudes change over time (Injecting amphetamines)

Example: heroin and the Vietnam war (Gossop, 2013)

1959-75; heroin widely available and used by troops (50%); yet few continued using after returning home. Why?

‘Good’ drugs=safe, ‘bad’ drugs=dangerous

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5
Q

Drug deaths in the UK: Office for National Statistics 2021. Give the appropriate statistics: 2021/2020/2019.

A

In 2021 (census) 4,859, 6.2 % higher compared to 4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales (2020); this is 3.8% higher than the number of deaths registered in 2019 (4,393 deaths).

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6
Q

Over half of the drug deaths are related to what drugs?

A

Opiate drugs. (47.7%; 2,219) followed by cocaine 840.

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7
Q

Where in England has the highest drug death rate?

A

The North-East of England holds the highest death rate within England and Wales

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8
Q

Where in England has the lowest drug death rate?

A

London

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9
Q

What is Pharmacokinetics?

A

:
how drugs are processed by the body

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10
Q

What does LADME stand for?

A

LIBERATION
ABSORPTION
DISTRIBUTION
METABOLISM
EXCRETION

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11
Q

What is liberation?

A

the process of release of a drug from thepharmaceutical formulation.

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12
Q

What is distribution?

A

the dispersion or dissemination of substances throughout the fluids and tissues of the body.

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13
Q

What is absorption?

A

the process of a substance entering the blood circulation.

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14
Q

What is metabolism?

A

(or biotransformation, or inactivation) – the recognition by the organism that a foreign substance is present and the irreversible transformation of parent compounds into daughter metabolites.

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15
Q

What is excretion?

A

the removal of the substances from the body. In rare cases, somedrugs irreversibly accumulate inbody tissue.

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16
Q

List routes of drug administration (Tripathi, 2013)

A

Alcohol in orally administered
cannabis inhaled and eaten, heroin inhaled, or through intravenous injection (IV) and, intramuscular injection (generally anabolic steroids).

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17
Q

Alternative drug administration?

A

Some drugs can involve anal application (for example, cocaine and ecstasy) and cutaneous application (LSD can be taken this way, though usually orally).

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18
Q

What is Pharmacodynamics?

A

measuring how drugs affect behaviour

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19
Q

List the ways that can measure how drugs affect behaviour

A

Cell firing/neurotransmitter release

Neurophysiology: EEG, PET, fMRI

Subjective scales: mood or feeling-state questionnaires

Standardised questionnaires: schizophrenia, aggression..

Objective tasks: simulators, cognitive tasks - reaction time, vigilance, memory, executive processing, logical reasoning, mental judgement.

Placebo controlled, double-blind, empirical studies

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20
Q

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

A
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21
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A
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22
Q

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

A
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23
Q

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

A
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24
Q

What is the function of the cerebellum?

A
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25
What are the features of the limbic system?
Role in learning, memory & emotions Visceral responses with motivational states Interprets smells and assigns emotion Regulates anger, fear, anxiety, pleasure, sorrow, rage and sexual arousal / starts the decision-making process to a degree
26
What is the function of the Prefrontal cortex (PFC)?
Organises motor movement; executive functions (problem solving, abstract thinking, memory and concentration), fine processing of emotion and decision making of an action in some cases.
27
What is the function of the amygdala?
Librarian of the brain; it decides how and where memories are stored. Additionally, role in fear & anxiety response and non-refined processing of emotion and action via hypothalamus
28
What is the Cingulate gyrus?
The cingulate cortex is considered part of the limbic lobe. It receives inputs from the thalamus and the neocortex, and projects to the entorhinal cortex. It is an integral part of the limbic system, which is involved with emotion formation and processing, learning, and memory. Assigns steps to discern emotion! (picture with mouth open or shock?)
29
What is the thalamus and what is its function?
Relay station from low brain to cerebral cortex for all sensory data (eyes, ears and mouth) Hypothalamus: action of the thalamus
30
What is the Hypothalamus (part of the limbic) and what is its function?
The Hypothalamus contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. It links to the nervous system and to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. It contains centres that regulate temperature, fat metabolism, water balance, hunger and satiety, and pleasure and pain.
31
What is the Basal Ganglia and what is its function?
a group of structures linked to the thalamus in the base of the brain and involved in coordination of movement (Historically amygdaloid complex was included). Much information comes to the BG via the cerebral cortex. Promotion and inhibition of movement. But it additionally contains important structure related to reward.
32
What is the Hippocampus and what is its function?
The hippocampus is located within the brain's medial temporal lobe and forms an important part of the limbic system, the region that regulates emotions. It is associated with memory, in particular long-term memory. The organ also plays an important role in spatial navigation (Entorhinal cortex is important regarding blackouts) VTA has been related to other psychopathology such as schizophrenia and ADHD (Concentration, memory, positive and negative symptoms)
33
What is the Nucleus accumbens (NAc or NAcc) and what is its function?
The absolute pleasure centre of the brain Plays an important role in reward, pleasure, and addiction.
34
What is the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and what is its function?
The VTA is one of the two major dopaminergic areas in the brain (the other being the substantia nigra). VTA is also activated any time one experiences something rewarding VTA has been related to other psychopathology such as schizophrenia and ADHD (Concentration, memory, positive and negative symptoms)
35
What is the Reward/reinforcement (pleasure) brain area called?
Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
36
VTA and NAcc is stimulated to release what?
dopamine
37
VTA and NAcc is stimulated to release dopamine when?
during sex, eating, love, friendship etc.
38
Rewarding behaviours and various related stimuli ‘prime’/ bias is based in what brain area?
The Prefrontal Cortex
39
What is the Medial Forebrain Bundle part of?
The reward system.
40
What does direct stimulation of the Medial Forebrain Bundle do?
invigorates the Ventril tegmental area and excites dopamine release in the Nucleus accumbens.
41
What does MFB stand for?
Medial forebrain bundle
42
What does VTA stand for?
Ventril tegmental area
43
Why was Dopamine was an extremely important player during evolution?
it is involved in functions that are essential for survival of the organism, such as motricity, attentiveness, motivation, learning, and memory. But most of all, dopamine is a key element in identifying natural rewards for the organism. These natural stimuli such as food and water cause individuals to engage in approach behaviours. 

It has long established that all substances that trigger dependencies in human beings increase the release of a neuromodulator, dopamine, in a specific area of the brain: The Nucleus Accumbens (Volkow, et al., 2002)
44
all substances that trigger dependencies in human beings increase the release of what?
a neuromodulator, dopamine, in a specific area of the brain: The Nucleus Accumbens (Volkow, et al., 2002)
45
What is a neuromodulator?
46
What is the Nucleus Accumbens? and what is its function?
47
Do all drugs increase dopamine levels?
No. Some substances imitate natural neuromodulators and take their place on their receptors. Morphine, for example, binds to the receptors for endorphin (a natural "morphine" produced by the brain), while nicotine binds to the receptors for acetylcholine.
48
What does morphine bind to the receptors for?
Endorphin
49
What does nicotine bind to the receptors for?
Acetylcholine
50
What receptors do Alcohol, for example, block?
NMDA receptors. 
51
Other substances increase the secretion of what? Cocaine, for example, mainly increases the amount of dopamine in the synapses, while ecstasy mainly increases the amount of serotonin.
natural neuromediators.
52
Cocaine mainly increases the amount of WHAT in the synapses?
dopamine
53
Ecstasy mainly increases the amount of WHAT in the synapses?
serotonin
54
Effects and substance misuse will vary by..
Biological makeup/factors Developmental stage Interaction with environments Individual risk Vulnerability Resilience
55
What is the most important cell in the nervous system?
The electrically excitable neutron
56
What are the 3 main types of neurons?
Sensory afferents, interneurons and motor efferents
57
What are sensory afferents stimulated by?
Environmental events- light, sound, touch
58
What do interneurons do?
Process tis information in the CNS
59
What do motor efferents activate?
Muscles and glands and cause behaviour
60
What does the conduction of information throughout the nervous system occur via?
A combination of electrical and chemical events
61
Communication between neurone takes place where?
The synapse, is chemical or molecular nature
62
How do psychoactive drugs exert their behavioural effects?
By either reducing or increasing neurotransmitter activity.
63
Why is the basic knowledge of neurotransmission necessary in order to understand psychoactive drug effect?
Psychoactive drugs exert their effects by increasing or decreasing the activity of these neurotransmitters. (dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, GABA)
64
Which neurotransmitters do psychoactive drugs exert their behavioural effects on?
dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, GABA
65
Is drug taking just a phenomenon of the 20th century?
No. Many different types of drugs have been used throughout history.
66
How would you categorise psychoactive drugs into a few groups?
CNS stimulants Recreational drugs Opiates CNS depressants Antipsychotics Antidepressants Nootropics Other types
67
An example of a psychoactive drugs from earlier periods
Indian snake root Rauwolfia serpentina (used for treatment of those suffering with manic excitement, delusions, hallucinations). Its effectiveness at reducing schizophrenia was scientifically confirmed in the 20th century. Other egs: Opium poppy Peyote cactus seeds Amatina mascaria mushroom coca leave tea/coffee
68
Do ALL psychoactive drugs have a mixture of good and bad effects?
Yes
69
Summarise the major divisions of the CNS and PNS
CNS into brain and spinal cord. PNS divided into the motor or efferent system to the sensory or afferent nervous system.
70
What does efferent mean?
Away from
71
What does afferent mean?
Toward
72
Describe the components of a multipolar neuron
Has one axon + many dendrites. Their axons may be of a similar length to their dendrites (up to 100m) in length.
73
What are the 5 types of of sensory receptors? that provide sensory information
Chemoreceptors Mechanoreceptors Nociceptors Photoreceptors Thermoreceptors
74
What do Chemoreceptors do?
75
What do Mechanoreceptors do?
76
What do Nociceptors do?
77
What do Nociceptors do?
78
What do Photoreceptors do?
79
What do Thermoreceptors do?
80
Each sensory afferent neuron connects with what?
An interneuron or accessory neuron
81
Where are interneurons located?
The CNS, with the majority occurring in the cerebral cortex.
82
How are cognitive information, thoughts and feelings processed?
The interconnections formed between each sensory afferent neuron and interneuron.
83
What is the function of the cerebral cortex?
84
What do the sensory receptors provide the CNS with?
A Large amount of data. interneurons process and filter this into a limited amount of information that is useful and important. Some interneurons connect with motor neurone. The motor efferents then leave the CNS and stimulate the peripheral effectors.
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W2: DRUG EFFECTS BASIC PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (1 decks)

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