WEEK 8: DRUGS Flashcards
Drugs that influence subjective experience and behavior by acting on the nervous system.
Psychoactive drugs
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
The reward circuit is composed of key brain structures such as:
- ventral tegmental area (VTA)
- nucleus accumbens
- prefrontal cortex
- medial forebrain bundle
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
The VTA releases _______ into target regions in response to rewarding stimuli, causing a sense of pleasure and reinforcing associated behavior.
dopamine
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
The _________ evaluates the motivational value of stimuli by integrating information from different brain regions.
nucleus accumbens
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
The __________ regulates impulses, decision-making, and modulates the activity of the VTA and nucleus accumbens.
prefrontal cortex
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
The ________________ enables communication between the various components of the reward circuit.
medial forebrain bundle
Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits
___________ hijack the normal functioning of the reward circuit by causing an excessive release of dopamine, leading to neuroadaptations and addictive behaviors.
Drugs of abuse
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Preferred route of administration.
Oral Ingestion
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
*Oral Ingestion
Drugs are dissolve in the fluids of the stomach and are carried to the intestine, where they are absorbed into the _________.
bloodstream
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
*Oral Ingestion
Some drugs readily pass through the __________(e.g. alcohol).
stomach wall
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Takes effect sooner. Easy to administer and safer.
Oral Ingestion
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Unpredictability due to other factors such as amount and type of food in the stomach.
Oral Ingestion
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Preferred by drug-addicted persons (IV)
Injection
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Strong, fast and predictable effect. Bloodstream delivers the drug directly to the brain.
Injection
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
*Injection
Drug injections are typically made __________ (SC), into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin; __________ (IM), into the large muscles; or __________ (IV), directly into veins at points where they run just beneath the skin.
subcutaneously ; intramuscularly ; intravenously
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
*Injection
Once injected no opportunity to counteract the effects of an _______, an ________ or an ______________.
overdose ; impurity ; allergic reaction
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
*Injection
Many users develop:
1. ________
2. __________
3. _____________
at the few sites on their bodies where there are large accessible veins.
- scar tissue
- infections
- collapsed veins
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Absorbed into the bloodstream through the rich network of capillaries in the lungs. (e.g. tobacco and marijuana).
Inhalation
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Difficult to precisely regulate the dose of inhaled drugs and many substances damage the lungs if they are inhaled chronically.
Inhalation
Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS
Administered through the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and rectum. (e.g. cocaine, self-administered through the nasal membranes (snorted) but not without damaging them.
Absorption through mucous membranes
Drug Action, Metabolism, and Elimination
Drugs enters bloodstream - carried to the blood vessels of the _______.
CNS
Drug Action, Metabolism, and Elimination
______________makes it difficult for potentially dangerous bloodborne-chemicals to pass into the extracellular space across CNS neurons and glia.
BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
Mechanism of Action
TRUE or FALSE
Act diffusely on neural membranes through the CNS.
TRUE
Mechanism of Action
TRUE or FALSE
Binding to synaptic receptors influencing the synthesis, transport, release or deactivation of neurotransmitters
TRUE
Mechanism of Action
TRUE or FALSE
Influencing the chain of chemical reactions elicited in postsynaptic neurons by the activation of receptors,
TRUE
Drug Metabolism and Elimination
_________ synthesized by the liver terminate the actions of most drugs.
Enzymes
Drug Metabolism and Elimination
_______ enzymes stimulate the conversion of active drugs to nonactive forms (DRUG METABOLISM)
Liver
Drug Metabolism and Elimination
TRUE or FALSE
Drug metabolism eliminates a drug’s ability to pass through lipid membranes of cells so that it can no longer penetrate the blood-brain barrier.
TRUE
Drug Metabolism and Elimination
TRUE or FALSE
Small amount of some psychoactive drugs is passed from the body in urine, sweat, feces, breath and mother’s milk.
TRUE
Drug Tolerance
TRUE or FALSE
state of decreased sensitivity to a drug that develops because of exposure to it.
TRUE
Drug Tolerance
shift in the ____________ (a graph of the magnitude of the effect of different doses of the drug.
dose-response curve
Drug Tolerance
TRUE or FALSE
less effect than it had before
TRUE
Drug Tolerance
TRUE or FALSE
it takes more of the drug to produce the same effect.
TRUE
Specificity of Drug Tolerance
One drug can produce tolerance to other drugs that act by the same mechanism.
CROSS TOLERANCE
Specificity of Drug Tolerance
Often develops to some effects of a drug but not to others Tolerance may develop to some effects of a drug while sensitivity to other effects of the same drug increases.
CROSS TOLERANCE
Specificity of Drug Tolerance
Increasing sensitivity to a drug is called drug sensitization.
DRUG SENSITIZATION
Specificity of Drug Tolerance
Drug tolerance is not a unitary phenomenon; that is, there is no single mechanism that underlies all examples of it (Koshimizu et al., 2018; Siciliano et al., 2016).
DRUG SENSITIZATION
Specificity of Drug Tolerance
When a drug is administered at doses that affect nervous system function, many kinds of adaptive changes can occur to reduce its effects.
DRUG SENSITIZATION
2 Categories of Drug Tolerance
- Metabolic tolerance
- Functional tolerance
2 Categories of Drug Tolerance
Drug tolerance that results from changes that reduce the amount of the drug getting to its sites of action.
Metabolic tolerance
2 Categories of Drug Tolerance
Drug tolerance that results from changes that reduce the reactivity of the sites of action to the drug.
Functional tolerance
2 Categories of Drug Tolerance
Tolerance to psychoactive drugs if largely functional.
Functional tolerance
2 Categories of Drug Tolerance
can result from several different types of adaptive neural changes.
Functional tolerance
Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence
After significant amounts of a drug have been in the body for a period of time (e.g., several days), its sudden elimination can trigger an adverse physiological reaction.
WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME
Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence.
TRUE or FALSE
Effects of drug withdrawal are opposite to the initial effects of the drug (sleeping pills often produces insomnia).
TRUE
Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence.
TRUE or FALSE
Longer exposure to greater doses followed by more rapid elimination produces greater withdrawal effects.
TRUE
Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence.
Individuals who suffer withdrawal reactions when they stop taking a drug and said to be physically dependent on that drug.
PHYSICALLY DEPENDENT
Habitual drug use despite its adverse effects on health and social life and despite their repeated efforts to stop using it.
Drug Addiction
Drug Addiction
TRUE or FALSE
Addicted individuals sometimes take drugs to prevent or alleviate their withdrawal symptoms.
TRUE
Types of Addiction
legal substances (alcohol and tobacco)
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Types of Addiction
Alcohol, most consumed psychotropic in the world. Acts as a CNS depressant. May cause somatic complications (cirrhosis, cancer, cardiovascular disorder); psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety disorders)
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Types of Addiction
Tobacco’s nicotine is a powerful psychostimulant causing strong dependence. Smoking is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Leading cause of preventable death in the world.
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Types of Addiction
*SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
benzodiazepines, opioids analgesics or stimulants used in adhd treatment
Psychotropic drugs
Types of Addiction
*SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Most consumed illicit drug.
Cannabis’ tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Types of Addiction
*SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
like heroin or analgesics misused from their intended purpose
Opiods
Types of Addiction
*SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
(cocaine, amphetamines and MDMS (ecstacy) increase of dopamine and noradrenalin in the brain.
Stimulants
Types of Addiction
*SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
alters perceptions can enduce experiences of derealization and depersonalitzation.
Hallucinogens (LSD) or psilocybin mushrooms
Types of Addiction
pathological gambling, video games, internet addiction (compulsive cybersex, excessive online shopping.
BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION
Types of Addiction
*BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION
excessive involvement in work.
Workaholism
Types of Addiction
excessive sex, food, exercise substance and behavioral are coexisting.
BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION
Conditioned Compensatory Responses
TRUE or FALSE
Conditional stimuli that repeatedly predict the effects of a drug come to elicit greater and greater conditioned compensatory responses; and those conditioned compensatory responses increasingly counteract the unconditioned effects of the drug and produce situationally specific tolerance.
TRUE
Conditioned Compensatory Responses
external, public stimuli such as the drug-administration environment as the conditional stimuli
EXTEROCEPTIVE STIMULI
Conditioned Compensatory Responses
internal, private stimuli.
Ex. thinking about a drug can evoke conditioned compensatory responses
INTEROCEPTIVE STIMULI
5 Commonly Used Drugs
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Marijuana
- Cocaine and other stimulants
- Opioids
5 Commonly Used Drugs
smoking and vaping
Nicotine
5 Commonly Used Drugs
depressant
Alcohol
5 Commonly Used Drugs
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
Marijuana
5 Commonly Used Drugs
Heroin & Morphine
Opioids
Initial Drug Taking
- Availability
- Peer pressure
- Prior life experiences
- Social stress
- Environmental stress
- Novelty seeking
- Tools or Instruments
Habitual Drug Taking
refers to the anticipated pleasure associated with an action (wanting)
Positive-incentive theories
Habitual Drug Taking
liking
Hedonic value
Habitual Drug Taking
the positive incentive value of addictive drug increases (sensitized) with repeated drug use in addiction prone individuals.
Incentive-sensitization theory
Drug Craving and Relapse
Cravings leads to __________
relapse
Drug Craving and Relapse
as a major factor in relapse
Stress
Drug Craving and Relapse
A single exposure to the formerly misused drug
Drug priming
Drug Craving and Relapse
to cues that have been shown to precipitate relapse (people, times, places or objects)
Exposure
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
Addictions are complex, multifactorial phenomena resulting from the interaction among individual, environmental, and societal factors.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
Individual risk factors include genetic vulnerabilities, certain personality traits (impulsivity, sensation seeking), personality disorders, negative life events, and early traumas.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
The family and social environment plays a decisive role: the accessibility of substances, parental attitudes, lack of supervision, peer influence, and social norms can promote addictive behaviors.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
Social inequalities are a major determinant of addictions, with people in precarious situations being more exposed to stress factors and having less access to protective resources.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
Individual protective factors include good self-esteem, emotional regulation abilities, social skills, effective coping strategies, and a sense of self-efficacy.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
Quality family and social support, secure attachment, positive relationships with peers and teachers, as well as engagement in pro-social activities are environmental protective factors.
TRUE
Family and socioeconomic relationships
TRUE or FALSE
The role of psychologists in addictionology is to assess risk and protection factors present in each patient to propose personalized, integrative interventions, leveraging individual resources and skills.
TRUE
Factors for addiction
Research in molecular genetics has identified several genetic polymorphisms associated with an increased risk of addiction.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
These genetic variations can affect receptors, transporters, or enzymes involved neurotransmission systems related to reward, motivation, and emotional regulation.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
For example, polymorphisms of the gene coding for the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) have been associated with increased vulnerability to alcoholism and opioid dependence.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
Similarly, variations of the gene coding for the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) have been linked to an increased susceptibility to depression and substance abuse.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
Addictions are complex and multifactorial disorders; no single gene determines the risk of developing an addiction on its own.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
It is the complex interaction between multiple genes and environmental factors that shapes individual vulnerability.
Genetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
Epigenetic factors, which regulate the expression of genes without modifying the DNA sequence itself, also play a crucial role in addictions.
Epigenetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, can be influenced by environmental factors such as stress, nutrition, and life experiences.
Epigenetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
These epigenetic modifications can alter the expression of genes related to reward and stress systems, thus contributing to vulnerability to addictions.
Epigenetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
Chronic drug use can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the brain, contributing to relapse risks and the chronic nature of addictions.
Epigenetic Vulnerabilities
Factors for addiction
For example, chronic cocaine use has been associated with changes in DNA methylation in the promoter of the gene coding for the dopamine D2 receptor, leading to reduced expression and altered dopaminergic signaling.
Epigenetic Vulnerabilities
