Week 8: Drugs Flashcards
These are drugs that influence subjective experiences and behavior by acting on the nervous system
Psychoactive drugs
VTA stands for?
Ventral tegmental area
The reward circuit is composed of four key brain structures, what are those?
1) Ventral tegmental area
2) nucleus accumbens
3) prefrontal cortex
4) medial forebrain bundle
What hormone the VTA releases into target regions to rewarding stimuli
Dopamine
The nucleus accumbens evaluates the ____ ____ of stimuli by integrating information from different brain regions
Motivational values
True or false.
The prenatal cortex regulates motor function, communication between various components of the reward circuit, and modulates the activity of VTA and nucleus accumbens
False.
It regulates impulses and decision-making
True or false
The medial forebrain bundle enables communication between various components of the reward circuit
True
The drug administration to the CNS (4)
1) oral indigestion
2) injection
3) inhalation
4) absorption through mucous membrane
Drugs are dissolved in the fluids of the stomach and are carried to the intestine, where they are absorbed into the blood stream
Drugs administration via oral indigestion
Many users develop scar tissue, infections and collapsed veins at the few sites on the bodies where there are large accessible veins.
Drug administration via injection
These are absorbed into the blood stream through the rich network of capillaries in the lungs
Drug administration via inhalation
Administrated through mucous membrane of the nose, mouth, and rectum but not without damaging them
Absorption through the mucous membrane
5 commonly used drugs
Nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids (heroin and morphine)
This is the preferred route of administration because it is easy to administer, takes effect sooner, and safer.
Oral indigestion
This is preferred by drug-addicted persons. It has a strong, fast, and predictable effect.
Injection
___ ____ eliminates a drug’s ability to pass through lipid membranes of cells so that it can no longer penetrate the blood-brain barrier
Drug metabolism
The state of decreased sensitivity to a drug that develops as a result of exposure to it
Drug tolerance
One drug can produce tolerance to other drugs that act by the same mechanism
Cross tolerance
An increasing sensitivity to a drug is called ____ ____
Drug sensitization
What are the two categories of drug tolerance?
Metabolic tolerance and functional tolerance
Drug tolerance that resulted from changes that reduce the amount of the drug getting it it’s action
Metabolic tolerance
Drug tolerance that results from changes that reduce the reactivity of the sites of action to the drug
Functional tolerance
The tolerance to psychoactive drugs can result from several different types of adaptive neural changes.
Functional tolerance
After significant amounts of a drug have been in the body for some time, it’s sudden elimination can trigger an adverse psychological reaction
Withdrawal symptoms
