Effects of recreational drugs

Question 1

Define a recreational drug

Answer 1

A drug that hasn’t been medically perscribed and has been consumed for the sole purpose of enjoyment.

Question 2

Define an agonist drug

Answer 2

attach to receptors and mimic the effect of a neurotransmitter

Question 3

Define an antagonist drug

Answer 3

Block receptors so that neurotrasmitters cant fit into them

Question 4

What is an example of 3 recreational drugs

Answer 4

Cocaine
Heroin
Ecstasy

Question 5

Cocaine:

What effect does cocaine have on the CNS

Answer 5

A stimulant effect, especially on the brain’s main reward system.

Question 6

Cocaine:

how does this drug acheive it’s effect

Answer 6

altering synaptic transmission involving several neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, serotonin and acetycholine).

Question 7

Cocaine:

How does cocaine increase dopamine levels

Answer 7

blocks reuptake of dopamine by binding to dopamine transport molecules in the presynaptic neuron

• free dopamine is forced to bind to postsynaptic receptor

Question 8

Cocaine:

What happens to dopamine receptors after repeated use

Answer 8

Receptors become downregulated

Question 9

Cocaine:

If a receptor is ‘downregulated’ what does that mean?

Answer 9

receptors are…
- damaged
- not working
- quantity of dopamine produced while sober decreases

Question 10

Heroin:

What effetc does heroin have on the CNS

Answer 10

depressant effect, slows CNS activity including activity of neurons involved in pain.

Question 11

Heroin:

What receptor does heroin bind to in the synapse?

Answer 11

mu (opioid) receptor found in cerebral cortex, limbic system and hypothalamus.

Question 12

Heroin:

What’s the mode of action of Heroin

Answer 12

Agonist, mimics the effect of another natural biochemical

Question 13

Heroin:

What are the long term effects of heroin use

Answer 13

Downregulation of opioid receptors on postsynaptic neuron

Question 14

Ecstacy:

What effect does ecstacy have on the CNS

Answer 14

Stimulant, block reuptake of serotonin at the synapse, but also significantly increases output of serotonin

Question 15

Strength of research evidence:

What is a strength of research evidence

Answer 15

Research evidence supporting the role of dopamine in non-human animals

Question 16

Strength of research evidence:

What procedure of the research evidence supports this

Answer 16

deliberately damaging mesocorticolimbic pathway in mice brain
- neurons unable to produce levels of dopamine normally associated with reward

Question 17

Strength of research evidence:

What were the results of the study on damaging mesocorticolimbic pathway in mice brain

Answer 17

mice failed to self-administer cocaine into their veins.
- showed cocaine’s effects were due to activity of dopamine in brain’s reward system

Question 18

Weakness of validity:

What is a weakness of the validity of this area

Answer 18

Most studies use non-human animals to study drug effect on CNS transmission.

Question 19

Weakness of validity:

Why is using non-human animals a weakness

Answer 19

Although there’s similarities between the CNS, the human brain is more complex
- isolating the effects of one neurotransmitter greatly oversimplifies the process

Question 20

Weakness of validity:

What does this mean

Answer 20

Generalising from animals to humans should be done with causion