Cocaine

Question 1

What category of drugs does cocaine fall into?

Answer 1

Psychomotor stimulants.

Question 2

What effects do cocaine and amphetamines have?

Answer 2

Sensorimotor activation, alertness, arousal and excitement

Question 3

Who was particularly enthusiastic about the effects of cocaine?

Answer 3

Freud. Also smoked many cigars, got jaw cancer and had a prosthetic and many operations.

Question 4

What are the two structurally similar synthetic drugs to cocaine?

Answer 4

WIN 35,428 (CFT) and RTI-55 (beta-CIT).

Question 5

In what different ways can cocaine be taken?

Answer 5

Intravenously, smoking, intranasally and orally.

Question 6

Which method of cocaine ingestion results in the highest plasma cocaine concentration?

Answer 6

Intravenous.

Question 7

Where are the principal coca-growing regions?

Answer 7

South America - Columbia, Peru and Bolivia.

Question 8

What does cocaine do to the body?

Answer 8

It increases synaptic catecholamine and serotonin levels by binding to the transporter and blocking re-uptake; it’s an indirect dopamine agonist.

Question 9

What are the mild-moderate effects of cocaine and amphetamines?

Answer 9

Mood amplification, heightened energy, insomnia, motor excitement, restlessness, talkativity, hyperactive ideation, increased sexual interest, anger, mild-moderate anorexia.
Inflated self-esteem

Question 10

What are the severe effects of cocaine and amphetamines?

Answer 10

Irritability, hostility, anxiety, fear, withdrawal, extreme energy or exhaustion, total insomnia and anorexia, compulsive motor stereotypies, rambling, incoherent speech, disjointed flight of ideas, decreased sexual interest, extreme violence, delusions of grandiosity.

Question 11

What does cocaine do to the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 11

Creates a high and ‘rush’, but also vasoconstriction, hypertension. This can cause strokes or intracranial haemorrhage.

Question 12

Apart from inhibiting neuron transporters, what can cocaine do?

Answer 12

Block nerve conduction by inhibiting Na+ channels, local anaesthetic.

Question 13

What is the role of dopamine in psycho-stimulant induced behaviours?

Answer 13

It plays a central role, as shown by microinjection and lesion studies - 6-ODHA lesions to the NA and striatum decrease locomotor and stereotyped behaviours (which are increased by psychostimulant microinjection) and decrease reinforcing effects. The mesolimbic pathway is key.

Question 14

What is the difference between the effect of cocaine and amphetamines on the dopamine system?

Answer 14

Cocaine only blocks transporters, amphetamines also stimulate release.

Question 15

What did Rocha et al (1998) find?

Answer 15

That wild-type mice self-administer cocaine more than DAT knockout mice on a FR-2 schedule.

Question 16

What did Vorel et al (2002) find?

Answer 16

That in rats implanted with stimulating electrodes cocaine reliably enhanced brain reward by decreasing the reward threshold, which was completely blocked by SB-27701-A.

Question 17

What did Inada et al (1992) do?

Answer 17

Gave rats a continuous IV infusion of either saline or cocaine for 11/12 days then either a cocaine or saline ‘challenge’. Locomotor activity was measured and it was found that cocaine-infused rats developed tolerance - showed less activity.

Question 18

What did Post and Contel (1983) find?

Answer 18

That rats given daily cocaine injections showed a progressive increase in stereotyped behaviour (sensitisation) compared with saline controls. Was definitely due to cocaine - gave saline and showed lower stereotypy ratings.

Question 19

What’s the difference between tolerance and sensitisation?

Answer 19

Sensitisation is like reverse tolerance - an increase in responsiveness to a drug resulting from repeated use of it.

Question 20

Does chronic cocaine use produce tolerance or sensitisation?

Answer 20

Both - it depends on the pattern of administration, the behavioural response measured and the time elapsed since last does (short=tolerance, long=sensitisation).

Question 21

What are the three main treatment strategies for cocaine addiction?

Answer 21

Pharmacological, behavioural and psychosocial.

Question 22

What does pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

Answer 22

Desipramine, dopamine antagonists, maybe D3, even vaccines.

Question 23

What does behavioural treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

Answer 23

Avoidance of relapse triggers.

Question 24

What does psychosocial treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

Answer 24

Counselling and support.

Question 25

What did Carrera et al (2001) find?

Answer 25

That immunised rats, when challenged with cocaine, have lower locomotor activity and stereotypy than controls.