Addictive Drugs

Question 1

Dopamine System

Answer 1

is made up of neurons focused in the midbrain (send axons through the brain)

Question 2

Reuptake Inhibitors

Answer 2

addictive drugs such as cocaine block the reuptake of dopamine (the more essential something is for your survival, the more dopamine will be released)

Question 3

Conditioned Learning (Associative or Pavlovian learning)

Answer 3

the brain forms associations between the environment and the cues that precede an even and the outcome of the event (if___ happens, ___ is the outcome)

Question 4

Tolerance

Answer 4

when someone loses effect of the drug
- Tolerance often leads to dose inclination

Question 5

Drugs that increase firing rate of dopamine neurons

Answer 5

depressants

Question 6

Drugs that increase the synaptic levels of dopamine by affecting uptake mechanisms

Answer 6

reuptake inhibitors/stimulants

Question 7

Drugs that are abused by are not highly addictive (in general, not addictive and don’t strongly affect the dopamine system)

Answer 7

hallucinogens

Question 8

6 examples of hallucinogens

Answer 8

1. mescaline
2. LSD
3. psilocybin
4. PCP
5. ketamine
6. salvia

Question 9

reuptake inhibitors/ stimulants

Answer 9

cocaine, crack, amphetamine, methamphetamine

Question 10

depressants

Answer 10

opiates, alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates

Question 11

nicotine

Answer 11

is neither a depressant or stimulants

Question 12

3 Features of Addictive Drugs

Answer 12

1) They Increase levels of dopamine in the synapse (by increasing firing rate or preventing clearance)
2) They rapidly cross the blood-brain-barrier so that there is little time between taking the drug and feeling the effect (increase of dopamine)
3) Repeated use causes physical dependence, with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that encourage more use

Question 13

Drugs to reduce withdrawal symptoms

Answer 13

1. Methadone (full agonist) or buprenorphine (partial agonist) for opioid withdrawal
2. Nicotine (nicotine patch) for withdrawal from tobacco products
3. Benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal

Question 14

Drugs to reduce high

Answer 14

Naltrexone (Antagonist) for alcohol use disorder

Question 15

Drugs to make drug taking unpleasant

Answer 15

Disulfiram for alcohol use disorder

Question 16

What is involved in generating habits that are somewhat unconscious and difficult to change

Answer 16

The dopamine system

Question 17

All addictive drugs activate the dopamine system by…

Answer 17

• increasing the firing rate of dopamine
• increasing the amount of dopamine in the synapse

Question 18

Inhalants

Answer 18

reduce oxygenation of the brain and other organs, causing lasting organ damage or lethal overdose

Question 19

Top 3 drugs of abuse

Answer 19

1. Opioids
2. Alcohol
3. Nicotine

Question 20

Mechanism of alcohol

Answer 20

• depressant
• blocks the excitatory message of glutamate
• amplifies the inhibitory message of GABA

Question 21

Cocaine comes from…

Answer 21

purified coca leaves

Question 22

Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic and has a similar structure to…

Answer 22

cocaine

Question 23

Mechanism of Cocaine

Answer 23

• blocks the actions of dopamine transporter
• causes dopamine levels to accumulate in the synapse
• Stimulant

Question 24

Most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen

Answer 24

Salvinorin A- A very selective agonist of the kappa opioid receptor