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PSYCH 275 > Chapter 5: Drugs, Addiction and Reward > Flashcards

Chapter 5: Drugs, Addiction and Reward Flashcards

1
Q

What is a drug?

A

Medicine or substance that changes the bodies functioning

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2
Q

What is an agonist?

A

A drug/substance that binds to a receptor and mimics the effects of neurotransmitter

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3
Q

What is antagonist?

A

Bind to a receptor and prevents the binding of NT, it occupies a receptor so nothing else can bind to it, has no effect by itself

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4
Q

What are psychoactive drugs?

A

Drugs with psychological effects such as anxiety relief or hallucinations

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5
Q

What is the formula for psychoactive drugs?
_____________ +___________________ = ____________

A

Addictive drugs + pleasure = psychoactive drugs

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6
Q

What is dependence? What are the two types?

A

The need to keep taking a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms and to maintain the bodies normal homeostatic level. There is physical dependence which is being dependent on a drug to maintain bodily functions, and there is psychological dependence which is a reliance on a drug to avoid psych feelings (anxiety, insomnia for example)

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7
Q

What is tolerance?

A

Needing to take more drug to feel the same effects

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8
Q

Can you have dependence without tolerance? Or vice versa?

A

YES TO BOTH but they usually appear together

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9
Q

What is addiction?

A

Preoccupation with obtaining a drug, it is compulsive use of the drug, eventually the euphoric effects wear off so it is not necessarily chasing the effects of the drug.

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10
Q

Can you have addiction without tolerance? Or vice versa?

A

YES TO BOTH, although they normally appear together

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11
Q

What is withdrawal? How can we predict withdrawal symptoms depending on the drug taken?

A

The negative reaction one feels when they stop taking a drug. Withdrawal symptoms are the opposite of the drug you are withdrawing from. Therefore stimulants have depressant withdrawal symptoms.

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12
Q

Can you develop tolerance to a drug only in a specific place?

A

YES, tolerance can be associated with the place you normally take the drug, and when you take the drug in a different place your tolerance will decrease, this is how many overdoses happen.

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13
Q

What is the difference between an opioid and an opiate?

A

An opiate is any natural narcotic opioid alkaloids found in the opium poppy, whereas an opioid is a broader term that refers to any synthetic or natural compound or endogenous peptide that exerts biological effects at the opioid receptor

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14
Q

What is heroin?

A

Heroin is a semi-synthetic opioid that is metabolized to morphine in the brain, and was synthesized from morphine. It is small and lipid soluble therefore it crosses the BBB quickly and makes it into the brain very fast, therefore has high peak and falls fast

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15
Q

Why was heroin created?

A

People thought that morphine was too addictive and strong therefore they made heroin to try and make a less potent and dangerous form of morphine but it is just as strong and addictive

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16
Q

Why is heroin so addictive?

A

It peaks quickly once taken and it is also a short peak, this means you must administer it many times and therefore lots of peaks and troughs and this makes it addictive

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17
Q

What are endogenous endorphins?

A

These are the bodies own neurotransmitters for the receptors that opioids act on. They are made in the body and called endorphins

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18
Q

What do all depressant drugs do? What are the three effects depressant drugs can have?

A

Depressant drugs reduce central nervous system activity, and they can be sedatives (calming), anxiolytics (anti anxiety) or they can be hypnotics (sleep, Zen mode)

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19
Q

What are the three depressants we talk about in this class?

A

Alcohol, benzodiazepines and barbiturates

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20
Q

What is the most common and widely abused drug?

A

ALCOHOL

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21
Q

What are the effects of alcohol?

A

Euphoria, decrease anxiety, cognitive and motor impairment, and at high doses coma and death

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22
Q

What is the most common use for alcohol?

A

Social lubricant and a disinhibitory

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23
Q

What effect does alcohol have at high doses (ONE WORD)?

A

SEDATIVE

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24
Q

What is delirium tremens? What drug causes it?

A

This is a severe reaction to alcohol withdrawal resulting in hallucinations, confusion, delusions, and in extreme cases seizures and possible death. It can be caused by binge drinking or chronic drinking and happens when someone ties to stop drinking abruptly

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25
Q

What are barbiturates?

A

These are drugs that (in small doses) act selectively at higher cortical centers, especially those involved in inhibiting behaviour.

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26
Q

What is the difference in effects when on low dose versus high dose barbies?

A

Low dose makes you sociable and high doses are sedative, hypnotics and anesthesia

27
Q

Are barbies or benzos more dangerous? Why?

A

Barbies are more dangerous because they have a narrow safety margin (benzos have a wide one), and benzos do not need GABA to be present at the GABA A receptor in order to work, they can open the GABA channels by themselves to promote hyperpolarization. Benzos only work when GABA is present, and they increase frequency of Cl channel opening to promote hyperpolarization.

28
Q

What are benzodiazepines?

A

Drugs that act at the benzodiazepine binding sites on GABA A receptors to reduce anxiety, increase sedation and muscle relaxation. They are much safer than barbies and do not cause anesthesia at high doses

29
Q

What does activation of the GABA A receptor do?

A

Opens a chlorine channel allowing CL to flow into the nerve and cause hyperpolarization.

30
Q

What are stimulants and the 4 examples we talked about in class?

A

Stimulants activate the CNS to increase arousal, increase alertness and elevate mood. The four examples are cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine and caffeine

31
Q

What is cocaine? What are its effects?

A

Cocaine is a stimulant that blocks the reuptake of NT such as DA and 5HT into the synapse therefore prolonging their effects in the synapse. It produces euphoria, increased alertness, decreases appetite and decreases fatigue. The withdrawal is less tough but very addictive

32
Q

What is the difference between free base cocaine, crack and powdered cocaine?

A

Free base cocaine has had the HCl salt removed from it, therefore it is pure cocaine and it must be heated up and the vapor inhaled. Crack is smokable cocaine, it has HCl in it and it is solid, it is mostly used my the poorer population and it is less expensive and the penalties are higher. Powdered cocaine is snorted and mostly used by upper class, penalties are not as tough

33
Q

What type of cocaine can a urine test detect?

A

ONLY CRACK

34
Q

What are amphetamines? What are their effects?

A

These are a group of synthetic drugs that produce euphoria and increase concentration and alertness. They are often used for ADHD, and the most dangerous form is meth. They can be made from pseudoephedrine which is obtained OTC, it decreases appetite and increases grandiosity

35
Q

What is the smokable form of meth called?

A

ICE

36
Q

What parts of the brain lose volume as a result of amphetamine use?

A

Limbic system, white matter, hippocampus

37
Q

What are bath salts? Why are they complicated?

A

Variety of synthetic drugs related to cathinone which is a stimulant found in the khat plant. They are designer drugs meaning that they are based on but are chemically different from other stimulants therefore they are not technically illegal and not technically legal either.

38
Q

What is nicotine? What are its effects?

A

It is the primary psychoactive ingredient in tobacco, it stimulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, it is calming. It is easy to develop tolerance to, and it is the leading cause of preventable death

39
Q

What are the withdrawal effects of nicotine?

A

Headaches

40
Q

What is caffeine?

A

The active ingredient in coffee and tea, it produces arousal and increased alertness and decreases sleepiness, it is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug and it may have health benefits when used in moderation.

41
Q

What are the withdrawal effects of caffeine?

A

Headaches, cravings, fatigue, shakes, anxiety

42
Q

What are psychedelic drugs? What are the five categories?

A

Drugs that produce hallucinations and perceptual distortions in the user. There are serotonergic, catecholaminergic, NMDA receptor antagonists and designer drugs.

43
Q

What are serotonergic psychedelics? What are two examples?

A

They are drugs that mimic the effects of 5HT and bind to the 5HT receptors (agonists), they produce sensory distortions in shapes and colors. Two examples are LSD and psilocybin

44
Q

What are catecholaminergic psychedelics? What are three examples?

A

These are drugs that resemble AMPH and dopamine/norepinephrine, they are hallucinogens and stimulants making them very dangerous because they cause hyperactivity and hyperexcitability. Three examples are MDMA/molly/ ecstasy

45
Q

What are NMDA receptor antagonists? What are two examples?

A

These are drugs that block the NMDA Glu receptors, they mimic the effects of schizophrenia, they were originally developed as anesthetics and two examples are ketamine and PCP

46
Q

What are designer drugs?

A

These are drugs that are synthetic and made through chemical changes therefore it is very hard to make them illegal

47
Q

What is marijuana? What is the main psychoactive ingredient? What are the effects?

A

It is the crushed leaves and flowers of the Cannabis Sativa plant, the main psychoactive cannabinoid is THC and there are 80 others but we know of three including THC and CBD. Impairs your cognition and movements as well as your memory

48
Q

What is hash?

A

Dried resin of the plant, it is very high in THC

49
Q

What are the effects of marijuana due to the fact that it increases DA?

A

It produces mild euphoria BUT quickly become tolerant and dopamine decreases

50
Q

What is a cannabinoid? What are two examples?

A

Group of compounds made endogenously within the body that were originally made for the cannabinoid receptors. They include anandamide as well as 2 arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG)

51
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: Pleasurable effects of a drug and avoidance of withdrawal fully account for drug use motivation

A

FALSE. Why would we start taking drug if we are simply avoiding the withdrawal effects, and most users lose the euphoric effects of a drug so that does not explain why they keep taking it

52
Q

What is reward in relation to drug use?

A

The positive effect a drug has on the user due to an increase in dopamine, not the only factor in addiction

53
Q

What is part of the mesolimbic pathway? What does it do?

A

The mesolimbic pathway includes the VTA which contains dopamine and sends it to the NAc, and also includes the NAc which is heavily involved in goals and values. This pathway mediates the bodies natural reward system, and it WANTS to be activated

54
Q

What brain regions are part of the mesocortical pathway?

A

The amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus and it also uses dopamine

55
Q

What type of changes does addiction create in the brain? Do these persist after drug usage stops?

A

Structural and functional changes, and these persist long after drug use has stopped.

56
Q

What is the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway?

A

This is the pathway containing the VTA and all of its dopaminergic projections to the PFC, amygdala, the hippocampus as well as the nucleus accumbens.

57
Q

How does the NAc play a role in drug seeking behavior?

A

It controls goals and values by working with the PFC, it mediates memories of past drug use via connections with the hippocampus, it mediates the emotional connections with drugs via the amygdala

58
Q

What happens in terms of neuroplasticity in the NAc when addicted to drugs?

A

Dendritic connections increase, which increases neuroplasticity and synaptic connections, which then decreases the natural reward system and baseline dopamine

59
Q

What is hypofrontality?

A

This is reduced activity in the frontal regions that control working memory, behavioral inhibition as well as response to environment. It refocuses the individuals goals in life to drug seeking behaviors creating cravings and these persist many years after drug abstinence

60
Q

What are the 5 different treatment strategies from drug addiction?

A

Agonist treatment, Methadone (type of agonist treatment that decreases withdrawal symptoms), antagonist treatments (only work in those motivated to quit), aversive treatments (only work on those motivated to quit), and antidrug vaccines

61
Q

How can antagonist treatments possibly lead to overdose?

A

Addict learns that the drug is not having its normal effect, therefore they take more drug to try and get an effect and end up overdosing

62
Q

What type of treatment is naloxone?

A

Antagonist treatment

63
Q

What is an antidrug vaccine?

A

Molecules that attach to drugs and stimulate immune system to make antibodies that degrade the drug, need to take one every 2-3 weeks, not FDA approved

64
Q

Genetic influences affect how drugs are…. (three things)

A

Metabolized, neurotransmitter and receptor levels, and other addiction risk factors

PSYCH 275 (9 decks)

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