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Flashcards in Cocaine Deck (25)
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1
Q

What category of drugs does cocaine fall into?

A

Psychomotor stimulants.

2
Q

What effects do cocaine and amphetamines have?

A

Sensorimotor activation, alertness, arousal and excitement

3
Q

Who was particularly enthusiastic about the effects of cocaine?

A

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

4
Q

What are the two structurally similar synthetic drugs to cocaine?

A

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

5
Q

In what different ways can cocaine be taken?

A

Intravenously, smoking, intranasally and orally.

6
Q

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

A

Intravenous.

7
Q

Where are the principal coca-growing regions?

A

South America - Columbia, Peru and Bolivia.

8
Q

What does cocaine do to the body?

A

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

9
Q

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

A

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

10
Q

What are the severe effects of cocaine and amphetamines?

A

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.

11
Q

What does cocaine do to the sympathetic nervous system?

A

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

12
Q

Apart from inhibiting neuron transporters, what can cocaine do?

A

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

13
Q

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

A

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.

14
Q

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

A

Cocaine only blocks transporters, amphetamines also stimulate release.

15
Q

What did Rocha et al (1998) find?

A

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

16
Q

What did Vorel et al (2002) find?

A

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.

17
Q

What did Inada et al (1992) do?

A

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.

18
Q

What did Post and Contel (1983) find?

A

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.

19
Q

What’s the difference between tolerance and sensitisation?

A

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

20
Q

Does chronic cocaine use produce tolerance or sensitisation?

A

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

21
Q

What are the three main treatment strategies for cocaine addiction?

A

Pharmacological, behavioural and psychosocial.

22
Q

What does pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

A

Desipramine, dopamine antagonists, maybe D3, even vaccines.

23
Q

What does behavioural treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

A

Avoidance of relapse triggers.

24
Q

What does psychosocial treatment for cocaine addiction involve?

A

Counselling and support.

25
Q

What did Carrera et al (2001) find?

A

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