Drugs And Addiction Flashcards
(60 cards)
What is substance use disorder?
A complex condition characterised by the compulsive use of a substance that persists despite awareness of negative consequences
What is intoxication?
A reversible set of symptoms occurring after the use of exposure to a drug, symptoms may occur in people without SUD
What is withdrawal?
Diagnosed based on the behavioural, physical and cognitive symptoms that occurring after due to the abrupt reduction or discontinuation of heavy and prolonged substance use
What is neuropharmacology?
The study of how drugs affect the nervous system
What are endogenous substances?
Naturally occurring within the body
What are exogenous substances?
Molecules from outside our body, used to affect behaviour and physiology
What are drugs?
Exogenous chemical compounds administered to produce a desired change in the body. Natural, man made, beneficial and harmful
Examples of psychoactive drugs
Coca plants
Marijuana
Tobacco
Brain neurotransmitters have what kind of relationship with plant alkaloids?
A close evolutionary relationship
How do monkeys and apes self medicate?
Select plants with antibacterial affects
How does taste shape the use of botanical drugs?
Taste strongly predictive of therapeutic use - simple but strong taste
Goals within motivational systems?
Bring the organism in contact with potentially beneficial resources and away from danger
Psychoactive drugs in animals
Many animals self administer drug to the point of death, ignoring elementary needs
What is the mesocorticopathway?
Pathway of dopamine
Drug abuse increase Mesolithic dopamine activity, signalling reward from brain
The function of dopamine
Dopamine triggers a neuron making you feel good
What role does the insula play in drug addiction?
Connections with subcritical and cortical structures and emotions. Involved in the conscious urge to take drugs
What does a dysfunctional insula mean for drug use?
Relate to impaired decision making in drug addiction
Example impact of insula lesion
Lesion in addiction smokers resulted in an ability to stop smoking effortlessly
Where is the insula?
Behind frontal
Lobe
What is a neurotransmitter?
A chemical messenger between neurons
What are receptors?
Protein molecules in the postsynaptic membrane
What are the receptor subtypes?
Ionotropic
Metabrotropic
How do ionotropic receptors?
Open an ion channel when the neurotransmitter molecule binds
How do metabotropic receptors work?
When activated they alter chemical reactions in the cell, such as a G protein system to open an ion channel