Exam 3: Psychopharmacology

Question 1

Psychoactive Drugs

Answer 1

Chemical substances that affect the brain and alter mood, behavior, or consciousness.

Question 2

Psychopharmacology

Answer 2

The study of how drugs affect mood, cognition, and behavior.

Question 3

Neuropsychopharmacology

Answer 3

An interdisciplinary field that explores how drugs affect brain function and behavior.

Question 4

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 4

The physiological and behavioral effects of drugs due to interactions with receptors.

Question 5

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 5

The movement of drugs through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Question 6

Bioavailability

Answer 6

The proportion of a drug that enters the bloodstream and is available to have an effect.

Question 7

Substance Use

Answer 7

The consumption of psychoactive substances, regardless of context or outcome.

Question 8

Substance Misuse

Answer 8

Using a substance in a way that causes harm or is not intended.

Question 9

Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Answer 9

A diagnosed medical condition involving the compulsive use of a substance despite harmful consequences.

Question 10

Tolerance

Answer 10

A reduced response to a drug over time, requiring more of it to achieve the same effect.

Question 11

Dependence

Answer 11

A state in which the body adapts to a drug, leading to withdrawal symptoms if stopped.

Question 12

Withdrawal

Answer 12

Physical and psychological symptoms that occur when stopping or reducing drug use.

Question 13

Addiction

Answer 13

A chronic disorder characterized by compulsive drug use and loss of control despite negative consequences.

Question 14

Brain Disease Model of Addiction

Answer 14

The view that addiction is a chronic brain disease involving neurobiological changes.

Question 15

Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants

Answer 15

Drugs that decrease CNS activity, producing calming effects.

Question 16

Stimulants

Answer 16

Drugs that increase physiological or CNS activity, boosting energy and alertness.

Question 17

Opioids

Answer 17

Drugs that relieve pain and produce euphoria by binding to opioid receptors.

Question 18

Hallucinogens

Answer 18

Drugs that alter sensory perception and cognitive processes.

Question 19

Cannabinoids

Answer 19

Compounds, including THC, that act on cannabinoid receptors and affect mood and perception.

Question 20

Dissociative Drugs

Answer 20

Drugs that distort perception of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment.

Question 21

Enteral Route

Answer 21

Drug administration involving the gastrointestinal tract, such as oral intake.

Question 22

Parenteral Route

Answer 22

Drug administration that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, such as injection.

Question 23

Reward Circuitry

Answer 23

Brain systems that mediate the reinforcing effects of rewards, especially involving dopamine.

Question 24

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

Answer 24

A midbrain region that produces dopamine and plays a role in reward.

Question 25

Dopamine

Answer 25

A neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, and pleasure.

Question 26

Mesolimbic Pathway

Answer 26

A dopamine pathway from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens involved in reward processing.

Question 27

Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)

Answer 27

A brain region central to the reward circuit and motivation.

Question 28

Self-Stimulation of Reward Pathway in Rats

Answer 28

A method where rats press a lever to stimulate their own reward circuitry.

Question 29

Rat Park Experiment

Answer 29

A study suggesting social and environmental factors influence drug use behaviors.

Question 30

The Role of The Amygdala in Reward

Answer 30

Involved in processing emotions associated with rewards.

Question 31

The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) in reward

Answer 31

Important for decision making and impulse control related to reward.

Question 32

Lateral Habenula (LHb)

Answer 32

A brain region involved in processing aversive stimuli and regulating reward circuits.

Question 33

Agonists

Answer 33

Drugs that activate receptors to produce a biological response.

Question 34

Antagonists

Answer 34

Drugs that block receptors and inhibit biological responses.

Question 35

Partial Agonist

Answer 35

A drug that binds to a receptor but produces a weaker response than a full agonist.

Question 36

Inverse Agonist

Answer 36

A drug that binds to a receptor and induces the opposite effect of an agonist.

Question 37

Reuptake Inhibition

Answer 37

A mechanism where drugs block neurotransmitter reabsorption, increasing synaptic levels.

Question 38

Effects of Alcohol on Reward Pathways

Answer 38

Alcohol disinhibits dopamine release by modulating opioid and GABA systems.

Question 39

Effects of Cannabis on Reward Pathways

Answer 39

Cannabis activates cannabinoid receptors, increasing dopamine signaling.

Question 40

Effects of Psychedelics on Reward Pathways

Answer 40

May alter reward circuitry via serotonin receptor activation and neuroplasticity.

Question 41

Effects of Opioids on Reward Pathways

Answer 41

Opioids disinhibit dopamine neurons in the VTA, enhancing dopamine in the NAc.

Question 42

Effects of Cocaine on Reward Pathways

Answer 42

Cocaine blocks dopamine reuptake, increasing dopamine levels in the NAc.

Question 43

Functional Tolerance

Answer 43

Changes in neuron responsiveness that reduce drug effects.

Question 44

Metabolic Tolerance

Answer 44

Increased drug metabolism that reduces the drug's concentration in the body.

Question 45

Downregulation in Tolerance

Answer 45

Reduction in receptor number or sensitivity due to prolonged drug exposure.

Question 46

Upregulation in Tolerance

Answer 46

Increase in receptor number or sensitivity in response to drug blockage.

Question 47

Structural Plasticity in Tolerance

Answer 47

Long-term changes in neural connections in response to repeated drug use.