Flashcards in Lecture 4: Drug Effects Deck (21)
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What are the two large classes of the long term effects of amphetamine?
Social and emotional behaviour
Depression
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What are the effects of cocaine on the brain?
After 3-4 mins, Cocaine starts to bind to striatum (the major input system of the basal ganglia)
After 10 mins, high feeling is gone
Whole experience is gone in 20-30mins
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What is ecstasy?
A.k.a MDMA, EXC, Adam
Derivative of amphetamine (similar structure)
Synthesised in lab- make up varies from lab to lab
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What are the short term effects of ecstasy?
Increase in serotonin -> reinforced feeling -> more likely to take again
Heightened perceptions
Effects on the basal ganglia causes Stimulation
Elevated mood
Effects on the hypothalamus causes a Reduced appetite
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Which brain areas are affected by ecstasy?
Thinking, memory, hallucination, anxiety,
Connected to others, empathetic
Neocortex- cognition, memory and altered perceptions
Amygdala- limbic system - emotion
Hippocampus- memory
Basal ganglia
Hypothalamus- changes emotions
Serotonin nerve pathway (sleep, anxiety, mood, emotions, memory)
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What are the two major pathways affected by ecstasy?
1) Brainstem -> neocortex -> limbic system
2) Spinal cord -> muscle activity
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What is the primary target for ecstasy?
Serotonin transporters
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What effect does ecstasy have on the hippocampus?
Memory and mood
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What are short term effects of ecstasy?
Sustained activation of more serotonin receptors, leads to elevated mood (antidepressant drug)
When ecstasy is gone, only a few of the serotonin receptors are activated, resulting in depression and anxiety
Feelings of restlessness, sleeplessness
Ecstasy users experience lost of serotonin receptors, transporters and nerve terminals
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What are the adverse effects of ecstasy?
Clouded thinking
Disturbed behaviour
Hyperthermia - due to disruption of temperature regulation
Jaw clenching
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What are life threatening effects of ecstasy?
Hyperthermia- high temperature can cause brain damage resulting in death
Arrhythmia- irregular heart beats, muscle breakdown
Renal failure- fluid depletion, reduced kidney function
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What are long term effects of ecstasy?
Brain chemistry changes:
Reduced serotonin and serotonin metabolites
Brain structure changes:
Reduced serotonin transporters
Degeneration of serotonin terminals
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What are teratogens?
Environmental agent that causes damages during prenatal period
The genetic makeup of the mother or developing organism may enable or hinder their ability to withstand harm
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What are the effects of teratogens on a 3-8 week old foetus?
Toxic environmental agents can cause serious defects as this is the period when foundations are laid down (heart, eye, arms etc)
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What did thalidomide result in?
Thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness in mothers, however it caused severe limb deformities in the babies
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What is diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Drug which prevented miscarriages and did not seem harmful at first,
Baby later found to have problems with conception (miscarriages)
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What are the effects of heavy caffeine intake during pregnancy?
Miscarriage,
Withdrawal symptoms from baby and mum
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What are the effects of aspirin intake?
Infant death, poor motor development
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What are the effects of illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, homeback, MSTI, methadone?
Cocaine babies have a higher risk of genital urinary tract, kidney and heart deformities as well as brain seizures
Cocaine daddy's : can have defects in some
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What are the effects of tobacco during pregnancy?
Increased concentration of CO -> reduced nutrient uptake -> low birth weight, premature babies, miscarriage, infant death, developmental risks (long term impairments of learning etc)
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