WEEK 8: DRUGS Flashcards by Jullana Bareng

Q

Drugs that influence subjective experience and behavior by acting on the nervous system.

A

Psychoactive drugs

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

The reward circuit is composed of key brain structures such as:

A

ventral tegmental area (VTA)
nucleus accumbens
prefrontal cortex
medial forebrain bundle

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

The VTA releases _______ into target regions in response to rewarding stimuli, causing a sense of pleasure and reinforcing associated behavior.

A

dopamine

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

The _________ evaluates the motivational value of stimuli by integrating information from different brain regions.

A

nucleus accumbens

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

The __________ regulates impulses, decision-making, and modulates the activity of the VTA and nucleus accumbens.

A

prefrontal cortex

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

The ________________ enables communication between the various components of the reward circuit.

A

medial forebrain bundle

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Neuroanatomy of the Reward Circuits

___________ hijack the normal functioning of the reward circuit by causing an excessive release of dopamine, leading to neuroadaptations and addictive behaviors.

A

Drugs of abuse

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Preferred route of administration.

A

Oral Ingestion

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

*Oral Ingestion
Drugs are dissolve in the fluids of the stomach and are carried to the intestine, where they are absorbed into the _________.

A

bloodstream

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

*Oral Ingestion
Some drugs readily pass through the __________(e.g. alcohol).

A

stomach wall

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Takes effect sooner. Easy to administer and safer.

A

Oral Ingestion

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Unpredictability due to other factors such as amount and type of food in the stomach.

A

Oral Ingestion

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Preferred by drug-addicted persons (IV)

A

Injection

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Strong, fast and predictable effect. Bloodstream delivers the drug directly to the brain.

A

Injection

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

*Injection
Drug injections are typically made __________ (SC), into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin; __________ (IM), into the large muscles; or __________ (IV), directly into veins at points where they run just beneath the skin.

A

subcutaneously ; intramuscularly ; intravenously

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

*Injection
Once injected no opportunity to counteract the effects of an _______, an ________ or an ______________.

A

overdose ; impurity ; allergic reaction

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

*Injection
Many users develop:
1. ________
2. __________
3. _____________
at the few sites on their bodies where there are large accessible veins.

A

scar tissue
infections
collapsed veins

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Absorbed into the bloodstream through the rich network of capillaries in the lungs. (e.g. tobacco and marijuana).

A

Inhalation

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Difficult to precisely regulate the dose of inhaled drugs and many substances damage the lungs if they are inhaled chronically.

A

Inhalation

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Administration, Absorption, and Penetration to the CNS

Administered through the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and rectum. (e.g. cocaine, self-administered through the nasal membranes (snorted) but not without damaging them.

A

Absorption through mucous membranes

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Action, Metabolism, and Elimination

Drugs enters bloodstream - carried to the blood vessels of the _______.

A

CNS

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Drug Action, Metabolism, and Elimination

______________makes it difficult for potentially dangerous bloodborne-chemicals to pass into the extracellular space across CNS neurons and glia.

A

BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Mechanism of Action

TRUE or FALSE
Act diffusely on neural membranes through the CNS.

A

TRUE

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Q

Mechanism of Action

TRUE or FALSE
Binding to synaptic receptors influencing the synthesis, transport, release or deactivation of neurotransmitters

A

TRUE

How well did you know this?

1

Not at all

2

3

4

5

Perfectly

Mechanism of Action TRUE or FALSE Influencing the chain of chemical reactions elicited in postsynaptic neurons by the activation of receptors,

TRUE

Drug Metabolism and Elimination _________ synthesized by the liver terminate the actions of most drugs.

Enzymes

Drug Metabolism and Elimination _______ enzymes stimulate the conversion of active drugs to nonactive forms (DRUG METABOLISM)

Liver

Drug Metabolism and Elimination TRUE or FALSE Drug metabolism eliminates a drug’s ability to pass through lipid membranes of cells so that it can no longer penetrate the blood-brain barrier.

TRUE

Drug Metabolism and Elimination TRUE or FALSE Small amount of some psychoactive drugs is passed from the body in urine, sweat, feces, breath and mother’s milk.

TRUE

Drug Tolerance TRUE or FALSE state of decreased sensitivity to a drug that develops because of exposure to it.

TRUE

Drug Tolerance shift in the ____________ (a graph of the magnitude of the effect of different doses of the drug.

dose-response curve

Drug Tolerance TRUE or FALSE less effect than it had before

TRUE

Drug Tolerance TRUE or FALSE it takes more of the drug to produce the same effect.

TRUE

Specificity of Drug Tolerance One drug can produce tolerance to other drugs that act by the same mechanism.

CROSS TOLERANCE

Specificity of Drug Tolerance Often develops to some effects of a drug but not to others Tolerance may develop to some effects of a drug while sensitivity to other effects of the same drug increases.

CROSS TOLERANCE

Specificity of Drug Tolerance Increasing sensitivity to a drug is called drug sensitization.

DRUG SENSITIZATION

Specificity of Drug Tolerance Drug tolerance is not a unitary phenomenon; that is, there is no single mechanism that underlies all examples of it (Koshimizu et al., 2018; Siciliano et al., 2016).

DRUG SENSITIZATION

Specificity of Drug Tolerance When a drug is administered at doses that affect nervous system function, many kinds of adaptive changes can occur to reduce its effects.

DRUG SENSITIZATION

2 Categories of Drug Tolerance

1. Metabolic tolerance 2. Functional tolerance

2 Categories of Drug Tolerance Drug tolerance that results from changes that reduce the amount of the drug getting to its sites of action.

Metabolic tolerance

2 Categories of Drug Tolerance Drug tolerance that results from changes that reduce the reactivity of the sites of action to the drug.

Functional tolerance

2 Categories of Drug Tolerance Tolerance to psychoactive drugs if largely functional.

Functional tolerance

2 Categories of Drug Tolerance can result from several different types of adaptive neural changes.

Functional tolerance

Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence After significant amounts of a drug have been in the body for a period of time (e.g., several days), its sudden elimination can trigger an adverse physiological reaction.

WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME

Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence. TRUE or FALSE Effects of drug withdrawal are opposite to the initial effects of the drug (sleeping pills often produces insomnia).

TRUE

Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence. TRUE or FALSE Longer exposure to greater doses followed by more rapid elimination produces greater withdrawal effects.

TRUE

Drug withdrawal effects and physical dependence. Individuals who suffer withdrawal reactions when they stop taking a drug and said to be physically dependent on that drug.

PHYSICALLY DEPENDENT

Habitual drug use despite its adverse effects on health and social life and despite their repeated efforts to stop using it.

Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction TRUE or FALSE Addicted individuals sometimes take drugs to prevent or alleviate their withdrawal symptoms.

TRUE

Types of Addiction legal substances (alcohol and tobacco)

SUBSTANCE ADDICTION

Types of Addiction Alcohol, most consumed psychotropic in the world. Acts as a CNS depressant. May cause somatic complications (cirrhosis, cancer, cardiovascular disorder); psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety disorders)

SUBSTANCE ADDICTION

Types of Addiction Tobacco’s nicotine is a powerful psychostimulant causing strong dependence. Smoking is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Leading cause of preventable death in the world.

SUBSTANCE ADDICTION

Types of Addiction *SUBSTANCE ADDICTION benzodiazepines, opioids analgesics or stimulants used in adhd treatment

Psychotropic drugs

Types of Addiction *SUBSTANCE ADDICTION Most consumed illicit drug.

Cannabis’ tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Types of Addiction *SUBSTANCE ADDICTION like heroin or analgesics misused from their intended purpose

Opiods

Types of Addiction *SUBSTANCE ADDICTION (cocaine, amphetamines and MDMS (ecstacy) increase of dopamine and noradrenalin in the brain.

Stimulants

Types of Addiction *SUBSTANCE ADDICTION alters perceptions can enduce experiences of derealization and depersonalitzation.

Hallucinogens (LSD) or psilocybin mushrooms

Types of Addiction pathological gambling, video games, internet addiction (compulsive cybersex, excessive online shopping.

BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION

Types of Addiction *BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION excessive involvement in work.

Workaholism

Types of Addiction excessive sex, food, exercise substance and behavioral are coexisting.

BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION

Conditioned Compensatory Responses TRUE or FALSE Conditional stimuli that repeatedly predict the effects of a drug come to elicit greater and greater conditioned compensatory responses; and those conditioned compensatory responses increasingly counteract the unconditioned effects of the drug and produce situationally specific tolerance.

TRUE

Conditioned Compensatory Responses external, public stimuli such as the drug-administration environment as the conditional stimuli

EXTEROCEPTIVE STIMULI

Conditioned Compensatory Responses internal, private stimuli. Ex. thinking about a drug can evoke conditioned compensatory responses

INTEROCEPTIVE STIMULI

5 Commonly Used Drugs

1. Nicotine 2. Alcohol 3. Marijuana 4. Cocaine and other stimulants 5. Opioids

5 Commonly Used Drugs smoking and vaping

Nicotine

5 Commonly Used Drugs depressant

Alcohol

5 Commonly Used Drugs THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

Marijuana

5 Commonly Used Drugs Heroin & Morphine

Opioids

Initial Drug Taking

1. Availability 2. Peer pressure 3. Prior life experiences 4. Social stress 5. Environmental stress 6. Novelty seeking 7. Tools or Instruments

Habitual Drug Taking refers to the anticipated pleasure associated with an action (wanting)

Positive-incentive theories

Habitual Drug Taking liking

Hedonic value

Habitual Drug Taking the positive incentive value of addictive drug increases (sensitized) with repeated drug use in addiction prone individuals.

Incentive-sensitization theory

Drug Craving and Relapse Cravings leads to __________

relapse

Drug Craving and Relapse as a major factor in relapse

Stress

Drug Craving and Relapse A single exposure to the formerly misused drug

Drug priming

Drug Craving and Relapse to cues that have been shown to precipitate relapse (people, times, places or objects)

Exposure

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE Addictions are complex, multifactorial phenomena resulting from the interaction among individual, environmental, and societal factors.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE Individual risk factors include genetic vulnerabilities, certain personality traits (impulsivity, sensation seeking), personality disorders, negative life events, and early traumas.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE The family and social environment plays a decisive role: the accessibility of substances, parental attitudes, lack of supervision, peer influence, and social norms can promote addictive behaviors.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE Social inequalities are a major determinant of addictions, with people in precarious situations being more exposed to stress factors and having less access to protective resources.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE Individual protective factors include good self-esteem, emotional regulation abilities, social skills, effective coping strategies, and a sense of self-efficacy.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE Quality family and social support, secure attachment, positive relationships with peers and teachers, as well as engagement in pro-social activities are environmental protective factors.

TRUE

Family and socioeconomic relationships TRUE or FALSE The role of psychologists in addictionology is to assess risk and protection factors present in each patient to propose personalized, integrative interventions, leveraging individual resources and skills.

TRUE

Factors for addiction Research in molecular genetics has identified several genetic polymorphisms associated with an increased risk of addiction.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction These genetic variations can affect receptors, transporters, or enzymes involved neurotransmission systems related to reward, motivation, and emotional regulation.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction For example, polymorphisms of the gene coding for the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) have been associated with increased vulnerability to alcoholism and opioid dependence.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction Similarly, variations of the gene coding for the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) have been linked to an increased susceptibility to depression and substance abuse.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction Addictions are complex and multifactorial disorders; no single gene determines the risk of developing an addiction on its own.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction It is the complex interaction between multiple genes and environmental factors that shapes individual vulnerability.

Genetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction Epigenetic factors, which regulate the expression of genes without modifying the DNA sequence itself, also play a crucial role in addictions.

Epigenetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, can be influenced by environmental factors such as stress, nutrition, and life experiences.

Epigenetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction These epigenetic modifications can alter the expression of genes related to reward and stress systems, thus contributing to vulnerability to addictions.

Epigenetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction Chronic drug use can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the brain, contributing to relapse risks and the chronic nature of addictions.

Epigenetic Vulnerabilities

Factors for addiction For example, chronic cocaine use has been associated with changes in DNA methylation in the promoter of the gene coding for the dopamine D2 receptor, leading to reduced expression and altered dopaminergic signaling.

Epigenetic Vulnerabilities