Drugs&Behavior: Exam 2

earliest known examples of alcoholic processes

fermenting, brewing, and distilling

rise of the temperance movement (17th century)

england in 1600s: ranked alcohol and related alcohol and how you consume it to how it makes you behave; early example of harm reduction

women’s christian temperance union (1880)

second wave temperance; slut shamed women to get them to not drink

prohibition

1920, repealed 1933; start of AA

current taxation rate

~42%; ½ the cost of alcohol is taxed, but not in Wisconsin

metabolization

10/15 grams of alcohol/hour

Antabuse (disulfiram)

interferes with acetaldehyde, builds up, and makes you violently ill; a drug to treat alcoholism; can die if you drink enough while on this drug

learned taste aversion

resistant to extinction; the reason why Antabuse didn’t work, needs to have a novel flavor, and Antabuse has no flavor

standard drink

12 oz can of beer (5%), 5 oz glass of wine (8%), 1.5 oz shot of liquor (40%)

proof

% x 2

how much will your BAC rise per drink per hour?

.02-.04

.10 BAC causes…

ataxia (without movement)

.30 BAC causes…

comas

.50 BAC causes…

death

what effects BAC

body weight, whether or not you have eaten, and gender

why gender effects BAC

men will get sober faster, women have more lipid tissue, and alcohol is lipid soluble, and have estrogen (women get drunk faster and stay drunk longer)

formula for finding BAC

#of standard drinks per hour x estimated increase of BAC per hour = overall BAC

.2 BAC causes…

blackouts (the more you drink, the higher your BAC will have to be before blacking out)

acute impacts of alcohol on the CNS 

generally depressive, euphoric (first 10 minutes), disinhibition, GABA system (anxiety; brain stem)

combining alcohol with caffeine

gives the body mixed messages because one is a stimulant and one is a depressant; drunker longer

acute effects of alcohol on the PNS

peripheral dilator, inhibits ADH (anti-diuretic hormone)

peripheral dilator

blood vessel dilation; flushed look and loosing heat (alcohol increases susceptibility to hypothermia)

inhibition of ADH

Alcohol increases water loss by impacting this hormone and dehydrates you faster because this hormone is responsible for the body recognizing you are losing fluid and holding onto it and trying to keep you hydrated.

chronic effects of alcohol on the CNS

activates DA in NA, interferes with glutamate in the hippocampus

activation of DA in NA

alcohol is a sedative, but it chronically affects the brain in the same way that cocaine does because of dopamine hits

interference of glutamate in hippocampus

• hippocampus - acetylcholine (memory and muscle contractions)

• glutamate - associated with Alzheimer’s; blackouts (learning and memory)

how chronic effects of alcohol cause sleep disturbances

interferes with REM, causing people to wake up several times in middle of the night after heavy drinking

chronic effects of alcohol on PNS

liver disease (cirrhosis), cancer (anything alcohol touches in the body), cardiovascular (correlation)

korakoff syndrome

extreme form of blackouts, causes inability to develop LT memories

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or effects (FAE)

significant effect where children are born with cognitive and physical issues (neck fusion, eyes close together, webbing between fingers and toes)

difference between FAS and FAE

dependent on how severe alcohol use was during the pregnancy

how alcohol increases violent behavior

trauma (ETOH) → PTSD

• people drink to help PTSD, but increased alcohol + increased trauma = increased PTSD

deaths by alcohol

3.3M yearly, world wide; only what is directly connected to alcohol

resveratrol

decreases hardening of arteries; why people think wine is healthy because grape skins have this

short term withdrawal

48 hours: anxiety, irritability, insomnia

long term withdrawal

>72 hours: delirium tremens (DT)

• confusion, hallucinations (tactile: formicahsa - cutting “bugs” out of skin), excessive sweating, seizures

• possible cardiac arrhythmias, suicide, kidney or heart failure

screening tool: CAGE

given to see if a more thorough investigation is needed; four yes/no questions, need 3 points to pass, last question, if answered yes to, automatically gets an investigation

what does CAGE stand for

cut down, angry, guilty, and eye opener

treatments

AA, opiate antagonist, GABA agonist, and serotonin agonist

opiate antagonist

lower alcohol rates

GABA agonist

anticonvulsant; manages DT

serotonin agonist

works against anxiety

policy controversies

legal drinking age, dry counties, “wet” houses, DUI limit, zero tolerance