Exam 1

psychoactive drug

alters consciousness, awareness of self and surroundings, and mood

Not all substances enter brain

True

blood brain barrier

semipermeable membrane that protects against toxic or fatal substances

Drugs are classified by their effects

True

stimulants

increase brain activity (cocaine, caffeine, amphetamine)

depressants

decrease/slow brain activity (alcohol, THC, Benzos)

opioids

One of a group of drugs similar to morphine, used medically primarily for their analgesic effects; pain relieving drugs

psychedelics

manifest the mind

positive reinforcement

use of a drug that is followed by a good effect increases use

gateway substance

drugs people tend to use before using "harder" drugs

DSM Diagnostic

categorizes symptoms to diagnose

Substance Use Disorder

addiction

DSM 5

use/intoxication
withdrawal
substance use disorder

Drug Enforcement Administration

federal agency responsible for enforcing laws and regulations governing narcotics and controlled substances
Controlled Substances Act of 1970
Drug Scheduling I-V

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

funds research on drug abuse, addiction, treatment, and prevention

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

connects nerves throughout the body with the brain

somatic nervous system

controls movement of skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system

controls internal glands and organs (involuntary)

sympathetic nervous system

fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system

calms, relaxes, reserves energy

medulla

controls heartbeat and breathing

reticular formation

controls arousal (sleep and wakefulness)

cerebellum

"little brain" motor coordination, movement, "muscle memory"

thalamus

relay station or "switchboard" of brain; entry point for sensory signals routed to higher brain regions for processing.

limbic system

group of structures involved in emotion and motivation

amygdala

fear, anxiety, aggression

hypothalamus

hormone release, body temp, hunger and thirst, reward center

hippocampus

memory processing

basal ganglia

group of structures in midbrain involved in movement

cell body

neuron's life support center

dendrites

tree like extensions from cell body that RECEIVE incoming signals

axons

SEND neural signals to other neurons

myelin sheath

insulates axon and speeds neural signal

synapse

space between neurons; chemical communication occurs here

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers; "keys"

receptors

binding sites for neurotransmitters on nearby neurons; drugs often act here
"locks"

reuptake

removal of NTs from synapse; recycling process back into axon terminal

dopamine

pleasure, reward, motivation, voluntary movement

acetylcholine

cognition memory
muscle junctions

serotonin

mood, sleep, apetite

norepinephrine

arousal and attention

endorphins

brains natural morphine
eases pain
boosts mood

GABA

main inhibitory chemical in brain
neurons not in action potential

titration

adjusting drug dose to obtain desired effect

oral

Adv: convenient, safe
Disadv: titration difficult, first pass metabolism, slower absorption

first pass metabolism

drugs pass through liver (filter) before reaching bloodstream

parenteral

injection
adv: reaches brain quickly ~1 min, precise titration easy, no first pass metabolism
disadv: overdose easy, needles risk of HIV or hepatitis

subcutaneous

between skin and blood vessels (skin popping)
adv: slow absorption, less chance of overdose
disadv: requires small volume of drug

Intramuscular

adv: absorption faster than SC, large volume OK
disadv: drug must be lipid soluble (move through fat layers)

inhiliation

adv: fastest absorption, easy titration
disadv: lung irritation, highly addictive

transdermal

across the skin

double blind studies

the experimental participant nor the person evaluating
the drug’s effect knows whether a particular
individual is receiving a placebo or an experimental drug.

dose response curve

increased dose = increased response

ED50

dose that is effective in 50% of subjects tested

LD50

dose that is fatal in 50% of subjects tested

therapeutic index

LD50/ED50 safety margin; larger # better

agonists

bind to receptor and produce functional effect; excites or inhibits neuron

antagonists

bind to receptor with NO functional effect; blocks receptor; prevents agonist from binding

metabolites

breakdown products of drugs

half life

time required for body to eliminate 50% of original ingested amount of drug

abuse potential

drugs with short half life and fast onset of action have HIGH ____________

potency

dose required to produce some effect

effectiveness

differences in the effect that drugs produce

tolerance

diminishing effects when given same dose

behavioral tolerance

learned; increased competence while under influence

drug disposition tolerance

body metabolizes drug faster

pharmacodynamic tolerance

drug disrupts homeostasis (internal balance); brain tries to restore balance by changing NT levels using neuroadaptation

withdrawal

in opposite direction to the initial effects of the drug

Schedule I

no medical use

Schedule II

accepted medical use

synaptic vesicles

Neurotransmitters are stored in the terminals in small, round packages

sublingual

under the tongue

transdermal

patch

buccal

in the cheek