chem remaining shit

what is the difference between instrumental and recreational drug use?

• instrumental → used as intended

• recreational → used for pleasure

what are psychoactive drugs?

chemical substances that alter feeling, thoughts, perceptions, and behaviour by modifying brain function

what is the difference between illicit and licit drugs?

• illicit → illegal to manufacture, sell, and possess

what are some historical uses of drugs?

• cavemen → cave mushrooms

• shamen → trances and plant based meds

• egyptians → Ebers Papyrus → first prescriptions

• viking berserkers → energized by fly agaric

• witches → “flying” notion from use of mandrake, belladonna, and toad venom

what led to the discovery and creation of specific purpose drugs in the 19th century?

the identification of active ingredients

what are “patent medicines”? examples?when were they popular?

• “one-drug-cures-all”

• alcohol, opium, cocaine

• 19th C.

what change in drug use occurred in the 20th C.? what were the effects?

• concerns about dependency rose

• heroin became viewed as too addictive to be considered safe

• alcohol social impacts → 13 years of prohibition

what new useful drugs arose in the 20th c.?

• antibiotics; penicillin and streptomycin

• therapeutic drugs; antipsychotics

what changed about the perception of drug use following ww2?

drinking and smoking became viewed as glamorous

what change occurred in the 60s regarding drug use?

• defiance to the cold/vietnam wars → hippy movement → popularized marijuana, LSD, etc.

what change occurred in the 70s regarding drug use?

advancements in neuroscience→ identification of neuroreceptors

what drug rose in popularity in the 80s? what did this lead to in the 90s?

• cocaine

• cheaper smokable “crack” through the 90s

• return of heroin in non-injection forms

• the mixing of certain “club drugs” and alcohol

what are the therapeutic uses of MDMA? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• PTSD treatment

• stimulant, hallucinogen

• ecstasy, E, lovers speed, m&m

what are the therapeutic uses of GHB? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• treats narcolepsy

• depressant; sleep, coma, death → date rape drug

• G, liquid X, goop soup

what are the therapeutic uses of ketamine? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• dissociative anaesthetic used by vets

• hallucinogen

• special K, vitamin K

what are the therapeutic uses of rohypnol? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• valium/xanax

• sedation; date rape drug

• roofies, forget-me, date-rape

what are the therapeutic uses of methamphetamine? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• treats ADHD

• stimulant

• speed, ice, meth

what are the therapeutic uses of LSD? what are its recreational uses? street names?

• was used to treat anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.

• hallucinogen

• acid

what has rose in popularity in the modern age? why?

• “war on drugs”

→ steroids, inhalants, prescription/OTC drugs, dietary supplements

what is drug tolerance?

the capacity of a does to have a gradually diminishing effect on chronic users

how is physiological tolerance supported by behavioural tolerance?

• the “ritual” → pavlovian response

• environmental triggers

what are the drug entry routes?

• oral

• injection

• inhalation

• membranes

what are the issues with oral drugs?

• spitting/ vomiting

• long absorption time

• degradation by stomach

what properties must oral drugs have? what is the consequence of these conditions?

• lipid soluble to be absorbed in small intestine

• survive enzymes in the liver

• pass BBB

• presence of food effects bioavailability

→ oral drugs have higher doses

what are the benefits/risks of injected drugs?

• bypass digestive system

• better dosage control

• risk infection

what are the types of injections?

• intravenous; 15s → brain. intense, not turning back

• intramuscular; slower. easier/faster

• subcutaneous; even slower. steady absorption, smaller volumes

what are the benefits of inhaled drugs?

• takes advantage of lung surface area

• we are geared to absorb O2 quickly

→ only 5-8s to brain

how can drugs be inhaled?

• burn the drug → smoke will contain other compounds

• vaporize the drug itself

what are the ways of ingesting drugs through membranes?

• snorting → intranasal mucous membrane

• chewing w/o swallowing→ gums

• place in cheeks → gums

• sublingual

• rectal

• patch

what are the types of drug interaction?

• additive (1+1=2)

• hyperadditive (1+1=3)

• potentiation → drug requires another to work

• antagonist → diminished by another

what are types of antagonistic drug interactions?

• some foods interact with drugs

• cross tolerance/dependance

→ tol/dep to one → tol/dep to another

what is the difference between stimulants and depressants?

• stimulants → sympathetic NS

• depressants→ parasympathetic NS

what is the structure of a neuron?

• soma (cell body)

• dendrites

• axon

• synaptic bulb

what is the synapse?

• synaptic knob

• gap

• receptor on next neuron

how fast do impulses travel?

120m/s

what are the steps of neuron communication?

1. NT release from synaptic bulb

2. receptor binding; excitatory or inhibitory

3. reuptake; NT expelled by receptor → back to knob

what are some neurotransmitters?

1. acetylcholine

2. norepinephrine

3. dopamine

4. serotonin

5. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

6. glutamate

7. endorphins

what is acetylcholine?

• affects parasympathetic NS and motor neurons

what does norepinephrine do? what drugs mimic it? how are antidepressants related?

• hypothalamus → regulates mood

• mimicked by amphetamines → stimulate CNS

• antidepressants inhibit the enzyme that metabolizes it

what does dopamine do? what conditions are associated?

• affects motor control, emotion, cravings

• degradation of dopamine releasing neurons → parkinson’s

• too much → schizophrenia; antipsychotics block receptor

what does serotonin do? what conditions are associated? what drug stimulates its receptors?

• sleep pattern, mood

• prevent mania and depression by acting on serotonin prod

• LSD

what does GABA do? is it excitatory or inhibitory? what drug is associated? conditions?

• inhibitory

• reduce stress and fear

• tranquilizers (anti-anxiety) → GABA release

• deficiency → epileptic seizures

is glutamate excitatory or inhibitory? what drugs are associated? how is it associated with drug abuse?

• excitatory

• PCP & ketamine block receptors

• blocking receptors can help with drug abuse treatment

what are endorphins? what is their effect? what drug is associated?

• a group of NTs

• pain killers

• mimicked by morphine

when are endorphins released?

• under stress/pain

• apparently during acupuncture

• childbirth/labor

• intense exercise → “runners high”

• normal exercise in extremely anorexic women

• could explain the pleasurable feeling of chocolate

what is the purpose of the blood brain barrier?

protect brain from biochemical variations in the blood

how can a drug pass the blood brain barrier? what are examples?

if fat soluble enough

• heroine → very easy

• morphine → a bit less

• penicillin → not at all

what are examples of how the blood brain barrier has to be considered in developing medical treatments?

molecules may be developed to be more fat soluble → attachment of a fatty acid chain

• L-dopa → more fat soluble dopamine precursor

what are the two types of drug tolerance?

1. metabolic

2. pharmacodynamic

what is metabolic tolerance? example?

after repeated exposure → liver bio-transforms more easily

• alcohol

what is pharmacodynamic tolerance? example?

• drug receptors become less sensitive

• repeated blockage of receptors → greater number of receptors or NTs

how does cross tolerance/dependance occur?

• several drugs bind to the same receptor

• drugs can become equivalent/interchangable

how does debug dependance develop? how can cravings me reduced?

• drugs induce dopamine → cravings

• drugs that interfere with dopamine or nucleus accumbems (where dopamine is produced) → reduce cravings

how are genetics linked to drug dependence?

• low number of dopamine receptors → more tendency to become dependent → controlled by genetics

what are some historical examples of the placebo effect?

• Evers Papyrus

• Pope Boniface VIII → “cured” by gold metal