Drugs and Society: Hallucinogens, Stimulants, Nicotine, Alcohol

Esketamine (Spravato)

This has been FDA approved as a nasal spray as an option to treat TRD

PCP and ketamine

In humans, these can cause memory and cognitive deficits (mostly encoding)

ketamine

At high/chronic doses (ie., recreational use): this blocks memory formation because it is an NMDA antagonist

Ketamine

At therapeutic doses this can improve neuroplasticity and reduce neuroinflammation by the release of BDNF

Mescaline

These are hallucinogens related to Norepinephrine

Mescaline

The acute psychedelic effects are similar to LSD but physiological effects are greater

• causes nausea, headache, vomiting

• Effective dose about 200mg

• Peak response is about 30 min-2 hours

Amanita muscaria

These are hallucinogens related to Acetylcholine

Amanita muscaria

This is a mushroom that grows in the northern hemisphere

• Poisonous when fresh but deaths rarely occur in adults (15 caps is the toxic dose)

• Appeared in ancient Algerian art 3500 BC and has made many appearances in literature, art and other media forms since

Amanita muscaria

The acute effects of this drug include euphoria, relaxation, synesthesia, hallucinations, clarity of thought and possibly heightened aggression

• Active ingredient is muscimol and ibotenic acid

T

T/F Alcohol is not digested but is absorbed directly into the bloodstream

F

T/F Alcohol kills brain cells

Organic material with a sugar content

What two basic things do you need to create ethyl alcohol?

acetaldehyde dehydrogenase

50% of people of Asian descent have lower levels of what enzyme in the liver when considering metabolizing alcohol

T

T/F 0.08 and higher is legally drunk

GABA receptors

Alcohol works on the ____ receptors

gastric irritant

alcohol also acts as a _____ so nausea and vomiting often occurs first

T

T/F Alcohol and caffeine increases your desire to smoke

nicotine, water droplets, and tar

The particulate phase includes what

Nicotine

This stimulates sympathetic neurons and helps to release adrenaline

Alcohol

This is normally administered orally and absorption into the bloodstream takes place along the digestive tract—mainly in the stomach and small intestine

Liver

the primary source of alcohol elimination is the what?

Korsakoff’s psychosis or Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome

Sometimes, heavy drinkers show a cluster of symptoms including a loss of memory for past events, an inability to remember new material, and disorientation and confusion. These symptoms are collectively known as _____, and are the result of damage to certain parts of the brain’s temporal lobe

Tobacco snuff

This is made by drying the leaves, grinding them to a very fine powder, and mixing the powder with various aromatic and flavoring agents.

Nicotine

This is said to be a stimulant, as it increases alertness and speeds up heart rate,

urine, sweat, saliva

Amphetamines are usually excreted through what methods