addictive Drugs and reward systems

Alcohol

Dampen excitatory signals and increase inhibitory signals

Antagonist to exictarory receptors and agonist to inhibitor receptors

relaxtion

Rohypnol

Date rape drug

Causes relaxtion and causes sedation

Ketamine

Dissociative anesthetic

Sedation, hallucinations, etc

Depressants drugs

alcohol, rohypnol, ketamine

Nicotine

Acts on the acetylcholine receptor( function: natural alerting mechanisms

Increase alertness and arousal

Methamphetamine/meth

Overuse causes free radicals to destroy the body

Causes an abnormal release of dopamine from neurons, causing euphoria

Amphetamines

Release huge amounts of dopamine(pleasure) and serotonin(hallucinations)

euphoria

Cocaine

Prevents dopamine and serotonin reuptake, causing it to stay in the synaptic cleft for longer

euphoria

Heroin and morphine

Binds to opioid receptors

Relief,euphoria, pain relief

marijuana(cannibis)

Acts on the neurotransmitters that affect control of muscle and pain sensitivity

Artificial endorphins\

relaxation

Ventral tegmental area

The VTA,located in the midbrain, has dopamine-producing neurons and innervates to the mesolimbic tract

Mesolimbic tract

Filled with dopamine producing neurons which release dopamine in to the nucleus accumbens in the basal ganglia when we do something we enjoy

Mesocortical tract

The 2nd place VTA innervates to is the PFC

Changes in the dopamine projections causes changes in the PFC which may lead poor decision-making making like most addicts have