Drugs and Behavior Exam 1

Binghamton University Drugs and Behavior (PSYC Exam 1

Pharmacology

scientific study of drugs

Neuropsychopharmocology

study of the effect of drugs on the brain and behavior

Drug

foreign chemical or mix of, not required for health, alters bio function or structure

Drugs from the natural form are _____ strong.

less

Peyote

hallucinogenic cacti

Laudanum

alcohol & opium, tombstone (addiction), quieting babies

Morphine

opioid (opium poppy active ingredient), civil war, soldiers disease (addiction). syrup → injection 1840s

Marijuana 1900s

all purpose liquid extract medication

Cocaine 1900s

from plant, tonics

Drugs naturally found in the US

• Laudanum

• Morphine

• Marijuana

• Cocaine

Synthetic Drugs

• Amphetamines (Adderal)

• Herion (from morphine)

• Inhalants

• Club Drugs

Amphetamines (Adderal)

WWII, weight, depression

Heroin

opiod, Vietnam, pain, morphine derivative

Inhalants

solvents, gas/glue/paint/aerosols

Club Drugs

enhance experience, LSD, MDMA, GHB, Ketamine

Early Drug Penalization

• Egyptian anti alcohol

• English down coffee

• Russian Tzar tobacco → execution

Gin Act

tax the alcohol, England

Opium Wars

british induced indian opium into china, got Hong Kong war 1

war 2, tientsin tax on opium

Pure Food and Drug Act

accurate food labeling (nothing about ads), no effect on drug use

Shirley Admendment Act

Made false therapeutic claims illegal

Harrison Narcotic Act

need license to sell and prescribe opium and morphine, only regulation no prohibition. Said cocaine was a narcotic. moved addicts to heroin

Prohibition

18th admendment, prohibited the making, trafficking, and selling of alcohol.

Increased: crime, antilaw sentiments, female alcohol consumption, drinking to drink

Decreased: overall alcohol consumption, use disorders, cirrhosis/death from alcohol

21st undid (lasted 13 years)

Narcotics Act

linked ax murderer to drugs

Controlled Substances Act

drug classifications, law enforcement on drugs, rose with Anti-Drug Act

1. High misuse, no med use (heroin, weed)

2. High misuse, med use (cocaine, adderall)

3. lesser misuse (tylenol, ketamine, codeine)

4. lesser misuse (xanax, valium, ambein)

5. low misuse (robitussine with codiene, lyrica)

Control of drug misuse strategies

• Education (norm drugs willingly used, media normalizes)

• Legalization

Case Study

interview based, lacks controls, population bias, scientist asks questions

Naturalistic Observation

Observation based, observer bias, no controls, real behavior vs. interpretation

Laboratory Study

Limited by recruitment pool, lack of controls, knowledge of observation, MRI (anatomy), fMRI (function), PET

PET

positron emission tomography, labeled and injected marker.

The amount of dopamine receptors ____________ with long term use.

decreases

Surveys

self report, clinical & gen pop, people lie/don’t know/misinterpret.

Max accuracy on surveys strategies

clearly worded objective questions, memory aids (TLFB <drug> time line follow back)

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

overall prevalence, general occurrence, yearly, nothing on amount used, incidence, SAMSA

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)

determine most dangerous drugs, ER & med exams reports, rate of med emergencies to drug prevalence, no longer used

Monitoring the Future

annual, 8,10,12 grade ~50,000 students, honesty??? dec drug use last couple years

Human Research

epidemiological, good stats, in brain response & ethics limits

Animal Based Research Types

1. Psychoactive drugs (animals self admin)

2. Reinforcement

3. Brain Circuit Analysis (circuit like, activate/inhibit, image neural)

Psychoactive Drugs

alcohol, LSD, THC, PCP, cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, opioids, nicotine

Reinforcement

drugs target reward brain regions, high/rush, dopamine, frontal cortex, amygadala, nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, med forebrain bundle.

Direct - cocaine and amphetamines

Indirect - alcohol, opiates, hallucinogens

nicotine is both direct and indirect

Stimulant Drugs

cocaine, adderal

mod dose: wake up, energy, well being

high dose: mania, paranoia, hallucinogenic

Depressant Drugs

alcohol, barbituats, benzodiapines

low dose: relax, social, disinhibit

high dose: slow rxn time, incoordination, unconsciousness

Opiates (Narcotics)

fentanyl, morphine, heroin

low/mod dose: painkill, dreamlike

high dose: sleepy

Hallucinogen

LSD, psilocybin

altered perception of reality

Psychotherapeutic Drugs

medical, mental/behavioral problems

antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics (anxiety)

Nicotine

mild stimulant and relaxant

Marijuana

hallucinogenic and relaxant

Factors of Drug Experience

Dynamic, Expectancy, Pharmacology (chemical, dosage, body route), genetics & tolerance

Drug misuse

negative impact of drug use, psychological/physical/legal/social harm

White matter

myelin, fat, oligodentrocytes, faster

Gray matter

no myelins, multiple sclerosis, alzehiemers, hungtintons, traumatic brain injury

Hyperpolarize

more negative, K+

Depolarize

More positive, Na+

EPSP

excitatory postsynaptic potentials (positive ions, accelerator.)

IPSP

inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (negative ions, brakes.) 

Calcium

more extracellular, catalyzes neurotransmitter release

SUD

substance use disorder, ~11%

impaired control, social impairment, risky use, physical (tolerance & withdrawal), psychological dependence

Neuroadaptation

tolerance, and withdrawal, changes to the nervous system

Substance induced disorders

delirium, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, mood disorders, amnesic, withdrawal, anxiety

Axon Hillock

last segment of neuron to integrate information, final decider of whether or not to fire an action potential

Stim Vagus Nerve

heart beat, discovery of neurostransmitter acetylcholine, fluid from this nerve → inducing a heart beat

Neurotrophic factors

growth, survival, strengthening (plasticity)

Endocannabinoids

cannabis from postsynaptic side

Autoreceptors

on presynaptic, turn off neurotransmitter release, concentration based regulation

Ionotropic

ion channel coupled receptors

Metabotropic

G protein couples receptors, act via messengers, release G-proteins with binding of neurotransmitter, can trigger ionotropic

Neurotransmission termination

Enzymes destroy/metabolize in the synaptic cleft

Presynaptic takes back into vesicles, Reuptake

Tetrodotoxin (TTX)

puffer fish, block Na+, no action potentials

Phenytoin (Dilantin)

Decrease Na+ flow, slows down action potential frequency

Agonist

activates, synthesis, release, autoreceptors (block release)

Antagonist

prevent activation, inhibit, autoreceptor (enhance release), block postsynaptic/reuptake/degradation

Classical Neurotransmitters

Glutamate, GABA, Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Serotonin

released presynaptic to act on postsynaptic

Non-Classical Neurotransmitters

Anandamide, Adenosine, Histamine

Not a clean pre → post, not one way

Neurohormone

CRF, oxytocin, vasopressin. Does NOT work at location of release. Acts like neurotransmitter

Neuromodulator

alters neuron function

Acetylcholine

• 1st discovered neurotransmitter, exists outside the brain

• Cholinergic, neuromuscular jenction

• Botox, Alzheimer’s, Myasthenia Gravis

Articept (donepezil) / Exelon (revastigmine)

Alzheimer’s. increase acetylcholine, inhibit acetylcholinesterase

Dopamine

movement, reward, parkinsons, addiction, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia

Norepinephrine

Mediates emotional arousal, attentiveness, initiation of eating. Outside of brain → adrenaline, depression

Serotonin

5HT, sleep, mood, depression, mood disorders, SSRI’s

Glutamate

main excitatory, depolarizes neurons, amino acid, hallucinogenic drug target (PCP, ketamine)

GABA

main inhibitory, hyperpolarizes neurons, depressant drugs (alcohol, valium, tranqs), amino acid

Peptides

endorphins (opioid systems), amino acid chains, corticotropin release factor/hormone CRF/CRH

Peripheral Nervous System

NOT brain / spinal cord

Spinal and cranial nerves along with all other nerves, somatic or autonomic

Somatic NS

CNS → voluntary muscles

Autonomic NS

regulates unconscious, automatic functions, sympathetic and parasympathetic

Sympathetic

ready for activity, energy use, stress/excite response. Norepinephrine

Parasympathetic

normal function, balance, cholinergic, acetylcholine

Hindbrain

Brainstem, medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellum

Brainstem, Medulla oblongata

Basic life functions (breathing, heartrate, vomiting, swallowing, digestive)

Opioid overdose shuts this down

drugs → death (respiratory or cardiac), toxic → vomit

Pons

sleep/wake, reticular activating systems, alertness/arousal, barbituates & tranquilizers

Cerebellum

motor control, executive function, senses, decision making, alcohol target

Midbrain

• Inferior Colliculi (auditory)

• Superior Colliculi (visual)

• Substantia Nigra (motor function, dopamine neurons, parkinsons)

• Ventral tegmental area (dopamine neurons, reward)

Forebrain

thalamus, hypothalamus, cortex, limbic system (amygdala, hippocampus, basal gaglia/striatum)

Thalamus

relay station for the rest of the brain

Hypothalamus

Behavioral motivation, besides cortex, most important for interpreting complex behavior

Eat/drink, body temp, aggression, sexual behav, arousal

Amygdala

emotions, aggression, anxiety, part of limbic

Hippocampus

memory, part of limbic

Basal Ganglia / Striatum

initiation of motor movement, combination of structures, dopamine pathways, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, part of limbic

Cortex

frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes, control, personality, decision making

Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Pathway

VTA → nucleus accumbens → frontal cortex

pleasure center, dopamine, arousal stimuli activate