AP Psych: Unit 2, Lecture 4 - Neurotransmitters, Drugs, and Sleep

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering pharmacology (agonists, antagonists, reuptake inhibitors), types of psychoactive drugs, neurotransmitter functions/imbalances, addiction terminology, the stages of the sleep cycle, and prominent sleep/dream theories.

Agonists

Drugs that boost the power of certain neurotransmitters by mimicking them, binding at receptors on the dendrite to increase the neurotransmitter's effect.

Antagonists

Drugs that lower the power of neurotransmitters by blocking receptors on the dendrite to decrease their effect.

Reuptake Inhibitor

Drugs that block the reuptake protein on the axon terminal, causing more neurotransmitter to stay in the synapse and increasing its effect.

Methadone

A prescription drug classified as an agonist that acts as an opioid "replacement" for recovery.

Clozapine

A prescription drug classified as an antagonist that blocks dopamine to treat schizophrenia.

Lexapro (SSRI)

A reuptake inhibitor that slows the reuptake of serotonin to allow the neurotransmitter to have more effect.

Reuptake

The absorption of a neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of the sending neuron.

Synapse

The gap between neurons that neurotransmitters travel between.

Depressants

Recreational drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions, such as Rohypnol, GHB, Benzos, Barbiturates, and Alcohol.

Stimulants

Recreational drugs that excite neural activity and arouse body functions, such as Meth, Cocaine, and Adderall.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory hallucinations, such as Psilocybin, Peyote, LSD, Ketamine, and Ecstasy/MDMA/Molly.

Tolerance

The need for the body to have more of a drug each time for it to produce the same effect; often leads to the drug being used to feel "normal" (not in withdrawal).

Physical addiction

The chemical and physical "need" the body develops for a drug during addiction.

Psychological addiction

The mental "need" or feeling that a person might have for a drug during addiction.

Excitatory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that send signals to stimulate and energize the brain, associated with arousal and the sympathetic nervous system.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that send signals to calm the brain, associated with the parasympathetic nervous system.

Acetylcholine (ACH)

An excitatory neurotransmitter where excess leads to muscle spasms and a deficiency leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

Norepinephrine

An excitatory neurotransmitter where too much causes anxiety and too little causes major depressive disorder.

Endorphins

Excitatory neurotransmitters that produce an artificial high when in excess and are associated with opiate addiction when deficient.

Dopamine

An inhibitory neurotransmitter where an excess is linked to Schizophrenia and drug addiction, while a lack causes Parkinson’s disease.

GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter where too much is linked to sleep and eating disorders, and too little causes anxiety, epilepsy, and insomnia.

Serotonin

An inhibitory neurotransmitter where an excess causes hallucinations and a lack causes major depressive disorder; it is the target of SSRIs.

Stage 0

The stage of being fully awake with constant brain waves.

Stage 1: Relaxing

The changeover from wakefulness to sleep where heartbeat, breathing, and eye movement slow, and brain waves become slower and larger.

Stage 2: Light Sleep

The stage where the sleeper is easily woken, body temperature drops, and brain waves are slow with small bursts.

Stage 3: Deep Sleep

The sleep stage needed to feel refreshed; heartbeat and breathing reach lowest levels, and brain waves are at their slowest and largest.

Stage R (REM Sleep)

Occurs ~$90\,minutes$ after falling asleep; characterized by rapid eye movement, fast breathing, muscle paralysis, and most dreaming.

Insomnia

A sleep disorder involving difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or persistently waking early.

Narcolepsy

A genetic sleep disorder involving uncontrollable sleep attacks where the person goes directly into REM sleep.

Night Terrors

A disorder common in children involving sudden waking with feelings of pain and fear that are seldom remembered.

Sleep Paralysis

A state where a person becomes aware or awake but is unable to move muscles or speak.

Somnambulism

A sleep disorder, also known as sleepwalking, where a person gets up and walks around while asleep.

Sleep Apnea

A potentially fatal sleep disorder characterized by frequent gasping for air that awakens the person.

Information processing theory

Dream theory stating that dreams sort, sift, and secure a day's experiences into memories during REM sleep.

Physiological theory

Dream theory stating that REM sleep stimulation helps the brain build neural networks.

Problem solving theory

Dream theory stating that dreams work through problems from wakefulness without the constraints of logic or realism.

Freudian theory

Theory that dreams reveal unconscious conflicts through manifest content (the storyline) as symbols for latent content (hidden meaning).

Activation synthesis theory

Theory that dreams have no meaning and are just the cerebral cortex's attempt to make sense of pons and brainstem firing during sleep.