Chapter 6 Vocab

Addiction

Desire for a drug

Manifested by frequent use, leading to physical dependence in addition to abuse

Often associated with tolerance and unpleasant, sometimes dangerous, withdrawal symptoms on cessation

Per the DSM-5, called substance used disorder

Agonist

Substance that enhances synapse function

Amphetamine

Drug that releases the neurotransmitter dopamine into its synpase and like cocaine, blocks the dopamine reuptake

Anabolic Steroid

Class of synthetic hormones related to testosterone that have both muscle-building (anabolic) and masculinizing (androgenic) effects

Also called anabolic-androgenic steroid

Antagonist

Substance that blocks synapse function

Anti-Anxiety Agent

Drug that reduces anxiety, including minor tranquilizers such as benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotic agents

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Developmental Disorder characterized by core behavioral symptoms including impulsivity, hyperactivity, and/or inattention

Barbiturate

Drug that Produces sedation and sleep

Behavioral Myopia

“Nearsighted” behavior displayed under the influence of alcohol

Local and immediate cues become prominent

Remote cues and consequences are ignored

Bipolar Disorder

Mood disorder characterized by periods of depression alternating with noraml periods and periods of intense excitation or mania

Competitive Inhibitor

Drug, such as nalorphine and naloxone, that acts quickly to block opioid action by competing with the opioid for binding sites

Used to treat opioid addiction

Cross-Tolerance

Reduction of response to a novel drug because of tolerance to a chemically related drug

Disinhibition Theory

Explanation holding that alcohol has a selective depressant effect on the brain’s frontal cortex, which controls judgement, while sparing subcortical structures responsible for more instinctual behaviors, such as desire

Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia

Idea that excess dopamine activity causes symptoms of schizophrenia

Endorphin

Body’s natural opioid peptide that acts as a neurotransmitter and may be associated with feelings of pain or pleasure

Mimicked by opioid drugs such as morphine, heroin, opium, and codeine

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Range of physical and intellectual impairments observed in some children born to alcoholic parents

Glucocorticoid

One of a group of steroid hormones, such as cortisol, secreted in times of stress

Important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism

Gonadal (Sex) Hormone

One of a group of hormones, such as testosterone, that control repor

Homeostatic Hormone

One of a group of hormones that maintain internal metabolic balance and regulate physiological systems in an organism

Major Depression

Mood disorder characterized by prolonged feelings of worthlessness and guilt, disruption of normal eating habits, sleep disturbances, a general slowing of behavior, and frequent thoughts of suicide

Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) Inhibitor

Antidepressant drug that blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase from degrading such neurotransmitters as DA, NE, and 5-HT

Mood Stabilizer

Drug for treating bipolar disorder

Mutes the intensity of one pile of the disorder, this making the other pole less likely to recur

Opioid Analgesic

Drug such as morphine, with sleep-inducing (narcotic) and pain-relieving (analgesic) properties

Originally called narcotic analgesic

Organizational Hypothesis

Proposal that hormonal action during development alters tissue differentiation

For example, testosterone masculinizes the brain

Peptide Hormone

Chemical messenger synthesized by cellular DNA that acts to affect the target cell’s physiology

Psychedlic Drug

Drug that can alter sensation and perception

Examples are lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin

Psychoactive Drug

Substance that acts to alter mood, thought, or behavior; is used to manage neuropsychological illness; or is abused

Psychomotor Activation

Increased behavioral and cognitive activity

At certain levels of consumption, the drug used feels energetic and in control

Psychopharmacology

Study of how drugs affect the nervous system and behavior

Second-Generation Anti-Depressant

Drug that acts similarly to tricyclics (1st-gen antidepressants) but more selectively on 5-Ht reuptake transporter proteins

Also called atypical antidepressant

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

Tricyclic anti-depressant drug that blocks 5-HT reuptake into the presynaptic terminal

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

Tricyclic anti-depressant drug that blocks 5-HT reuptake into the presynaptic terminal

Steroid Hormone

Fat-soluble chemical messenger synthesized from cholesterol

Substance Abuse

A pattern of drug use in which people rely on a drug chronically and excessively, allowing it to occupy a central place in their life

Testosterone

Sex hormone secreted by the testes that produces the distinguishing characteristics of the male

Tolerance

Decrease in response to a drug with the passage of time

Tricyclic Anti-Depressant

First-generation antidepressant

Its chemical structure, characterized by 3 rings, blocks 5-HT reuptake transporter proteins

Wanting-and-Liking Theory

Explanation holding that when a drug is associated with certain cues, the cues themselves elicit desire for the drug

Also called incentive sensitization theory

Withdrawal Symptom

Physical and psychological behavior displayed by an addict when drug use ends