Cocaine (Exam 3)

56% of cocaine users…

are currently experiencing mental health videos

73% of cocaine users…

have ever had mental health issues

cocaine users typically…

self medicate

why do people use stimulants?

1. ADHD

2. recreational

3. keep awake

4. narcolepsy

5. appetite suppression

6. athletic performance

7. learning and memory

8. research tool

what stimulant is used to treat ADHD?

small doses of methylpheniadate (ritalin, adderall)

people use stimulants for recreational reasons (to feel good) because it…

has effects on dopamine

stimulants used to be kept awake are…

non-prescriptions

stimulants treated for narcolepsy require…

a prescription

stimulants used for athletic performance help improve…

endurance, energy, aggression, motivation, focus, ability

list the 6 abused psychostimulants

1. cocaine

2. amphetamine

3. methamphetamine

4. cathinone

5. methcathinone

6. methylphenidate

how can you get high from ritalin?

by crushing and snorting it

cocaine used in rat experiments is _______ pure but cocaine people use for recreational use is not

100%

cocaine was found in the…

coca leaf

the coca leaf is native to what region of the world?

South America

coca leaf was ________ by South American Indians for centuries

chewed

For the Incans, the coca leaf became…

sacred

Spaniards used the coca leaf for…

commerce + slaves

cocaine was isolated in 1859 by…

Alfred Niemann

Vin Mariana combined…

wine and cocaine

coca cola ingredients between 1853 and 1903

cocaine, sugar, cola nut

the inventor of coca cola was…

John Pemberton

What did Freud think about cocaine?

he was a strong advocated for it and believed that it cured many ills

acute effects are…

sudden and severe short-term health symptoms

what are the five acute effects of cocaine?

1. the “rush”

2. physiological effects

3. its an aphrodisiac

4. after cocaine use → irritability

5. acute death

describe the “rush” of cocaine

someone may feel powerful after taking cocaine, they feel good about everything, have lots of energy, may have a heightened sense of wellbeing (anxiety may occur), or euphoria (some may experience paranoia)

describe the physiological effects of cocaine

• activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight)

• heart rate increases

• blood pressure increases

• appetite suppression

additional acute effects of cocaine…

pupils dilate, blood vessels constrict, bronchodilation, decreases sleep amount

bronchodilation is…

the widening of the bronchi and bronchioles (airways) in the lungs, making it easier to breath

most cocaine users do…

binges (multiple uses in a night or over a weekend)

what is common for cocaine users because their nervous system is “ramped up”?

panic attacks

an aphrodisiac is a chemical that…

gets you in the mood

if you expect a drug to do x, y, and z…

it probably will (how much is expectation and how much is reality)

cocaine releases vast amounts of what NT?

dopamine

cocaine destroys…

nasal tissue, forming holes in the nasal passages

what side effects may occur after cocaine use?

irritability, despondence, depression → risk factor for suicide

despondence is…

a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or confidence

if you snort cocaine, the rush lasts…

3 minutes

if you use an IV injection to get cocaine into your system, the rush lasts…

seconds

the peak after snorting cocaine occurs…

15-20 minutes after snorting it

the peak after IV of cocaine occurs around…

3 to 5 minutes

after injecting cocaine through an IV, it wears off around…

30-40 minutes

cocaine wears off around when after snorting it?

60 to 90 minutes

what are the three chronic effects of cocaine?

1. irritability, depression, despondence

2. cocaine psychosis

3. stuffy, runny, or bloody nose

cocaine psychosis is…

anxiety, paranoia, or formication (they think there are bugs under their skin)

cocaine can form _______ _______, causing _________ ________

blood clots, heart attacks

mixing cocaine and alcohol creates what in the liver?

cocaethylene

cocaethylene is a…

toxic metabolite

cocaethylene makes…

cocaine last longer

within the first hour of taking cocaine, you are ____ times more likely to have a _____ _____

20, heart attack

in the central nervous system, cocaine blocks the reuptake of…

dopamine and norepinephrine

feelings of euphoria after taking cocaine are due to…

increased dopamine in the nucleus accumbens

cocaine can lead to…

a 20% decrease in DA receptors over time

even four months after cessation of cocaine, what may occur?

anhedonia (loss of pleasure)

using cocaine is a vicious cycle because…

someone may stop cocaine, but have less DA receptors because they were on cocaine, meaning they have less motivation, this leads to them doing cocaine again to get that rush of dopamine

what are the brain systems are affected due to cocaine?

nigrostriatal pathway, mesolimbic pathway, pituitary gland

the nigrostriatal pathway is responsible for…

movement

the mesolimbic pathway is responsible for…

reward/psychotic behavior

the pituitary gland inhibits…

prolactin

prolactin is a pituitary hormone responsible for…

breast development and lactation

cocaine in the PNS…

1. stimulates epinephrine (fight or flight)

2. blocks Na+ ion channels on cell membranes = decrease in action potentials

what are the routes of administration for cocaine?

intranasal, IV injection, smoking

what type of cocaine is typically smoked?

crack cocaine

crack cocaine is made by separating _______ from powder cocaine to make it more ______ ______

HCl, lipid soluble

the half life of cocaine is…

40 mins

acute tolerance is…

the rapid development of reduced sensitivity to a drug

with cocaine use, there is acute tolerance to…

euphoric effects

with cocaine use, chronic tolerance occurs with…

appetite suppression, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure

tolerance to cocaine use may look like sensitization to motor effects, meaning…

enhancement of a motor response (increased movement)

cocaine withdrawal looks like…

depression, excessive sleeping, increased appetite

long term cocaine use is associated with…

1. decreased DA activity

2. low levels of blood flow, glucose use, and decreases in gray matter

gray matter…

1. processes and interprets signals

2. is found in the outer brain regions