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| Question | Answer |
| Define Drug Abuse | Taking of drugs for non-medicinal purposes |
| Drug addiction | Is a brain disease defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease which is characterized by drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. |
| Define stimulants - give four examples. | Substances which increase energy/alertness - also induce euphoria. Caffeine Nicotine Amphetamine Ecstasy like substances |
| What do depressants do? Give 2 main classes. | Cause relaxation and euphoria. Alcohol Opioids Marijuana |
| What is used to treat opiate addiction? | Methadone. |
| What do hallucinogens do? What kind of effect do they have? What do they target? | Cause changes in perception - dissociative effects. Glutamate 2a receptors. |
| What is ketamine, where does it act? | Hallucinogen, NMDA channel blocker. |
| Why do people take drugs? | 1) Feel good 2) To feel better 3) To do better 4) Curiosity and because other do it. |
| How do animals learn behaviours and what can this be exploited by? | Learn by reward system - drugs take advantage of this, taking drugs activates the reward system |
| What kinds of dependence are there? | Psychological Physical Long term illness |
| Why do physical withdrawal symptoms occur? | Body adapts to presence of drug. When drug is removed changes made in system come to light. |
| Which system does alcohol act at? | GABA |
| What are the important neurotransmitters involved in addiction? | Dopamine 5-HT Glutamate |
| What effects does LSD have on 5-HT receptors? (2) | 1) Elevation of mood 2) Altered perception |
| Which receptor does LSD act on? What does it act as? | 5-HT2a Agonist |
| What do drugs acting on the glutamate system cause? | Altered perception Enhanced memory |
| What effect do 5-HT2a agonists have on glutamate levels, where especially? What effect does this lead to? | Increase glutamate level, especially in frontal areas of the brain. Dissociative effects. |
| What is the key pathway in reward? | Ventral Tegmental Area to Nucleus Accumbens. |
| What is dopamine released in response to? | Positive outcomes. |
| What does the rate of onset of a drug depend on? | How it is administered - Ingestion = slow, injection = quick |
| How does onset of drug effect the euphoric feeling? | The faster the delivery the greater the rush. |
| What are the parts of the brain involved in drug addiction? What happens to these pathways? | Reward + Drive (DA) Self control (prefrontal cortex + glutamate) Motivation (glutamate) Pathway strength changes REWARD MEMORY AND DRIVE INCREASE CONNECTIONS |
| What other part of the brain is activated in addiction? What effect does this have? | Amygdala - emotional responses to drugs and drug paraphernalia |
| Where does .... act on the reward pathway? Stimulants (cocaine and amphetamine) (2) | 1) Both directly on DA transporters at presynaptic terminal by NAc 2)Amphetamine inhibits MAO |
| Opiates and alcohol? | 1) Opiates inhibit VTA GABAergic interneurons, disinhibiting DA neurons 2) Alcohol stimulates the release of opioids, which then act on GABAergic interneuron. |
| Nicotine? | 1) Acts directly on nAChR at DA neuron (increasing likelihood of action potential release of dopamine at NAc cleft) 2) Stimulates glutamate neurons which are feeding into DA at VTA |
| Cannabinoids? | Act on CB1 receptors, enhance efficacy of Dopamine at NAc |
| PCP/Ketamine | Modulate excitatory input from glutamatergic neuron at NAc |
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