Download Drugs

Drugs
___________________________ – chemicals that affect perceptions or moods (can be legal,
alcohol and antidepressants, or illegal, marijuana and cocaine)
_______________________ – requiring a larger amount of the drug to get the same effect
______________________ – Discomfort associated with disuse of the drug (physical or
psychological)
Drug addiction – loss of __________________ over drug-taking, even in the face of adverse
_________________, personal, or _________________ consequences.
What is happening at the synapses during drug use?
- Most psychoactive drugs alter transmission of ______________________. There are
several methods. For each, indicate if the drug would be an agonist or antagonist.
o Block transporters (“reuptake vacuum”) _________________
o Mimic NT _____________________
o Block receptor for NT ________________________
o Stimulate excess release of NT ___________________
o Disable enzymes that break down NT ___________________________
Drug Use:
Over time, cells respond by down-regulating receptors. This means they place fewer receptors on
the surface of the post-synaptic cell. This can lead to tolerance.
Tolerance:
Withdrawal:
Three classes of drugs (all three stimulate reward center of brain to elicit sense of euphoria)
1. ________________________ – increase sympathetic nervous system response (increased
heart rate, increased breathing, pupils dilate, blood sugar rises, appetite diminishes,
increased self-confidence). Examples include: amphetamines, _________________,
cocaine, __________________
2. ______________________ – depress sympathetic nervous system response (opposite
effect of stimulants). Examples include: alcohol, barbiturates, opiates (heroin and
morphine)
3. ________________________ – distort perceptions and evoke vivid images or
hallucinations. Examples include: LSD, ___________________, Ecstasy; usually affect
________________________ transmission.
Additional notes:
Alcohol _____________________ inhibitions, impairs _____________________, and
_______________________ emotions. It also suppresses REM sleep and interferes with memory
formation
Opiates (heroin, morphine, oxycodone) mimic ______________________
Common LSD hallucinations: geometric forms, ______________________________, past
emotional experiences, ____________________________________________
__________________ is the active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana decreases inhibitions,
impairs coordination and disrupts memory formations. It also elicits medically useful functions
such as _______________________, pain inhibition, and alleviation of
_____________________. THC is metabolized very slowly (takes about a month) and thus
creates a “reverse tolerance”.