Download Drugs, the brain and behavior, Objectives:

Drugs, the brain, and your
responsibility Objectives:
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Define what is a “drug”.
Describe how drugs affect the brain.
Identify reasons people use drugs.
Describe how drugs are classified.
Define addiction and why people get addicted
to drugs and other substances.
Describe the dangers associated with the use
of certain drugs.
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What is a drug?
Traditionally, a drug is a therapeutic chemical designed
to have maximal benefits with minimal risks of side
effects or toxicity.
What is a psychoactive drug?
A Drug that can change cognition, behavior and
emotions by changing the functioning of the brain.
Name some psychoactive drugs:
Caffeine, heroin, alcohol, Prozac
Describe some facts about the
brain:
* Ultimately the brain responds to, processes,
and initiates all behavior, normal and
pathological.
 The brain stores each fact, thought, belief,
feeling and emotion that you have ever
experienced.
 Changes in brain chemistry produced by
external environmental, internal stimuli or
drugs affects how the brain functions and thus
effects all of our behavior and moods.
How do drugs work?
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When a psychoactive drug is taken, there is a receptor
in the brain that turns on and the chemistry of the brain
is then altered. It is not necessary to take a drug to
alter brain chemistry.
For example, if you get scared, your heart rate, BP,
arousal increases and a receptor in your brain is turned
on…it is called the
Fight or flight response.
Is there a drug that produces the same results?
Yes, cocaine, also stimulates pleasure receptors
How are drugs classified?:
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According to the physiological effect they have
Stimulants, speed up the central nervous
system(CNS).
Depressants, slow down the CNS
Psychoactive drugs alter feelings
Narcotics, are powerful painkillers
Designer drugs try to mimic narcotics or other
drugs:amphetamines, hallucinogens.
Neurophysiology: how do
psychoactive drugs work?
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The brain consists of two types of cells:
neurons and glia
Neurons transmit information from all parts of
the body and also from the outside
Glial cells provide structural support of neurons
and have nutritive functions.
Neurons communicate with other neurons
across a space called a synapse.
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In the brain the neurons will make contact with
several thousand neuronal inputs, but the
human brain has 100 billion neurons.
Neurons communicate changes in their
environment through the release of
neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters can be inhibitory or
excitatory in nature
Major neurotransmitters;
Dopamine-motors systems, pleasure/reward,
mental illness, craving
 Norepinephrine-arousal, stress, mental illness
learning, sleep
• epinephrine-sympathetic arousal
• Serotonin-sleep, dreaming, mental
illness,craving eating
• GABA,gamma-aminobutyric acid- relaxation
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Where do neurotransmitters come
from?
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Neurotransmitters are made in the brain from
biochemicals that come from outside the brain.
Some neurotransmitters are made from amino
acids, the building blocks of protein.
If the diet is deficient, then some
neurotransmitters cannot be made.
Where do neurotransmitters go?
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To the synapse and either attach to presynaptic
or post synaptic receptors.
It is this magnificent interplay in the functional
activity of the brain cells that enables us to
perceive and respond to our environment and
to ponder a thought, remember a name, or
become intoxicated by the scent of a flower,
perfume, or drug.
Why do people use drugs?
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Medicinal purposes
Recreational/social-decrease tension
Sensation seeking-thrills
Altered states-performance, creativity
Peer pressure
Numb emotional pain, conscious and unconscious
Religious or spiritual practice
curiosity
What is addiction?
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A brain disease, in which some chemicals in
the brain are deficient or inefficient.
Uncontrollable, compulsive, chronic
dependence on a drug.
A pathological relationship with a substance
that has life damaging potential.
The spectrum of addiction could be from
alcohol, tobacco, eating, working, computers to
heroin, chocolate.
What are some causes of
addiction?
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Very complex and interrelated variables:
genetics, family influences, friends, life events,
social and cultural values, availability and
personality.
Studies have shown that genetics plays a
strong role in alcoholism.
Studies have also shown that there is a failure
in the “addictive brains” for a chemical reward
system, so the brain feels less natural
pleasure.
Lets look at addiction, a disease:
There is a lot of stigma against addiction, and
this is a major social problem
 It is important to reduce the stigma because
negative public attitudes adversely affect the
the level and quality of care.
 The field of drug addiction, treatment and
prevention has suffered from lack of focus due
to poor research on describing addiction as a
disease.
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* Much of the confusion is based upon incomplete
understanding of the differences between intentional
drug abuse and addictive drug disease.
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There is a great deal of misinformation about
the pharmacology of addicting drugs.
Recently, new neuroscience research that
strongly indicates that the pleasure pathway
(medial forebrain bundle) of the brain is
affected by all addictions, particularly in the
pharmacological qualities of euphoria, craving
and the feeling of “drug need”.
We need better research to
overcome:
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SPAM – Stigma, Prejudice, Anger and
Misunderstanding
All these lead to myths (widely held inaccurate
beliefs), as compared to facts.
90% of 1996 Gallup poll respondents thought
alcoholism is a disease.
60% of 2001 telephone polled addicts thought
addiction is a disease.
What is good research ?
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A study that is valid, many large controlled
studies, replicable results, much peer-reviewed
in published literature.
A poor study – few replicable studies, highly
speculative results, little peer review in the
published literature.
Why is drug addiction a social
problem?
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It affects crime rate.
It affects our future generations by affecting
childcare.
It affects accident rates, death rates.
It affects daily interactions between people.
Alcohol: The Socially Accepted
Addictive beverage
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Is perhaps the world’s oldest known drug.
It has historically been known as a food, and
today a drug.
It is one of the few drugs that does not act on a
specific receptor site in the body.
It affects the central nervous system.
It is toxic to the liver, heart, brain, gut, pancreas
and fetus.
Has been beneficial in reducing heart attacks.
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No other drug causes so much damage to the
physical, social, emotional lives of people.
Yet we still do not understand the mechanisms
through which it works to produce intoxication
and addiction.
80% of all high school students have tried
alcohol and 5-10% drink to intoxication.
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There are 2 general types of “problem drinkers”
1. Abusers, who intentionally drink too much, too often.
2. Dependent users-who lack control over their use, they have a
medical disease and brain dysfunction.
Some more facts:
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There are more male alcoholics than female 3:1
Strong hereditary component to alcoholism.
Pronounced affects on divide attention tasks, like
driving which requires the driver to remember many
tasks:
driving, wearing a seat belt, turn on lights, pay attention
to the road, signs, other drivers, control lane position,
speed, pedestrians, make estimates of time and
distance.
Guidelines for drinking:
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Pace your drinking, allow time between drinks
Do not drink every day.
You decide when to drink.
Drink something else in-between drinks.
Do not drink on an empty stomach.
Avoid other OTC meds
Club drugs: Ecstasy
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MDMA-methamphetamines with hallucinogens, LSD
like.
Also known as: Adam, XTC, Beans, Love bug, Clarity
and Lover’s speed.
Because so many unknown chemicals are used brain
damage and death are heightened.
Affects nerve cells that produce serotonin.
Depressive hangovers, confusion, paranoid thinking
can occur afterwards.
Rohypnol:
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Trade name for flunitrazepam, and has been a
serious concern because of its abuse in “date
rape”.
Incapacitates the person and prevents them
from resisting sexual assault.
AKA: rophies, roofies, roach and rope.
Produces amnesia, and can be lethal when
mixed with alcohol and other depressants.
GHB-gammahydroxbutrate
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Euphroic,sedative and anabolic(body-building) results.
It was available in health food stores from 1980s to
1992.
AKA-Liquid Ecstasy, Soap, Easy lay, Georgia Home
Boy.
Seizures and coma can occur especially if mixed with
methamphetamines.
Available over the internet, some rave night clubs,
college campuses and on the street.
Ketamine
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Is an anesthetic used predominantly in
animals.
Injected or snorted causing hallucinations and
dream like states, also used for date rape.
AKA- vitamin K, Special K
Causes delirium, amnesia, impaired motor
function, high blood pressure, depression and
can cause fatal respiratory problems
Cocaine(comes from the coca shrub
and is a crystalline white powder):
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Powerful stimulant, feelings of well-being,
euphoria and extreme exhilaration.
Snorted, liquifyied and injected or smoked,
free-base.
Can cause headache, shaking, loss of
appetite, loss of sex drive.
Free-basing can damage liver and lungs.
Can cause strokes, bleeding in the brain, heart
attacks and sudden death.
Marijuana
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Active ingredient THC delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol
400 chemicals constitute marijuana
60 of these are cannabinoids and THC is one
of them that produces sensations of marijuana.
Binds with fatty tissue, gonads, brain and a
single ingestion of THC may stay in the body
upto 30 days.
Marijuana continued:
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When inhaled it reaches the brain in 14
seconds.
Difficult to classify but are considered
hallucinogens
Sense of euphoria and relaxation, time seems
to slow, senses appear heighted.
Memory of recent events, physical coordination
and perception may be impaired.
Marijuana continued:
May be an aphrodisiac, but over time may lead
to the opposite, depressing sex drive, it
reduces testosterone and leading to impotency.
 Causes rapid heat rate and high blood
pressure.
 Is not as dangerous as alcohol, it is addicting
and produces craving, at least in some users.
 Withdrawal includes:restlessness, insomnia,
irritability, decreased appetite, tremors.
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Heroin:
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Is a narcotic synthesized from morphine.
Strong sense of euphoria, leads to physical
and psychological addiction.
Sharing needles can lead to AIDS and
hepatitis.
Use has increased among blue collar workers,
teens and women in recent years due to
increased availability of smoking or snorting.
A final thought:
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The best treatment for any alcohol or drug
abuse is to treat it by engaging in meaningful,
enjoyable activities.
If you find yourself “abusing” yourself with
anything, it is wise to seek the assistance of a
professional that can help you figure out what
is going on.