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Chapter 1 Test

Terms in this set (94)

Psychoactive Drug
Any substance that directly alters the normal function of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
How many plants contain psychoactive substances?
4,000
Street Names
comes from drug users and they change continuously
Chemical Names
Provide information on the structure or function of the drug and are used in science and medicine
Trade Names
refer to a drug company's specific product containing the psychoactive drug in a patented formulation
Examples of street names
"chronic", "bars", "ocs"
Examples of chemical names
tetrahydrocannabinol
alprazolam
oxycodone
Examples of trade names
Marinol
Xanax
OxyContin
Percodan
Drugs are grouped and classified by?
Physical and emotional effects
Uppers
Stimulants
Downers
Depressants
Natural Substances
Cocaine, Nicotine, Caffeine, Cathinone, Arecoline, Yohhimbe
Synthetic Stimulants
produced in legal pharmaceutical labs or in illegal underground labs
Three major types of depressant drugs
Opiates/Opioids
Sedative-hypnotics
Alcohol
Opiates/Opioids
Pain Killers
Sedative- hypnotics
reduce anxiety and induce sleep
All arounders
drugs that can distort perceptions of reality
Inhaling
Heat vaporizes the drug and it is absorbed into the blood via the capillaries of the lung air sacs. (takes 7-10 sec to appear in brain)
Injecting
the drug is put directly into the body with a needle
Intravenous
into vain (onset in 15-30 Sec)
Intramuscular
into muscle mass (onset 3-5 min)
Subcutaneous
under the skin (onset 3-5 min)
Mucous membrane absorption
The drug dissolves in liquid secreted by membranes and is absorbed by local capillaries
Insufflation
mucous membranes of nasal passages (onset 30-60 sec)
Sublingual
Under the tongue (onset 3-5 min)
Buccally
between gums and cheek (onset 3-5 min)
Orally
Drugs are absorbed into the blood via capillaries lining the small intestine (20-30 min)
Contact
Skin patches such as those containing nicotine release set quantities for up to 7 days (1-2 days)
Drug Circulation
Once a drug is absorbed into the bloodstream, it circulates throughout the body
The blood- brain barrier
The capillaries which supply blood to the brain have a fatty protective covering to prevent toxins, viruses, and bacteria from entering the central nervous system (CNS)
Fat Soluble
can cross the blood-brain barrier
Metabolism
the process of processing and eliminating foreign substances from the body
Metabolites
fragments that a drug is broken down into by the liver
Age
the liver slows down with age, the elderly metabolize drugs at a slower rate
Race
More than 50% of Asians break down alcohol slower then Caucasians
Heredity
Parents pass on metabolic traits to their children
Gender
Women have a lower muscle mass than men and hence less water to dilute drug doses
Health
Diseases such as hepatitis or cirrhosis reduce liver function and slow metabolism
Other drugs
When alcohol is present, the liver metabolizes it first and delays the breakdown of other drugs
The nervous system
is the principle target of psychoactive drugs
The nervous system is divided into two major parts
the central and the peripheral
How many nerve cells are in the nervous system?
100 billion
The central nervous system (CNS)
Is protected by bone, and consists of the brain and spinal cord
The brain
monitors and regulates the body's internal and exterior environment
Brain Neurons
control memory, emotions, decision making, and even personality
The Spinal Cord
contains bundles of fibers carrying information to and from the brain
The Peripheral Nervous System
consists of the bundles of motor and sensory nerve fibers that exit and enter the spinal cord allowing communication between the body and the CNS
Peripheral fibers are divided into two types:
Somatic and Autonomic
Somatic Peripheral Fibers
contain motor nerves that innervate skeletal muscles allowing voluntary movement, and sensory fibers that carry information from the body's sensory organs
Autonomic Peripheral Fibers
innervate the heart, and the smooth muscles in blood vessels, organs, and glands
Autonomic Controls Involuntary
blood circulation, digestion, and respiration
"Old Brain" controls
basic emotions and cravings such as fear, hunger, lust, pain, and pleasure
"Old Brain" records
survival memories such as finding food, water, shelter, or avoiding danger from predators and infection
The reward/reinforcement Pathway
stimulates a human, or animal to repeat behaviors the promote survival
Important structures in the reward/reinforcement pathway are:
nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and lateral hypothalamus
Nerve Cells/ Neurons
are the building blocks of the nervous system
Neurons 4 important structures:
cell body, dendrites, axon, and axon terminals
The Cell Body
contains the neurons DNA and organelles that control development, repair, and plasticity
Dendrites
the input side of a neuron, receptors on the surface of dendrites detect and respond to the chemical messages sent by other neurons
The axon/ axon terminals
are the output side of the neuron, electrical impulses generated in the dendrites and cell body flash down the axon and trigger the release of neurotransmitter molecules stored in the terminals
Acetylcholine
modulates sleep and memory functions
Dopamine
a crucial neurotransmitter in reward/ reinforcement pathway
Norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline)
act as stimulants in autonomic responses and in the brain produce increased confidence, feelings of well-being, and energy
Serotonin
Regulates mood (depression and anxiety), appetite, and sleep
Endorphins
regulate physical and emotional pain, blocks release of substance P
Substance P
neurotransmitter released by fibers carrying pain information
GABA
the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, always reduces activity of target neurons
Endocannabinoids
regulates short-term memory, appetite, feelings of novelty
Neurons synthesize and release how many neurotransmitters?
1
Tolerance
after repeated exposure to a drug the body begins to adapt to its presence
Dispositional tolerance
the liver speeds up the disposal (metabolism) of the drug
Pharmacodynamic tolerance
nerve cells become less sensitive to the drug when receptors are removed from the synapse
Behavioral Tolerance
the person learns to compensate for the affects of intoxication
Reverse Tolerance
increasing sensitivity to a drug as tissues degenerate
Acute tolerance
almost instantaneous tolerance after one exposure to a drug
Select tolerance
a person becomes tolerant to mood changes produced by a drug but not to other physical effects of that drug
Tissue dependence
tissues and organs come to depend on a drug just to function normally
Withdrawal
when a user stops taking their drug of addiction, the body's chemistry tries to restore its original chemical balance and undesired side effects happen
Non-purposive withdrawal
physical symptoms such as sweating, goose bumps, diarrhea, tremors
Purposive withdrawal
faked withdrawal symptoms
Protracted withdrawal
recurrence of withdrawal symptoms after a person is already clean
Desired effects
feeling confident, increased energy, pain relief, reduced anxiety, relief from boredom, altered consciousness, escape painful memories, or to gain a competitive edge
Unwanted side effects
uncomfortable to the life-threatening
Levels of use is judged by the:
amount, frequency, and duration of use, then by the effect that use has on the individuals life
Abstinence
person uses a psychoactive drug only be accident
Experimentation
person tries a drug out of curiosity
Social/ Recreational
person seeks out a known drug for known effects on certain occasions, no set pattern
Habituation
person has a definite pattern of drug use, whether its every day or every weekend
Abuse
the continued use of the drug despite negative consequences
Addiction
person spends most of their time either using, getting, or thinking about the drug
Addictive Disease Model
consequences of genetic irregularities
Behavior/ environmental model
stressful environment conditions from childhood on will lead to addiction or living in an environment where drug use is accepted
Academic Model
the level of drug use itself leads to addiction
The Diathesis- Stress Model of Addiction
a constitutional predisposition or vulnerability to develop a certain disorder under certain conditions
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