CHAPTER 5
1. Agonist= bind to receptors and imitate the effect of the neurotransmitter
– Antagonists= occupy the receptors but cannot mimic its effects
2. Addiction
– preoccupation with obtaining a drug
– compulsive use of the drug in spite of adverse consequences
– high tendency to relapse after quitting
3. Tolerance
– person becomes less responsive to the drug, requiring increasing amounts of the drug to
produce the same results
– a significant reason for overdose
4. Withdrawal
– negative reaction that occurs when drug use is stopped
– typically the opposite of the effects the drug produces
5. opitates
– Are drugs derived from the opium poppy that have pain relieving and hypnotic sleep
inducing effects, high abuse potential and mimic endogenous opiods ( natural pain killers
called endorphins > Examples are morphine, heroin, and Oxycotin
6. Learned Tolerance (conditioned) and overdose
– A learned association develops between tolerance and the environment in which it
develops
-When a drug is take in a different setting, it is more likely to result in an overdose
7. Effects of Depressants
– Drugs that reduce nervous system activity
– Sedation> calming, reduces agitation and irribility
– Anxiolytic > anxiety reduction
– hypnotic > sleep inducing
8. GABAa receptor
– Alcohol specifically affects the A subtype of GABA receptor because the GABAa receptor is
important in the action of other drugs.> a receptor complex composed of five different kind
of receptor sites.> one responds to Gaba by opening the chloride channels> another
responds to alcohol, to barbiturates and to benzodiac…> mixed together it has the ability to
open up the chloride channels
9. Korsakoff’s syndrome
– vitamin b1 deficiency that is associated with chronic alcoholism can produce brain damage
and k syndrome> involves severe memory loss along with sensory and motor impairments
10. Effects of nicotine
– stimulates nicotine acetylcholine receptors
– activates muscles and may cause twitching
– produces alertness and faster response to stimulation
– withdrawal reactions are nervousness and anxiety, drowsiness, lightheadedness, and
headaches
– 20% of attempts to stop are successful after two years
– Examples > smoking cigarettes
– when inhaled lightly it stimulates effect
– when inhaled deeply it is tranquilizing or a depressant effect
– large doses can cause nausea, vomiting, and headache
– extremely high doses is powerful enough to produce convulsions and even death
11. Effects of psychedelic drugs
