Transcript Pharmacological Manipulations of the Nervous System

Pharmacological
Manipulation of the
Nervous System
Treatment vs. Enhancement
By: David Hall
9/27/2007
Outline
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Examples of Affected Pathways
The science of the drugs
The ethics of the drugs
Case study?
Examples
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Depression
Erectile Dysfunction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
For the purpose of today, we will focus
on ADHD Medications and the ethics
of their abuse
ADHD
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According to the NIMH, from 3-5% of
children (about 2 million) have ADHD
Principle symptoms: inattention,
hyperactivity, and impulsivity
Must appear before age 7 and last 6
months
May be caused by environmental
agents, brain injury, or genetics
Methylphenidate (MPH)
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Ritalin or Concerta (extended release)
Originally used for depression/fatigue
CNS Stimulant, dopamine reuptake
inhibitor (increases dopamine), and
may affect serotonin levels
Side effects: difficulty sleeping,
headaches, lack of hunger, dry mouth
May cause cardiac arrest, addiction, and
is a suspected carcinogen? Chemical
structure is similar to cocaine
Adderall
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Psychostimulant containing mixed
amphetamine (speed) salts
Originally introduced as Obetrol, a
weight-loss drug
Increases levels of dopamine,
norepinephrine, and serotonin
Usually founded in XR (extended
release form)
Side effects: aggression, new abnormal
thoughts/behaviors, mania, weight loss
NIDA Study
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Dr. Sean Esteban McCabe, University of Michigan and
Harvard University, 2001
10,904 randomly selected students enrolled at 119
colleges across the United States.
4% Reported having used a stimulant
Men were twice as likely as women (5.8 percent versus
2.9 percent) White (4.9 percent), African-American (1.6
percent) Asian (1.3 percent)
Members of fraternities or sororities (8.6 percent versus
3.5 percent for nonmembers)
Students who abused prescription stimulants reported
higher levels of cigarette smoking; heavy drinking; risky
driving; and abuse of marijuana, MDMA (Ecstasy), and
cocaine
More competitive colleges = More abuse
Statistics of Abuse on
College Campuses
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As many as 20% of students have used
Ritalin or Adderall to study
National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia found that the number
of teenagers who admit to abusing
prescription medications tripled from 1992
to 2003, while in the general population
such abuse had doubled.
Neuroethics Book
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Gratitude Framework vs Creativity
Framework
Genuine vs. Fake enhancement
Just because A and B both work to
achieve C doesn’t mean that B is a
good replacement for A
Treatment vs.
Enhancement
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How many of you have a problem with
the following?
– Cosmetic surgery to improve body image
– Exercising to improve body image
– Wearing makeup?
What about…
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Eyeglasses
Hearing Aids
Running Shoes
Prosthetic Limbs
Caffeine
My opinion
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Cousins with ADHD
Performance enhancing drug
Cheating
Line between treatment and
enhancement is fuzzy at best