Drugs and Drug Abuse
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Transcript Drugs and Drug Abuse
General Issues
More Specific Drugs and how they work
Psychopharmacology – study of drugs and
behavior
Drugs and behavior – PSY 459
Clinical Psychopharmacology – PSY 565
Psychoactive drugs – drugs that change the
way you feel
All these must reach the brain!
1.
To feel good
(positive reinforcement – likely cause DA
release!)
psychological dependence
**greatest amount of psychological
dependence occurs if the rewarding
effects of drugs happen very quickly after
behaviors associated with them.
drug rewards that happen very soon after a
behavior – strong positive reinforcement for
that behavior
ex. prep for heroin injection, crack smoking,
etc.
2. To avoid feeling bad (reduce withdrawal)
(negative reinforcement)
◦ chemical dependence-
Often a combination of positive and negative
reinforcing effects or transition from positive
to negative……
pharmacokinetics:
includes how the drug is taken in (absorption)
how it gets to the brain (distribution)
what it does in the brain (nt?;
pharmacodynamics)
how it is broken down (metabolism)
how it leaves the body (excretion)
-
how a drug is taken into the body……
-
for drugs of abuse - the more rapidly the drug
gets to the brain – the greater the abuse liability!
oral
injection
◦ subcutaneous
◦ intramuscular
◦ intravenous - reaches brain in ~ 10 secs
quick response but also most dangerous
inhalation - reaches brain in ~8 secs
dermal – absorbed through the skin
buccal or nasal membranes
1. cocaine – blocks reuptake of monoamine
neurotransmitters (most important DA)
2. nicotine
◦ acts as an agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors
3. alcohol
◦ works on virtually every neurotransmitter
4. metabolism (detoxification or breakdown)
•
how a drug is broken down or made into inactive
forms
•
mostly done by the liver – via enzymes!
5. excretion (elimination)
•
how a drug once broken down (or not) is
eliminated from body
•
most psychoactive drugs metabolites excreted in
urine
tolerance – either decreased effectiveness or
potency of a drug
metabolic tolerance –
◦ enzyme induction enzymes – speed up a chemical reaction
◦ with repeated exposure, enzymes get better at
breaking down drug or liver makes more enzymes
metabolic tolerance –
◦ enzyme induction- enzymes are either better at
breaking down drug or liver makes more of them
◦ implications?
metabolic tolerance –
◦ enzyme induction
cross tolerance – tolerance to one drug
results in tolerance to other drugs (usually
that need similar enzymes for breakdown)
◦ Implications:
cross tolerance – tolerance to one drug
results in tolerance to other drugs (usually
that need similar enzymes for breakdown)
◦ Implications:
◦ Person shows up unconscious at ER and is an
alcoholic – given a barbiturate for surgery;
tolerance can still occur when the amount of
drug reaching the brain/body is unchanged
pharmacodynamic or physiological tolerance
–
pharmacodynamic or physiological tolerance
–
“for every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction (in your brain)”
Use alcohol as an example –
Acutely – alcohol decreases glutamate activity
and increases GABA activity
Chronic alcohol -------- brain’s
compensatory response?
upregulation of GLU receptors –
◦ increase the number or sensitivity of glutamate
receptors to compensate for decreased activity and
try to get activity back to normal levels….
what happens during alcohol withdrawal?
◦ now have too many (or too sensitive) glutamate
receptors – overexcitation, seizures, etc.
Use alcohol as an example –
Acutely – alcohol decreases glutamate activity
and increases GABA activity
Chronic alcohol -------- brain’s
compensatory response?
down regulation of GABA receptors –
◦ to compensate for increased activity and try to get
activity back to normal levels…. – reduce n or
sensitivity of GABA receptors
what happens during alcohol withdrawal?
◦ now have too few (or too insensitive) GABA
receptors – overexcitation, seizures, etc.
the exposure of compensatory changes in
brain (and body perhaps) likely explain a
number of withdrawal symptoms (that are
often opposite of the effects that the drug
causes)
chemical see-saw
drug
Change from norm
chemical see-saw
heroin
constipation
The brain wants to rebalance the activity
heroin WD
diarrhea
Drugs taken in the same environment can
also display tolerance associated with the
conditioned cues
ex. heroin
explanation – compensatory changes in brain
in EXPECTATION of drug
most treatments do best with both
pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy (of
some sort) but the data is still LOUSY!!!
In terms of health –
Which drugs have the most significant health
effects (for the largest number of people)?
KY issues?
most treatments do best with both
pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy (of
some sort) but the data is still LOUSY!!!
Psychostimulants – increase arousal;
sympathetic nervous system
◦ cocaine
◦ amphetamines
methamphetamine
drugs used to treat ADD
Ritalin (methylphenidate)
Adderall (mixed salts amphetamine)
naturally derived (often from plants)
◦ cocaine – comes from the coca plant
synthetically derived (in the lab)
◦ amphetamine – synthesized in laboratories
Cocaine – block reuptake (DA, NE)
◦ block the transporter
amphetamines – block reuptake (actually
reverse the transporter) and stimulate
release!
methylphenidate – blocks reuptake
stereotypic behavior
◦ repetitive behaviors
Appetite suppression
◦ weight loss
Possible aggression
◦ several descriptions of murder and other violent
offenses attributed to amphetamine intoxication
Psychological dependence –
◦ very strong for drugs that are either smoked, or
injected IV
Psychological dependence –
◦ very strong for drugs that are either smoked, or
injected IV
Physical dependence◦ do we see a withdrawal syndrome?
◦ “cocaine crash” – cause less certain
cardiovascular
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respiratory
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increased risk for CVA
cardiac arrhythmia
increased blood pressure
chest pain
respiratory complications
difficulty breathing
CNS
CNS
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seizures
intracranial hemorrhages (strokes)
cocaine or amphetamine induced psychosis
formication
produce relaxation, sleep and ultimately (for
some sedative hypnotics), unconsciousness
and death from respiratory depression if dose
is too high
alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepenes
virtually all sedative hypnotic drugs work on
the GABA receptor to make GABA bind better
to its receptor!
First written “recipe” for making beer – about
3000 BC (Egyptians)
fermenting fruit – sugar dissolved in H20 and
exposed to air – microorganisms (yeasts)
LOVE it
http://videosift.com/video/Drunk-Animalsof-Africa-the-longer-version
Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale
Stimulant scale
Elated
Talkative
Energized Up
Excited
Vigorous
Stimulated
Sedative scale
Inactive
Sedated
Down
Slow thoughts
Heavy head
Sluggish
Difficulty concentrating
Alcoholism costs the nation $150 Billion /
annum
many organ systems are affected including
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liver- fatty liver and cirrhosis
pancreas - pancreatitis
heart - cardiomyopathy
immune function - compromised
endocrine function - altered
ethanol affects many NT
chronic ethanol is not good for CNS
◦ Wernicke’s – thiamine deficiency?
◦ Korsakoff’s – more permanent memory deficits
affects many neurotransmitter systems
inhibits glutamate activity
enhances GABA activity
◦ R0-15-4513
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Psychological – perhaps some but certainly
not as strong as psychostimulants
Physical dependence – absolutely
◦ alcohol withdrawal – only withdrawal syndrome that
is potentially LETHAL if not done under medical
supervision!!!!
First need to treat acute withdrawal
Then follow up with more long-term
strategies
◦ pharmacotherapies
◦ groups like Alcoholics Anonymous
GABA
◦ a down regulation of GABA receptors
Glutamate
◦ an upregulation of GLU receptors
Treat with benzodiazepenes during WD
◦ reduces the risk of seizures
probably 2nd most commonly used drug in US
rewarding, pleasurable effects
paradoxical effects on arousal
decreased hunger and resulting weight
reduction
◦ how?
◦ biphasic effect with increased attention at lower
doses but decreased anxiety/arousal at higher
doses
◦ nt release and increased metabolism because of
sympathetic NS activation
nACh receptors – nicotinic subtype of ACh
receptors
Where are these receptors found?
◦ PNS
autonomic ns – so can affect heart rate; blood
pressure, etc
muscles – all postsynaptic receptors on muscles are
nicotinic!
Where are these receptors found?
◦ PNS
autonomic ns
muscles
biphasic effect
◦ low dose – stimulation; high dose – brief
stimulation followed by blockade of transmission
◦ (WHICH IS WHY NICOTINE IS SUCH A POTENT
POISON)
OH YES!!!!!
Psychological Dependence
◦ nicotine produces strong psychological dependence
Physical Dependence
◦ for regular smokers – nicotine produces strong
physical dependence
◦ TTFC – time to first cigarette –
sometimes used as an indicator of dependence
Pharmacotherapy◦ substitution therapy – provide nicotine via a safer
(and less rewarding route)
◦ intent is to reduce the positive reinforcing effects
AND provide negative reinforcement (ie reducing
withdrawal symptoms)
Opioid based drugs
◦ heroin, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, etc
◦ activate endogenous opiate receptors
treatment often uses substitution therapy
◦ methadone
◦ buprenorphine (
)
hallucinogens – a mix of types of drugs
some examples ◦ LSD like hallucinogens – work on 5HT neurons
◦ Amphetamine like hallucinogens – MDMA (Ecstasy)
– seems to have effects on serotonin (in some cases
it is neurotoxic to 5HT neurons)
◦ psychedelic anesthetics – PCP; ketamine
work on the glutamate receptor