Transcript Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs

Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Basic terms
Drug
Any substance that is ingested
that alters the body or the
brain
Psychoactive drug
Drug that alters perceptions,
behavior, or mood
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Basic terms
Tolerance
• Over time, increased amount of drug needed to
produce same effect
• “Build up tolerance”
Neuroadaptation
• Brain tries to counter disruption to normal
functioning caused by drug
• What causes tolerance
• More brain counters, more drug needed, more
brain counters
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Basic terms
Addiction
• State of dependency on a drug
Withdrawal
• Symptoms caused by stopping use of a
drug
• Usually highly uncomfortable,
distressing, often painful
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Basic terms
Physical dependence
• Physiological need for drug
• Usually drug mimics neurotransmitter, body stops
producing it
• Usually painful withdrawal symptoms
Psychological dependence
• Psychological need for drug
• Person believes can’t function without drug
Examples
Chapstick, hand sanitizer
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Background
Psychoactive drugs categorized:
•Medically
•Specifically, how they affect
the CNS
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Background
Five Major categories
1. Depressants
2. Stimulants
3. Opioids / Opiates
4. Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
5. Marijuana
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Psychoactive drugs
My suggestion, make yourself a chart of the five
categories of drugs to help you keep the
information in order, like what’s on page 301
For example:
• Category
• What they do
• Effects
• Examples
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
What they do
• Slows (depresses) neural activity
• Mostly effects:
• Frontal lobe
• Hindbrain
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Afferent & efferent
neurons, motor cortex all
affected (slowed)
•Slows reaction time
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Association areas in frontal
lobe depressed
•Impairs judgment
•Impairs long-term planning
•Lessens inhibitions
•Reduces self-awareness
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Broca’s area
• Slurring of speech
Cerebellum
• Balance, coordination problems
Medulla oblongata
• Depresses automatic functions
• Stop, if too much consumed
• Heartbeat, breathing, ability to vomit
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on memory
• Doesn’t effect:
• short-term recall
• existing long-term memories
• Difficult to create long-term memories
State dependent memory
• Memories made while intoxicated – difficult to
remember sober
• Able to remember next time in that state (drunk)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Major depressants
• Alcohol
• Barbiturates
• Anesthesia
• Sleeping pills
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Major depressants
• Alcohol
• Barbiturates
• Anesthesia
• Sleeping pills
• Also known as “Downers”
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Major depressants, continued
•Tranquilizers
•AKA: Sedatives
•Treat anxiety
•Examples: Valium & Xanax
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
What they do
• Increase activity of CNS
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Heighten alertness
• Increase energy
• Speed up CNS/automatic functions
• Can overtax/permanently damage
these parts of the body
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
•Many mimic effects of
neurotransmitters
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
•Many mimic effects of
neurotransmitters
•Highly physically addictive
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
•Many mimic effects of
neurotransmitters
•Highly physically addictive
•Tolerance built up quickly
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
•Many mimic effects of
neurotransmitters
•Highly physically addictive
•Tolerance built up quickly
•Makes withdrawal difficult
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
Amphetamines (Speed)
• Synthetic stimulant
• Has legitimate medical use
Methamphetamine (meth)
• More potent form of Amphetamines
• No longer used medically
• Solely recreational use
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
Cocaine
• Derived from leaves of coca plant
• Crack: concentrated form
Ecstasy
• Methyenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
• Anything in large enough amounts is a hallucinogen
(i.e., stimulant)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
Caffeine
• Most popular drug in the world
• Found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soda,
etc.
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
Nicotine
• Highly addictive
• Found in tobacco
• Mimics neurotransmitters:
• Acetylcholine
• Dopamine
• Vasopressin: increases blood pressure
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are
• Derived from alkaloids of resin of
opium plant
• Natural, synthetic, partially synthetic
• Used as pain relief
• Decreases perception & reaction to
pain
• Agonist: mimics endorphins
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are/effects
•Sometimes (incorrectly) put
into the depressant category
•Can depress bodily functions
(respiratory functions, etc)
•Different method than
depressants
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are/effects
•Depressants slow hindbrain
•Opioids depress respiratory
function itself
•Causes drowsiness
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Intense feeling of euphoria
• Highly physically addictive
• Tolerance builds up very quickly
• More and more needed to prevent
withdrawal
• No longer produces euphoria, just
maintaining level to function
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
Major opiods
•Opium (natural)
•Morphine (natural)
•Codeine (natural)
•Diacetylmorphine (heroin)
(semi-synthetic)
•Methadone (fully synthetic)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
What they are
•Distort perceptions
•Cause heightened sensory
alertness (colors seem brighter,
sounds clearer, etc.)
•Cause hallucinations
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Addiction
•Not physically addicting
•Strongly psychologically
Types
•Natural substances
•Synthetic
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Natural
• Mesculine: peyote cactus
• Psilocybin: certain types of
mushrooms
Synthetic
• Phencyclidine: PCP or angel dust
• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD):
acid
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Effects
•How alter perceptions still
unclear
•Serotonin receptors?
•Effects people differently in
different situations (why is
unclear)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
•Sometimes put into one of the
other categories
•Or, considered its its own
category
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
What it is
• Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC)
• Active ingredient of marijuana
• Found in leaves, flowering top of
hemp plant Cannabis
• Hashish: cooked down, mashed into
a paste
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
•How THC effects brain largely
unknown
•THC neuroreceptors found in:
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
•How THC effects brain largely
unknown
•THC neuroreceptors found in:
•Frontal lobe
•Limbic system
•Motor cortex
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Because THC neuroreceptor found,
neurotransmitter in the body
apparently
• Haven’t found it & don’t know what it
does
• Have found similar
neurotransmitters, just not for THC
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Low physically addictive
• High psychologically addictive
• THC lingers in body for a month or
so
• Body does not build up a tolerance
• Small dose needed to produce
desired effect
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 1/3
• Agonist – blocks reuptake of:
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• Norepinephrine
• Excess neurotransmitters causes
euphoric rush
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 2/3
• Stop use of cocaine
• Natural neurotransmitters used up
quicker than usually
• Body producing at same rate
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 3/3
• Body crashes because lacks these
neurotransmitters
• Leads to agitation (lack of
dopamine) depression (lack of
serotonin & norepinephrine)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How ecstasy works:
• Dopamine & Serotonin Agonist
• Vesicle release excess of both
• Blocks reuptake of both
• More of them bind to
neuroreceptor site than usually do
• Causes good feeling (Serotonin),
want to keep taking it (Dopamine)