DRUGS THAT BLOCK REUPTAKE TRANSPORTERS SSRIS ECSTASY RITALIN COCAINE NEUROTRANSPORTERS BLOCKED SEROTONIN SEROTONIN DOPAMINE DOPAMINE DRUG THAT BLOCKS ENZYMATIC DEGREDATION OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS MAOIS Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors don t allow the breakdown of these transmitters allowing the neurotransmitters to accumulate at the synapse USED TO TREAT DEPRESSION DRUG THAT INCREASES SYNTHESIS OF NEUROTRANSMITTER L Dopa used to treat Parkinson s disease by increasing amount of dopamine DRUGS THAT ACT AS AGONISTS Marijuana agonist at cannabinoid receptors Heroin agonist at opioid receptors DRUG THAT ACTS AS ANTAGONIST Naltrexone competitive antagonist at opioid receptors helps prevent alcohol craving Pharmacodynamics mechanism of action of a drug basically how does it impact the body at a cellular level Drugs of Abuse and their Pharmacodynamics Cocaine Ecstasy Meth Heroin Marijuana Nicotine Alcohol Blocks dopamine transporter protein Blocks serotonin transporter protein Reverses dopamine transporter protein Opioid receptor agonist Cannabinoid receptor agonist Nicotinic ACh receptor agonist GABA agonist glutamate antagonist NMDA antagonist indirect agonist at opioid receptors Pharmacokinetics the timing of a drug effect rate at which the drug enters the brain and then loses its effect Drug classification is based on pharmacodynamics but this is complex because all drugs have multiple effects ALCOHOL Classification depressant Alcohol Acetaldehyde Acetic Acid ALDH CO2 H20 Acetaldehyde is a toxin when present in the body for extended periods of time causes hangovers The drug antabuse doesn t allow oxidation of acetaldehyde and is used to combat alcoholism Addiction to alcohol has a strong genetic component Drug Addiction Features of Drug Addiction Tolerance decreased effect with increased use need more to achieve effects Dependence need for a drug usually leads to withdrawal symptoms if use stops Loss of Control Neuroadaptation a change in the brain s chemistry due to a stimulus drug EXAMPLE Heroin when used the first time causes relief from pain and intense pleasure by stimulating opioid receptors however as time passes the body reacts by decreasing the amount of opioid receptors causing the body to need more heroin to feel the first time effects NOTE after getting past withdrawal recovery of lost receptors can occur over time The body s natural reward circuit works as a form of operant conditioning when it comes to facilitating drug abuse reward is pleasure VTA to nucleus accumbens dopamine is involved in reward circuit 3 things that promote relapse Stress Drug induced cues Priming dose of drug Dopamine receptors may be involved when it comes to associating drugs with pleasure high receptor level increased risk of addiction Behavior Genetics Gene a sequence of DNA that encodes a particular protein DNA is transcripted to mRNA which is then able to be translated to a protein Dopamine distribution in the brain 1 Substantia nigra to caudate putamen parkinson s disease 2 VTA to nucleus accumbens motivation reward addiction Note the gene for the D4 receptor has many alleles Exon 3 on the D4 receptor gene has 48 base pair tandem repeats with the alleles containing 211 repeats differs the form of the protein that is translated Note NO single gene can lead to a specific personality trait but the genes in combination can increase the risk or chance of developing a certain trait environment plays role Genetic engineering mutate a specific gene so that it s no longer functional and see whether the mutation alters behavior uses embryonic stem cells result of knockout approach the body responds to the mutation to compensate alters the expression of many other genes Stress Stress the physiological response to a physical mental or emotional challenge that activates the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis Examples of stress Exercise Injury illness Anxiety Fear Worry Pressure to succeed Jobs of the Autonomic Nervous System Parasympathetic Nervous System Rest Relax Slows heartbeat Stimulates digestion Constricts lungs Penile erection Vaginal lubrication Increased heart rate increases risk for blood clots Sympathetic Nervous System Fight Flight Adrenalin Rush Increased heartbeat Dilates lungs Ejaculation Orgasm Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis HPA axis THIS IS FUCKING IMPORTANT THE SLIDES SAY SO SO KNOW IT Hypothalamus releases CRH corticotropin releasing hormone into a private circulatory system linked to the pituitary gland this binds to receptors in the pituitary gland and causes it to release ACTH adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone into the blood ACTH causes adrenal glands to release glucocorticoids into the blood Glucocorticoids stress hormones steroids bind to receptors all over the body and brain to cause changes Ex cortisol What glucocorticoids do Energy mobilization turn energy into a more easily accessed form glucose Shut down the immune system by killing lymphocytes Glucocorticoids and diabetes Type 1 diabetes insulin dependent Type 2 insulin resistant Stress complicates diabetes by increasing blood sugar levels and promoting insulin resistance Stress and digestion Stress shuts down digestion Can cause peptic ulcers stomach esophagus or intestine by weakening stomach walls Can cause irritable bowel syndrome Stress stunts growth It reduces the release of human growth hormone from hypothalamus Acute stress enhances memory chronic stress does opposite Increased glucose in blood and increased blood flow to hippocampus Hearing THE PARTS Outer ear pinna ear canal Middle ear ossicles small bones stapes stirrup malleus hammer incus anvil tympanic membrane ear drum oval window 2 muscles tensor tympani stapedius Inner ear cochlea scala vestibule scala media scala tympani round window organ of Corti basilar membrane