CRIM 3250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 36: Nicotine, Brainstem, Anorectic
10 Nov 2020
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Document Summary
They often say that they will do it again. Cns stimulants have few clinical uses but are very important drugs of abuse. Tolerance and dependence limit their therapeutic utility. Stimulant drugs are classified according to their action: Hallucinogen (psychotomimetic) drugs: affect thought, perception, and mood. Able to produce profound changes in thought patterns and interpretations of context and mood. Little effect on the brain stem and spinal cord. We are less aware about how these hallucinogens exert their action. Psychomotor stimulants (most concerned with this): cause excitement, euphoria, decreased fatigue and increased motor activity. Direct influence on the brain stem and spinal cord. Stimulate or speed up signals passing through the cns. Activate organs and functions of the body that allow for heightened arousal and an increase in overall behavioral activity. At low doses, they can heighten a body"s sensitivity and improve mental and physical performance. At high doses, many of these functions go haywire.
