PSY 607 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Indirect Agonist, Chlorpromazine, Naltrexone

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 607
• Professor: Martin Henry Zack

Document Summary

If a person takes cocaine over and over again, their dopamine receptors will become down-regulated reduced sensitivity or number of receptors are reduced over time. Receptors are retracted inside the neuron so they become unavailable. Up-regulation receptors become more available/more sensitive (e. g. nicotine addiction) Drug itself (not nt) binds to the receptor site causing the neuron to produce more neural transmission. Nicotine binds at the acetylcholine receptors which become more numerous after chronic exposure to nicotine. *both processes encourage the person to use the drug again because these neuronal changes seem to make a. Super-sensitivity = too many or too sensitive receptors (e. g. schizophrenia) *probably genetically-controlled and hard to change over time. Therapeutic effects of anti-psychotic medications work at the d2-receptor (e. g. chlorpromazine) Medication initially blocks the receptors so dopamine cannot actually bind to it. Improves psychotic symptoms of hallucinations and delusions (paranoia) most common positive symptoms.