PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Cognitive Therapy, Somnolence, Ergot

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Paul Wehr

Document Summary

Psychoactive drugs: chemical substances acting on the cns that alter mood, perception, memory, or behaviour. Derivatives of barbituric acid (urea & acid of apples). Chemically identical to endorphins; bind to opioid receptors in cns. All highly addictive: suppress appetite, nausea, constipation, convulsions, strong withdrawal, coma, or overdose. Hallucinogens: disrupt subjective experience of sensory input. Semi-synthetic hallucinogen (switzerland, 1938) derived from ergot fungus growing on rye cereal. Intelligence services used lsd for interrogation and social engineering in 1950s. Psychological effects vary between individuals and over time. Effects: relaxed euphoria, enhanced sensory awareness, pain relief, poor memory, increased appetite. Abuse can cause throat & lung irritation; short-term memory deficits. Effects of psychoactive drugs result by influencing neurotransmitters in cns: Increase or decrease neurotransmitter release (e. g. , sedatives increase gaba; stimulants increase dopamine). Bind directly to receptor sites (e. g. , alcohol & benzodiazepines). Decreases activity following introduction of a stimulant. Increases activity following introduction of a depressant.