PSY 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Dopamine Agonist, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Psychoactive Drug

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1101
• Professor: Najwa Haddad

Document Summary

Psychoactive drug: drugs affecting and changing functioning of the brain. Produce effects at level of synapse, interfere with communication between neurons. All drugs: agonize dopamine (enhance activity activate pleasure pathways/reward pathways) Addiction: person feels compelled or driven to take drugs in spite of negative consequences (not innate) Example of plasticity: drugs change the brain because brain detects too much dopamine (nt) and so adapts to drug (structurally/functionally) by stopping production of neurotransmitter (shuts down receptors: another reason: other parts of body adapt. People have alcohol everyday= liver more efficient breaking down alcohol (toxic to brain: withdrawal: when drug user stops using drug, goes through state of withdrawal. Experiences psychological + physical effects (e. g pain to death: why: because of dependence on drug physically and psychologically. Adapted to presence which is needed to function normally. Psychologically: miss, emotionally attached, feel cannot function without. Expectations: effects of drugs do not depend only on chemical structure but our own expectations and beliefs.