PSYB65H3 Lecture : lect 8
Document Summary
Drugs and the brain: prescribed, over the counter, social drug, drugs not produced commercially(weed) or drugs producted commercially but not for psychoactive effect (glue) Tolerance: a decrease in behavioural affect if taken repeatedly. Stimulants cause an increase in neurotransmitters which increases the stimulation of receptors. Because receptors are bombarded they adjust by decreasing the amount of receptor sites to compensate for over activation. Therefore it will not fire as often because over time it is regulated and you get a dampening effect. Depressants cause a decrease in activation of post-synaptic cells and therefore will adjust to have more receptor(sensitivity) to compensate for under activation resulting in less relaxation of brain. Withdrawl: the opposite of high effect; (-) psyc and physical symptoms. After so much of the drug, the brain has now regulated it self to having decreased sensitivity/ receptors. When normal amounts of begin again (drug is stopped) the post-synaptic cell is under stimulated (less activity)
