PSYC 211 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Gaba Receptor, Putamen, Mesolimbic Pathway
2 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Even though drugs cause bad things, people continue to use them because they stimulate brain mechanisms responsible for positive reinforcement. Their immediate effects are more powerful than the realization that in the long term, bad things will happen. Alcohol car accidents, fetal alcohol syndrome, korsakoff"s syndrome, heart disease, intracerebral hemorrhage. Smoking lung cancer, heart attack, stroke, less healthy babies, babies with smaller brains. Cocaine psychotic behaviour, brain damage, death by overdose, competition for lucrative and illegal markets, causes violent deaths. Found substances in nature that had medicinal qualities. Also discovered recreational ones that produced pleasurable effects when consumed. Addictive drugs and their site of action: ethyl alcohol nmda receptor (indirect antagonist), gabaa receptor (indirect agonist) Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) gabaa receptor (indirect agonist) Cannabis (marijuana) cb1 cannabinoid receptor (agonist) Phencyclidine (pcp) and ketamine nmda receptor (indirect antagonist) Cocaine blocks reuptake of dopamine (and serotonin and norepinephrine) Amphetamine causes release of dopamine (by running dopamine transporters in reverse)
