NROC61H3 Chapter 15: Chapter 15 - Exam Notes
Document Summary
Chapter 15 diffuse modulatroy systems of the brain. Psychoactive drugs (compounds with mind-altering effects) all act on the cns and most do so by interfering with chemical synaptic transmission. Many abused drugs act on the noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic sysytems. Hallucinogenic compounds are contained in a number of plants consumed as part of religious ritual (e. g. psilocybe mushroom by the maya and peyote cactus by the aztec) Albert hofmann chemically synthesized a new compound (lysergic acid diethlamide) lsd which is an extremely potent drug. 25micrograms = full-blown hallucinogenic effect (25 000 larger than aspirin) Symptoms: dream-like state with heightened awareness of sensory stimuli often with a mixing of perceptions such that sounds can evoke images, images evoke smells, etc. Chemical structure is similar to 5-ht and acts on the serotonergic system. Lsd is a potent agonist at the 5-ht receptors on the presynaptic terminals of neurons in the raphe nuclei.
