PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5.3: Nucleus Accumbens, Club Drug, Tegmentum
Document Summary
Short-term effects : drugs can act as agonist and antagonist. Agonist: enhances/mimics the activity of a neurotransmitter. Antagonist: blocks or inhibits the activity of the neurotransmitter. Brain chemical most influenced by drugs is dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that involves the response to rewarding, and pleasurable feelings. ; released in 2 brain areas: nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area. These positive feelings serve important/dangerous functions: reinforce drug- Different drugs will influence different neurotrans-mitter systems. For taking behaviour (anticipation of taking drug becomes pleasurable) instance, the (cid:498)club drug(cid:499) ecstasy primarily affects serotonin levels whereas painkillers like oxycontintm affect opioid receptors. Effects of drugs involve biological, social and psychological mechanisms. Situation in which drug is consumed affects the effect it has (i. e. drinking at a party to drinking at home) Person"s experience with drugs influences drug effects (drug may have more potent. Person"s expectations about the drug can dramatically influence its effects.
