Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Background
Psychoactive drugs categorized:
• Medically
• Specifically, how they effect
the CNS
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Background
Five Major categories
1. Depressants
2. Stimulants
3. Opioids / Opiates
4. Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
5. Marijuana
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
Psychoactive drugs
My suggestion, make yourself a chart of the
five categories of drugs to help you keep
the information in order, like what’s on
page 301
For example:
• Category
• What they do
• Effects
• Examples
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
What they do
• Slows (depresses) neural activity
• Mostly effects:
–Frontal lobe
–Hindbrain
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Afferent & efferent
neurons, motor cortex all
affected (slowed)
• Slows reaction time
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Association areas in frontal
lobe depressed
• Impairs judgment
• Impairs long-term planning
• Lessens inhibitions
• Reduces self-awareness
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Broca’s area affected
• Slurring of speech
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Effects cerebellum
• Overconsumption -> balance,
coordination problems
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on the nervous system & body
Effects brainstem (Medulla
oblongata)
• Depresses automatic functions,
could stop if too much consumed
• Heartbeat, breathing, ability to
vomit
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on memory
• No effect on short-term recall
or existing long-term memories
• However, difficult to create
long-term memories
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Effects on memory
• Also, state dependant memory
• Memories made while
intoxicated are hard to
remember when sober.
• Able to remember next time in
that state (drunk)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Major depressants
• Alcohol
• Barbiturates
–Anesthesia
–Sleeping pills
–Also known as “Downers”
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
1) Depressants
Major depressants, continued
• Tranquilizers
–AKA: Sedatives
–Treat anxiety
–Examples: Valium & Xanax
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
What they do
• Increase activity of the CNS
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Heighten alertness
• Increase energy
• Speed up bodily functions
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Speeds up CNS/automatic
functions (respiratory, cardiac)
• Can overtax/permanently
damage these parts of the
body
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Many mimic effects of
neurotransmitters
• Highly physically addictive
• Tolerance built up quickly
• Makes withdrawal difficult
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Amphetamines
–Synthetic stimulant
–“Speed”
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Cocaine
–Derived from leaves of
coca plant
–Crack: concentrated form
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Ecstasy
–Methyenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA)
• Anything in large enough amounts
is a hallucinogen (i.e., stimulant)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Caffeine
–Most popular drug in the
world
–Found in coffee, tea,
chocolate, soda, etc.
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Nicotine
–Highly addictive
–Found in tobacco
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
Major stimulants
• Nicotine, continued
–Mimics neurotransmitters:
• Acetylcholine
• Dopamine
• Vasopressin: causes high blood
pressure
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 1/3
• Agonist – blocks reuptake of:
–Dopamine
–Serotonin
–Norepinephrine
• More of them bind to neuroreceptor
site than usually do
• Excess of neurotransmitters causes
euphoric rush
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 2/3
• Stop use of cocaine
• Natural neurotransmitters used up
quicker than usually
• Body producing at same rate
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How cocaine works: 3/3
• Body crashes because lacks these
neurotransmitters
• Leads to agitation (lack of
dopamine) depression (lack of
serotonin & norepinephrine)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
2) Stimulants
How ecstasy works:
• Dopamine & Serotonin Agonist
–Vesicle release excess of both
–Blocks reuptake of both
• More of them bind to
neuroreceptor site than usually do
• Causes good feeling (Serotonin),
want to keep taking it (Dopamine)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are
• Derived from alkaloids of resin
of opium plant
• Can be natural, synthetic,
partially synthetic
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are
• Used as pain relief
• Decreases perception &
reaction to pain
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are
• Agonist
• Mimics endorphins
(body’s natural pain block)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are/effects
• Sometimes (incorrectly) put
into the depressant category
• Can depress bodily functions
(respiratory functions, etc)
• Different method than
depressants
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
What they are/effects
• Depressants slow hindbrain
• Opioids depress respiratory
function itself
• Causes drowsiness
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
Effects on the nervous system & body
Intense feeling of euphoria
Highly physically addictive
Tolerance builds up very quickly
More and more needed to prevent
withdrawal
• No longer produces euphoria, just
maintaining level to function
•
•
•
•
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
3) Opiods/Opiates
Major opiods
• Opium (natural)
• Morphine (natural)
• Codeine (natural)
• Diacetylmorphine (heroin)
(semi-synthetic)
• Methadone (fully synthetic)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
What they are
• Distort perceptions
• Cause heightened sensory
alertness (colors seem
brighter, sounds clearer, etc.)
• Cause hallucinations
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Addiction
• Not physically addicting
• Strongly psychologically
Types
• Natural substances
• Synthetic
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Natural
• Mesculine: peyote cactus
• Psilocybin: certain types of
mushrooms
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Natural
• Mesculine: peyote cactus
• Psilocybin: certain types of
mushrooms
Synthetic
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Natural
• Mesculine: peyote cactus
• Psilocybin: certain types of
mushrooms
Synthetic
• Phencyclidine: PCP or angel dust
• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD):
acid
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
4) Hallucinogens/psychedelic drugs
Effects
• How alter perceptions still
unclear
• Serotonin receptors?
• Effects people differently in
different situations (why is
unclear)
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
• Sometimes put into one of the
other categories
• Or, considered its its own
category
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
Depressants
• Depresses the neural system
• Depresses inhibitions,
judgment, etc
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
Hallucinogenic
• Causes (usually mild)
hallucinations
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
Opioids
• Feeling of euphoria
• Drowsiness
• However, not derived from
opium poppy
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Background
Stimulant
• Can stimulate mood
• Intensifies mood of user
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
What it is
• Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC)
• Active ingredient of marijuana
• Found in leaves, flowering top of
hemp plant Cannabis
• Hashish: cooked down, mashed
into a paste
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
• How THC effects brain largely
unknown
• THC neuroreceptors found in:
–Frontal lobe
–Limbic system
–Motor cortex
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Because THC neuroreceptor found,
neurotransmitter in the body
apparently
• Haven’t found it & don’t know what it
does
• Have found similar
neurotransmitters, just not for THC
Unit VII: States of Consciousness: Psychoactive drugs
5) Marijuana
Effects on the nervous system & body
• Low physically addictive
• High psychologically addictive
• THC lingers in body for a month or
so
• Body does not build up a tolerance
• Small dose needed to produce
desired effect