Drugs and the
Nervous
System
Addiction and
alterations of NT
actions
• Is it a disease or a Choice?
• Is there a cure or a Change?
2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Methods for taking Drugs?
•
•
•
•
Injection
Inhalation
Ingestion
Shorting
Analyze the Graph
• Who will experience
greatest effect?
• Who will experience least
effect?
• Who will experience
quickest effect?
• Who will experience
slowest effect?
• What factors can change
effects of drugs on your
body?
Why can’t you get addicted to all
types of drugs?
• Drugs that alter only neurotransmitters
levels
• Genetic probability
How drugs
work
• Bind to receptors and
increase action of NT
• Mimic action of NT
– Nicotine: acH
• Increase level of NT
– Ex: nicotine
• Cause NT to remain in
synaptic cleft
– Ex: cocaine
• Blocks reuptake
– LSD blocks serotonin
Types of Drugs
• Agonists
• Activates the receptor
triggering an action
potential or helps NT
bind
• Antagonists
• Binds to a receptor
preventing a NT from
binding there
Why addiction occurs?
• When taking drugs they either bind to a
receptor or enhance NT action.
• The number of receptors that the NT/drug
binds can decline….This can lead to?
– Needing more of the drug to get the same
effect
DRUGS: altering NT actions
• Cocaine: blocks
dopamine reuptake
– Effect: euphoria
• Happiness, increases
energy
• Tryptophan:
increases serotonin
• Precursor to serotonin
• Dietary sleep aid
– Sleepiness
Drugs that alter NT levels
• Valium: GABA (enhances
some receptor enhances
receptor binding)
– Decreases anxiety
– aka gamma aminobutyric acid
• Nicotine: increases
receptors of AcH
• mimics AcH
– Pleasure/ alertness
• Dopomine
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/
drugs/mouse.html