Drugs & The Brain Web Quest
Introduction: How do drugs affect the brain? In this web quest, you will
Procedure: Follow the links for each question and write down your responses on the Drugs & The
Brain Worksheet.
Brain & Addiction
1. What are the 3 primary areas of the brain that drugs of abuse affect?
2. What is another name for nerve cells?
3. What 4 things are needed for the brain to communicate? Briefly describe the function of each.
4. How do drugs affect the brain?
5. What is the “reward” circuit of the brain?
6. What role does dopamine play in drug abuse?
Stimulants
7. What are stimulants?
8. What are some examples?
9. How are stimulants abused?
10. What are the most common stimulants of choice for 10th graders? (Top 3)
Depressants
11. What are depressants?
12. What are some examples?
13. How are depressants used?
Let’s look at a few examples of stimulants and depressants. You will want both
links open so that you can move back and forth easily. (NFK = Neuroscience for
Kids and MP = Mouse Party)
Neuroscience for Kids
Ecstasy
14. NFK. Circle one: Stimulant
Depressant
15. NFK. What are the behavioral effects of ecstasy?
16. NFK. What are the effects of ecstasy on the brain?
17. MP. What serotonin pathways does ecstasy affect?
18. MP. Is ecstasy addictive? Why or why not?
Alcohol
19. NFK. Circle one: Stimulant
Depressant
Mouse Party
20. NFK. Chart the path of alcohol in the body.
21. NFK. How does alcohol affect the nervous system?
22. MP. What is GABA? What is its role in the brain?
23. MP. What is glutamates role in the brain?
24. MP. How does alcohol affect GABA and glutamate?
Marijuana
25. NFK. Based on its effects on the nervous system, is marijuana a stimulant or depressant?
26. MP. What substance naturally turns off the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters and releases
dopamine into the synapse?
27. MP. What substance in marijuana turns off the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters and releases
dopamine into the synapse?
Mouse of Your Choice: Pick a mouse. Use the 2 websites to answer the
following questions.
28. What mouse did you choose?
29. Is the drug a stimulant of depressant?
30. How does it affect the nervous system?
31. Describe the chemical reactions that take place in the brain when using the drug.
Drug Abuse & Addiction
32. What is an addiction?
33. Why do people take drugs?
34. What part of the brain is still developing during adolescence?
35. Why are drugs not a good idea while your brain is developing?