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Drug Effects & Neurotransmitters

Drug Effects & Neurotransmitters. Dopamine. Natural “Reward System” Critical to learning and desire. Most commonly associated with our “pleasure” system. Crucial in encoding of sport-oriented motor skills.

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Drug Effects & Neurotransmitters

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  1. Drug Effects & Neurotransmitters

  2. Dopamine • Natural “Reward System” • Critical to learning and desire. • Most commonly associated with our “pleasure” system. • Crucial in encoding of sport-oriented motor skills. • Disorders with dopamine levels are linked to problems with memory, attention, problem-solving, social anxiety, bipolar, depression, ADD, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia.

  3. Serotonin • Plays important role in regulation of body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite and vomiting. • Low levels of serotonin are found in people with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. • Sunlight can naturally increase serotonin release!

  4. Norepinephrine • Part of your “fight-or-flight” response. • Commonly called adrenaline. • Released at times of stress. • Excitatory to many regions of the body and brain. • Plays a large role in attention and focus. • Changes in normal levels are linked to ADD and depression.

  5. Endorphins • Released to inhibit/stop pain receptors. • This is the brain’s own Morphine. • Released at times of intense exercise or severe injury.

  6. GABA • The chief inhibitory neurotransmitter of of the CNS. • Stops most neurons by creating a hyperpolarization. • Increased GABA causes relaxation, anti-anxiety and anti-convulsive effects.

  7. Histamine • Released by white blood cells to increase blood vessel diameter (vasodilation). • Increases brain activity. • Anti-histamines are common over the counter cold medicines – that will cause drowziness. • Many anti-histamines are chemically altered to produce methamphetamines.

  8. Example of Anti-depressant Medication Action: NARI or MAOA inhibitors

  9. Why is drug use dangerous to normal neurotransmitter function? • Can cause excess neurotransmitter release. • Can act to block NT receptors. • Can block NT uptake/removal. • Can stop normal NT production (too much or too little) for the long-term. • Can damage normal NT receptors (create too many or have too few) for the long-term. • Can impair development of permanent neuron connections, critical to learning and pleasure for the long-term. • All of these NT problems lead to a variety of neurological disorders and mental illness.

  10. Cocaine’s Action on a Neuron

  11. Illegal Drugs and the NTs they affect. • Marijuana = +dopamine, +serotonin, +GABA, - norepinephrine. • Ecstasy – +serotonin, +dopamine • Methamphetamine = +dopamine • Cocaine = +dopamine, +norepinephrine and +serotonin

  12. Legal Drugs and the NTs they affect. • Vicodin – mimics endorphin. • OxyContin – mimics endorphin. • Alcohol – +GABA, -ACH, +endorphin • Nicotine – +dopamine, +norepinephrine • Caffeine – blocks Adenosine (an inhibitory NT) in CNS.

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