FORS-2107EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Depersonalization, Methadone, Insomnia
27 Jun 2018
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Forensic Science - Day 12 2018.03.01
Drugs in Forensic Toxicology
-Drugs of Abuse
-Stimulants
-Depressants
-Hallucinogens
-Volatiles
-Therapeutics
-Non-opioid analgesics
-Antihistamines
-Antidepressants
-Antipsychotics
-Anticonvulsants
-Other chemicals of Forensic Relevance
-Carbon monoxide
-Cyanide (this can occur in fires where there is polymeric materials that undergo
incomplete combustion)
Drugs of Abuse - Stimulants
-Amphetmine-Related Drugs (ARDs)
-Amphetamine
-MDMA
-Bath salts
-These are all synthetic compounds
-These drugs have structures that are similar to naturally occurring
neurotransmitters (NTs)
-The structural variations result in slight differences in receptor binding profiles -
leading to differences in receptor binding profiles - leading to differences in drug
effects
-We can see the structural similarities between the amphetamines and dopamine,
serotonin, and norepinephrine
-Amphetamines and methamphetamine act by increasing the concentration of NE
and DA in the synapse, through inhibition of re-uptake and facilitation of NT release
-Effects:
-Euphoria, hyperactivity, vasoconstriction, tacycardia (rapid heart beat), agitation,
paranoia/delusions, psychosis, seizures, arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
-The effects begin with the positive effects first then getting more negative as time
goes on
-If vasoconstriction is induced and then it stops (when drug wears off), and then
this drug is used again, this constant contracting and deconstructing can cause
the aorta to burst and cause death
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-Therapeutic uses: increase wakefulness (military), ADD/ADHD, appetite
suppression
-These drugs are abused in a binge fashion as they are habit forming
-Binges are usually followed by marked withdrawal symptoms including hyper
somnolence, depression, and cravings
-Smoking a drug is a very efficient way of delivering drugs to the body because it
goes to your alveoli which has extremely thin walls so it can enter the bloodstream
very fast, but this will also start to wear off very fast, this is why people binge
stimulants (or other drugs)
MDMA, MDA, and MDEA
-Primary drug is MDMA (ecstasy)
-MDMA is a synthetic drug that promotes release and inhibits repute of serotonin in
nerve synapses, and has slight effects on dopamine and norepinephrine
-MDMA gets metabolized into MDA
-Effects:
-Increased energy
-Hypertension
-Tachycardia
-Euphoria
-Hallucinations (probably due to structural similarity to mescaline)
-MDMA users also undergo muscle clenching and spasm, manifested in observations
of teeth clenching, which is why you see people in raves wearing baby soothers
-Rave Deaths
-As serotonergic systems are also involved with thermoregulation, MDMA use was
implicated in “club deaths” because victims suffered hyperpyrexia (extreme body
temperature) due to the combined use of MDMA, strenuous physical activity
(dancing) and confined conditions (dark and loud), this happens in raves
-Which results in multiple organ failure
-This is opposed to much higher concentrations of MDMA being survivable in more
favourable environmental conditions
-MDMA is usually marketed in the form of distinctive tablets
-Quality control may be problematic - tablets sold as ecstasy have been analyzed and
found to contain a variety of other compounds, including methamphetamine, cocaine,
caffeine, ephedrine, and more recently “bath salts” or synthetic cathinones
Cocaine
-Cocaine is a widely abused stimulant, with some activity as a local anethetic
-The ester bonds in this compound can be cleaved by an enzyme in our body, which
leads to cocaine being very quickly metabolized in our bodies and therefore making it
very short lived in the body, it has a half life of about 90 minutes
-Effects
-Euphoria
-Heightened sexual excitement
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Cyanide (this can occur in res where there is polymeric materials that undergo incomplete combustion) These drugs have structures that are similar to naturally occurring neurotransmitters (nts) The structural variations result in slight differences in receptor binding pro les - leading to differences in receptor binding pro les - leading to differences in drug effects. We can see the structural similarities between the amphetamines and dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Amphetamines and methamphetamine act by increasing the concentration of ne and da in the synapse, through inhibition of re-uptake and facilitation of nt release. Euphoria, hyperactivity, vasoconstriction, tacycardia (rapid heart beat), agitation, paranoia/delusions, psychosis, seizures, arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) The effects begin with the positive effects rst then getting more negative as time goes on. If vasoconstriction is induced and then it stops (when drug wears off), and then this drug is used again, this constant contracting and deconstructing can cause the aorta to burst and cause death.
