PSYCH 1X03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Classical Conditioning, Drug Tolerance, Analgesic
Document Summary
Drug tolerance: decreased effectiveness of a drug over a course of repeated administration. Learning: important role in development and maintenance of drug tolerance. Theories of drug tolerance have been based on drug administration and physiological effects on the sensitivity of receptors. Decreased sensitivity occurs due to systemic changes: increased frequency of use, blockage of receptor access. Environmental context of drug administration is vital in the development of drug tolerance and the mechanisms of drug overdose. Every episode of drug administration = conditioning trial. Environment becomes associated with counteraction after repeated trials. Body is prepared to compensate for drug effects by being in that particular environment. Testing theory: building tolerance then testing effects with a placebo, when rats received a placebo in the environment of administration, hyper analgesic effects occurred, pain increased, environment elicited compensatory responses. Subjects in the environment they were not tolerated in will respond to drugs in a non-tolerant manner.
