Psychology 2221B Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Endorphins, Fetus, Nucleus Accumbens
11 Mar 2017
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Chapter 15- drug addiction and the brain"s reward circuits: Basic principles of drug action: psychoactive drugs drugs that influence subjective experience and behavior by acting on nervous system. Inhalation: absorbed into blood stream through capillaries in blood, difficult precisely regulate dose and damage lungs chronically inhaled. Absorption through mucous membrane: nose, mouth and rectum= damages (cocaine) Drug penetration of cns: blood-brain barrier= difficult many potentially dangerous bloodborne chemicals pass from blood vessels of cns into its neurons. Mechanisms of drug action: act diffusely neural membranes through cns, binding particular synaptic receptors, influencing synthesis, transport, release/ deactivation particular neurotransmitters/ influencing chain chemical reactions elicited in postsynaptic neurons by activation of receptors. Drug metabolism and elimination: drug metabolism- liver enzymes stimulate the conversion of active drugs to nonactive forms, eliminates ability pass through lipid membranes no longer penetrate bbb, small amounts some psychoactive drugs passed out of body. Tolerance may develop some effects drug while sensitivity other effects of same drug increases.
