PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Stimulant Psychosis, Hallucinogen, Peyote
Document Summary
Chapter 5 - states of consciousness: depressants. Moderate doses: reduce feelings of anxiety; produce euphoria. High doses: slow vital life processes, can be fatal. Nervous system depressants: initial upper phase then brain centres become depressed. Increases activity of gaba (main inhibitory neurotransmitter anxiety control: increase of gaba decreases brain activity. Decreases activity of glutamate (major excitatory neurotransmitter) Combination creates high and the down phase. E. g. , sleeping pills and anti anxiety drugs. Depress nervous system: increase activity of gaba. Highly addictive: several months needed to lose physiological dependency, stimulants. Increase neural firing and arouse central nervous system: increase blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, alertness, e. g. , amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, boost mood, produce euphoria and heightened irritability. Amphetamines: increases dopamine and norepinephrine, continuous heavy use can produce amphetamine psychosis. Ecstasy (mdma: produce feelings of pleasure, elation, empathy, warmth, interferes with serotonin reuptake (and dopamine) more serotonin and dopamine remain in the synaptic gap.
