HOOKED ON SOMETHING Ricardo Gmez Flores

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HOOKED ON SOMETHING?Ricardo Gómez Flores
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Psychoactive drugs are not the only cause of
addiction.
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Internet is a good example of this
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Humans can easily depend on substances or
situations that provide pleasurable sensations
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These include Food Gambling Alcoholic
beberages Sex Sport watching Work All of
which Produce PLEASURE and ADDICTIVE
BEHAVIOR
PLEASURE VS ADDICTION
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Pleasure is detected and processed in a specific
brain region, the reward pathway The brain
reward circuit involves the nucleus accumbens and
the ventral tegmental area.
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The ventral tegmental area (VTA), a group of
neurons at the very centre of the brain, plays an
especially important role in this circuit. The
VTA receives information from several other
regions that tell it how well various fundamental
needs, and more specifically human needs, are
being satisfied. The VTA then forwards this
information to another structure further forward
in the brain the nucleus accumbens. To send this
information to the nucleus accumbens, the VTA
uses a particular chemical messenger dopamine.
The increase in the level of dopamine in the
nucleus accumbens, and in other brain regions,
reinforces the behaviours by which we satisfy our
fundamental needs.
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Dopamine, a "reward" neurotransmitter, can be
triggered by pleasurable activities like eating
and sex, and by drugs ranging from alcohol and
nicotine to marijuana and cocaine. Dopamine
interacts with specific dopamine receptors on
reward neurons and the sense of pleasure begins
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However, pleasure sensation lasts only a few
seconds because the dopamine is captured from the
receptor and taken back to its original source
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Coacaine has the potential to delay this
re-uptake of dopamine thus extending the pleasure
period
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Other drugs also have the same effect of
increasing the intensity of dopamine release and
delaying dopamine re-uptake
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However, excesive stimulation of pleasure centers
damages the brain
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Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a test
that uses a special type of camera and a special
test medicine (radioactive tracer) to look at
organs in the body. During the test, the tracer
is put into a vein (IV) in the patients arm. The
tracer gives off tiny positively charged
particles (positrons) that make signals. A camera
records the tracer's signals as the tracer moves
through the body and collects in organs. The
camera's recordings are made into pictures on a
computer.
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control
on cocaine
This pictures shows the differential use of
glucose, an essential Souce of energy for the
brain, between a healthy individual and A
cocaine addict, which clearly depicts a
significant reduction in Glucose use.
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Ethanol use significantly reduces glucose use by
the brain.
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MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine ecstasy)
significantly Reduces the levels of serotonin
which is involved in many disorders, including
depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and sleep
abnormalities.
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Drugs in food?
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The first reported drug included in a food source
was cocaine. This was a period of time when many
patent medicines contained coca leaves or cocaine
(an alkaloid extracted from the leaves), the most
popular was 'Vin Mariani', invented by an Italian
physician working in France, Angelo Mariani. Vin
Mariani was widely imitated, and Pemberton at
first produced an imitation of Vin Mariani before
formulating his own concoction,
Coca-Cola.Coca-Cola never contained much cocaine
- and the amount was quickly reduced to almost
undetectable amounts after a few years, when
cocaine's negative properties started to become
evident. (Estimates are the syrup contained 1
part in 50 million - that would be about 1/2
ounce in 25 million gallons of Coca Cola).Since
1929 there has been no cocaine in Coca Cola. The
leaves were still used for flavor, but the
alkaloids were completely removed.  
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There were three types of medicines often
containing cocaine--topical anesthetics such as
toothache powders, catarrh medicines for
relieving head and chest congestion, and
medicinal (probably also recreational)
cocaine-containing wines advocated for their
numerous beneficial effects. Cocaine toothache
drops were popular with children and with their
parents. Not only would the medicine numb the
pain, but it could also put the user in a
"better" mood. 
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Cocaine-containing throat lozenges,
"indispensable for singers, teachers, and
orators." In addition to quieting a sore throat,
these lozenges undoubtedly provided the
"pick-me-up" to keep these professionals
performing at their peak. This box of lozenges is
from a Belgium pharmacy (c. 1900). Local
pharmacies often bought their drugs in bulk and
packaged them for consumers under their own
labels.
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Heroin was commercially developed by Bayer
Pharmaceutical and was marketed by Bayer and
other companies (c. 1900) for several medicinal
uses including cough suppression.
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Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup was an
indispensable aid to mothers and child-care
workers. Containing one grain (65 mg) of morphine
per fluid ounce, it effectively quieted restless
infants and small children. It probably also
helped mothers relax after a hard day's work. The
company used various media to promote their
product, including recipe books, calendars, and
trade cards such as the one shown here from 1887
(A calendar is on the reverse side.).
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Conclusions
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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