Effects of Drugs

1
Effects of Drugs

• Pleasure Center of the hypothalamus
• Methamphetaminesspeed cause a rush of
  norepinephrine, dopamine, and PEA in the brains
  pleasure center.
• Cocainestops the reuptake of dopamine in the
  pleasure center. It also stimulates the release
  of glutamate and the creation of more glutamate
  receptors.

• Tolerance
• Addiction
• Withdrawal
• Permanent brain chemistry changes.

2
Neurochemical Effects of Drugs

• MDMA blocks the reuptake of 5-HT, similarly to
  SSRI (serotonin specific reuptake inhibiting)
  anti-depressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac),
  sertraline, and paroxetine. Unlike those drugs,
  however, MDMA appears to enter the neuron, either
  through passive diffusion or directly through the
  reuptake transporter, and causes the release of
  5-HT. This release is calcium-independent (i.e.
  independent of the firing of the 5-HT neuron) and
  appears to come from cytoplasmic stores rather
  than from synaptic vesicles. The released 5-HT
  then enters the synaptic cleft through the 5-HT
  transporter. MDMA thus acts on 5-HT similarly to
  the way amphetamines act on dopamine. MDMA may
  also affect dopamine and is a know neurotoxin.

3
Neurochemistry of Drugs

• EphedrineAffects dopamine and norepinephrine.
  Possible adverse effects of ephedrine range from
  clinically significant effects such as heart
  attack, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death,
  to clinically less significant effects that may
  indicate the potential for more serious effects
  (for example, dizziness, headache,
  gastrointestinal distress, irregular heartbeat,
  and heart palpitations).
• Oxycontinsynthetic opiate.
• MarijuanaNatural cannaboid receptors for the
  neurotransmitter anandamide. Other effects are
  still under study.

4
Neurochemical Effects of Drugs

• Ethanol enhances dopamine release in the
  pharmacological reward pathway Ethanol appears
  to release dopamine from the VTA and NAC via
  interactions with multiple neurotransmitter
  receptors Ethanol has direct excitatory actions
  on dopamine containing neurons in the VTA
• Ethanol also affects serotoninand acetylcholine
  levels.

5
Neurochemical Effects of Drugs

• Cocaineinhibits the reuptake of dopamine in the
  brains pleasure centers.