Psychoactive drugs can be defined as 'chemicals that influence consciousness or behaviour by altering the brains chemical message system' (Schacter et al, 2012). Different drugs can affect the brain in different ways either by intensifying or dulling transmissions. They will alter neural connections by preventing neurotransmitters bonding to the post synaptic neurons in the brain, inhibiting the re-uptake of neurotransmitters or enhancing the bonding and transmission of neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are 'chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons in the body' (Cherry K, 2014). They are released after an action potential has reached the pre-synaptic terminal. The neurotransmitter then crosses the synaptic gap to reach the receptor site of the post-synaptic neuron. Reuptake of the neurotransmitter is when it attaches to the receptor site and is reabsorbed by the neuron so it can be used again to pass along another action potential. They can be categorised as one of six types: acetylcholine, amino acids, neuropeptides such as endorphins, monoamines such as serotonin and dopamine, purines and lipids and gases (Cherry K, 2014).
Psychoactive drugs are classified into five different groups depending on how they affect the brain. In this essay I will be looking at three of these groups: stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens and how they exert influence on neural processing.
Stimulants are a type of psychoactive drug that increase the brains activity. These drugs can amplify alertness, mood, and awareness. Drugs classed as stimulants include: caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs.
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid acquired from the leaves of a coca plant. It is thought to work ...
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Chemistry of Psilocybin and Synaptic Transmitters Involved Psilocybin is a type of hallucinogenic mushroom that is ingested by eating the raw fungi. The mushroom can also be made into a tea and drunk. In some of the later studies done on psilocybin, the drug was synthetically produced and then either inhaled or injected by an IV. The drug enters the blood stream and can cross the blood brain barrier because of it relative metabolic similarity to serotonin (Fuller 1985). This means that since psilocybin is chemical resemblance to the neurotransmitter serotonin, psilocybin can trick the protein channels embedded in the membrane of the blood vessel and pass through as if it were serotonin and not a drug.
Briefly explain the process of neurotransmission. Neurotransmission starts with the neuron, the most important part of the central nervous system. A neuron contains a cell body, axon, and dendrites. When a neuron receives an electrical impulse, the impulse travels away from the cell body down the axon. The axon breaks off into axon terminals. At the axon terminals, the electrical impulse creates a neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter is released into the synapse, a space between two neurons. If the neurotransmitter tries to stimulate a response of another neuron, it is an excitatory neurotransmitter. If the neurotransmitter does not stimulate a response of another neuron it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. If a response is generated, the second neuron or postsynaptic neuron will receive an action potential at the site of the dendrite and the communication process will continue on. If a response is not generated, neurotransmitters left in the synapse will be absorbed by the first neuron or presynaptic neuron, a process known as reuptake. Neurotransmitters control our body functions, emotions, and
Cocaine is a classified ‘Schedule II’ drug, also known as “crack”, and “coke” it is a powerful drug, and addictive stimulant well known as a psychoactive substance. That comes from a plant called coca leaf that has been around since the mid-1800s and throughout the 20th century. “In the mid-1980s, addiction to the drug was seen as exaggerated or dismissed as psychological and not addiction” (Miller, Gold, Smith, 1997, p.62). In the past, cocaine’s original use was for medical purposes as local anesthetic for surgeries. Now its usage is illegal and this drug is immersed into the body through various ways. However,...
When a person takes cocaine, it causes a rush. There is between one or two minutes of intense pleasure. This is followed by five to 8 minutes of euphoria, then as the high comes down, an overwhelming urge for more, which may last for a day. (3) When a user is between cocaine doses or halts usage, the opposite effects occur. The user is depressed and tired (2).
Neurotransmitters are chemicals made by neurons and used by them to transmit signals to the other neurons or non-neuronal cells (e.g., skeletal muscle; myocardium, pineal glandular cells) that they innervate. The neurotransmitters produce their effects by being released into synapses when their neuron of origin fires (i.e., becomes depolarized) and then attaching to receptors in the membrane of the post-synaptic cells. This causes changes in the fluxes of particular ions across that membrane, making cells more likely to become depolarized, if the neurotransmitter happens to be excitatory, or less likely if it is inhibitory.
How do drugs affect you brain? Well some drugs like marijuana and heroin have the same chemical structures of are neurotransmitter which allows them to send in signals to our brain which can mess up are brain and our body. While other drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine cause our nerve cells to release to much dopamine which leads to exaggerated messages in the brain. Why do people like doing these drugs? Because of the pleasure it gives them after each use. Most of the drugs
Yes, certain drugs interfere with the brain’s natural communication system and its validity process. Provided the brain is composed of neurons (nerve cells) from one to another neuron. Which prevents the receptor from communicating properly as it conveyance between the neurons. Drugs such as marijuana and heroin satirist the chemical structure of neurotransmitters, manipulating receptors into generating and transmitting messages. Even though they’re compared to natural neurotransmitters, these drugs affect neurons differently and transmit abnormal messages. Other drugs cause neurons to release enormous amounts of neurotransmitters than normal, or prevent the transporters from recovering neurotransmitters. This is the way drugs like amphetamine
Chemical messengers transmit information from nerve cells to nerve cells in the body and the brain. Your nerve cells are called neurons, and their chemical messengers are called neurotransmitters. Chemicals like hallucinogens can disrupt this communication system, and the results are changes in the way you sense the world around you. There's still a lot that scientists don't know about the effects of hallucinogens on the brain, though. Some hallucinogens occur naturally in trees, vines, seeds, fungi and leaves.
Development is a never ending cycle in life. Each person begins to develop from conception until passing away. Now, while most people think that development starts after birth that is incorrect. Development starts as soon as the baby is conceived. Everything that a woman carrying a baby does or takes place in will translate into the baby. The baby shares a blood flow with the mother. Drugs, even legal drugs, will go into the mother’s blood stream which will then go into the baby’s blood stream. The “maternal blood flows through the uterine arteries to the spaces housing the placenta, and it returns through the uterine vein to the maternal circulation” (Santrock, 2012, p. 80). This means that anything that enters into the blood stream will also affect the baby. Each type of drug is under a certain category. Psychoactive drugs are drugs that are constantly being studier. According to Santrock (2012), psychoactive drugs are drugs that act on the nervous system to alter states of consciousness, modify perception, and change moods. (p.83). They come in three categories: stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens. Stimulants include caffeine, cocaine, methamphetamine and nicotine. Some people say that pregnant woman do not know what taking these into their system is doing to their baby. Stimulants are becoming more popular and there effects need to be studied and known. Each stimulant affects the baby in short-term and long-term.
Cocaine can be snorted, smoked, injected or even chewed; it can be consumed in any way as long as it ends up in the blood stream. It is a stimulant drug, meaning the messages travelling between the brain and body speed up. Cocaine affects the production, uptake and breaking down of three chemicals that naturally take place in the brain. These are: Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephrine. ...
While there are many different varieties of psychoactive drugs, stimulants and narcotics are two of the most popular and dangerous. The effect of drugs on the body depends on their chemical properties, a person's mental set, the setting in which the drug is taken, and the genetic's of the user. With this wide variety of contributors, it is extremely hard to predict how a drug will affect an individual, but researchers have studies the basic effects. As a result of this research, we have discovered that stimulants rev up our central nervous system while narcotics relieve pain and induce sleep.
Drugs affect brain functions in various ways and long-term use of drugs can result in gradual damage or destruction of brain cells. It also inhibits the ability to avoid cravings for the drugs. One of the main areas of the brain that is affected by drugs is the reward pathway in the prefrontal cortex.
The altered states of consciousness produced by drugs presents an all-to-common phenomenon in today’s society. Whether the desired sensation comes in the form of energy, a means of relaxation, or pain reduction, many people go to great lengths and present their bodies to threatening conditions in order to achieve this euphoric “high.” Unfortunately, the use of these drugs very often comes with dangerous side effects that users must learn to manage with for the rest of their life. According to neuroscientists, our entire conscious existence bases itself off of the lighting-fast reactions occurring in our nervous system (Nichols, 2012). Therefore, changing these neurological reactions can permanently effect our conscious being (Blatter, 2012). The physical and neurological effects from the use and abuse of stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, organic solvents, and athletic performance enhancing drugs will be discussed in order to better comprehend why certain individuals expose themselves to such dangerous materials with seemingly no regard to the permanent consequences associated with such actions.
Nearly all drugs of abuse increase dopamine release. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in drug abuse and addiction. Dopamine plays a role in reward-motivated behaviors, motor control and important hormones. It’s known as the “feel good hormone” which is why people abuse drugs that increase the release of dopamine. Since life is unpredictable, our brains have evolved the ability to remodel themselves in response to our experiences.
Amphetamines are typically used to provide the same effect that pure adrenaline does. The drug is specified for people with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity as well as narcolepsy, although if you decide to abuse the drug and use it for recreational purposes, you may start to feel paranoia and nervousness. Using amphetamines can also put a strain on the circulatory system by causing the user's blood pressure to increase suddenly. (Amphetamine) Long term psychological effects of the drug can cause something called amphetamine psychosis, which is much like paranoid schizophrenia.