Drugs and Consciousness

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Drugs and Consciousness
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Drugs and Consciousness

• Psychoactive Drugs A chemical substance that
  alters perceptions and moods (affects
  consciousness).

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Dependence and Addiction

• Continued use of a psychoactive drug produces
  tolerance. With repeated exposure to a drug, the
  drugs effect lessens. Thus it takes greater
  quantities to get the desired effect.

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Withdrawal and Dependence

1. Withdrawal Upon stopping use of a drug (after
   addiction), users may experience the undesirable
   effects of withdrawal.
2. Dependence Absence of a drug may lead to a
   feeling of physical pain, intense cravings
   (physical dependence), and negative emotions
   (psychological dependence).

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Misconceptions about Addiction

• Addiction is a craving for a chemical substance,
  despite its adverse consequences (physical
  psychological).

1. Addictive drugs quickly corrupt.
2. Addiction cannot be overcome voluntarily.
3. Addiction is no different than repetitive
   pleasure-seeking behaviors.

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Psychoactive Drugs

• Psychoactive drugs are divided into three groups.

1. Depressants
2. Stimulants
3. Hallucinogens

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Depressants

• Depressants are drugs that reduce neural activity
  and slow body functions. They include

1. Alcohol
2. Barbiturates
3. Opiates

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Alcohol

1. Alcohol affects motor skills, judgment, and
   memoryand increases aggressiveness while
   reducing self awareness.

Drinking and Driving
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Stages of Alcohol Intoxication

• 1. Subclinical (0.01-0.05)- Nearly normal
  behavior
• 2. Euphoria (0.03-0.12)- Mild euphoria,
  sociability, increased self-confidence
  decreased inhibitionsdiminution of attention,
  judgment and control
• 3. Excitement (0.09-0.25)- Emotional instability
  loss of critical judgment, impairment of
  perception, memory and comprehension, reduced
  visual acuity peripheral vision and glare
  recovery, sensory-motor incoordination impaired
  balance, drowsiness

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Stages of Alcohol Intoxication

• 4. Confusion (0.18-0.30)- Disorientation, mental
  confusion dizziness, exaggerated emotional
  states, disturbances of vision and of perception
  of color, form, motion and dimensions, increased
  pain threshold, increased muscular
  in-coordination staggering gait slurred speech,
  apathy, lethargy
• 5. Stupor (0.25-0.40)- General inertia
  approaching loss of motor functions, markedly
  decreased response to stimuli,marked muscular
  incoordination inability to stand or
  walkvomiting incontinence, impaired
  consciousness sleep

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Stages of Alcohol Intoxication

• Coma (0.35-0.50)- Complete unconsciousness,
  depressed or abolished reflexes, subnormal body
  temperature, incontinence, impairment of
  circulation and respiration, possible death
• Death (0.45 )- Death from respiratory arrest

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BAC Calculations

• BAC Depends on
• of Drinks
• Type of Drink
• Weight
• Amount of Time Drinking
• http//www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm

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Barbiturates

• Barbiturates Drugs that depress the activity of
  the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but
  impairing memory and judgment. Nembutal, Seconal,
  and Amytal are some examples.

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Effects of Barbiturates on the Brain

• Exact mechanisms not understood
• Thought to bind to sodium channels on neurons and
  prevent the flow of sodium ions. Because sodium
  ions cannot flow across the neuronal membrane,
  action potentials cannot be produced.
• May also increase flow of chloride ions affecting
  GABA

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Interesting Barbiturate Facts

• The barbiturate called sodium pentothal is known
  as "truth serum." However, it really does NOT
  cause people to tell the truth. Rather, it may
  lower a person's inhibitions and make people more
  talkative.
• Musician Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970
  of a barbiturate overdose. Marilyn Monroe also
  met the same fate.

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Opiates
3. Opiates Opium and its derivatives (morphine
and heroin) depress neural activity, temporarily
lessening pain and anxiety. They are highly
addictive.
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Opiates

• Places on neurons recognize opiates. These
  receptors are located in parts of the brain
  important for breathing, pain, and emotions.
• The brain manufactures its own opiates known as
  endorphins.
• Long history of opium use in medical field

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Opiate History

• Important Dates in the History of Opiates
• 1803 - Morphine was isolated from opium by
  Frederick Serturner. 1832 - Codeine was
  extracted from opium. 1874 - Heroin was first
  produced from morphine.1898 - The Bayer Company
  introduced heroin as a substitute for
  morphine.1914 - Harrison Narcotic Act - Added a
  tax on opiate distribution.1922 - Narcotic
  Import and Export Act - Restricted the
  importation of crude opium except for medical
  use.1924 - Heroin Act - Made manufacture and
  possession of heroin illegal.1930 - Federal
  Bureau of Narcotics was created.1970 -
  Controlled Substances Act was passed - Divided
  drugs into categories, set regulations and
  penalties for narcotics.

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Heroin Effects on the Brain

• Stimulates a "pleasure system" in the brain
  involving neurons in the midbrain that use the
  neurotransmitter called "dopamine."
• Midbrain dopamine neurons project to the cerebral
  cortex causing the pleasurable effects of heroin
  and adding to the addictive power.
• Other neurotransmitter systems, such as those
  related to endorphins also likely to be involved
  with withdrawal from and tolerance to heroin.

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Famous Opiate Abusers

• John Belushi (Death)
• Kurt Cobain (Death)
• Jerry Garcia (Death)
• Edgar Allen Poe
• Marilyn Monroe (Death)
• Anna Nicole Smith (Death)
• John Candy (Death)
• Ben Franklin
• Robert Downey Jr.

• Boy George
• Elvis Presley (Death)
• Jim Morrison (Death)
• Tom Sizemore
• Sid Vicious (Death)
• Keith Richards
• DJ AM (Death)
• Heath Ledger (Death)
• Chris Farley (Death)
• Janis Joplin (Death)

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Stimulants

• Stimulants are drugs that excite neural activity
  and speed up body functions.

1. Caffeine
2. Nicotine
3. Cocaine
4. Ecstasy
5. Amphetamines
6. Methamphetamines

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Caffeine and Nicotine

• Caffeine and nicotine increase heart and
  breathing rates and other autonomic functions to
  provide energy.

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Amphetamines

• Amphetamines stimulate neural activity, causing
  accelerated body functions and associated energy
  and mood changes, with devastating effects.

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Amphetamine Effects on Brain

• Cause release of dopamine from axon terminals.
• Block dopamine reuptake.
• Inhibit storage of dopamine in vesicles.
• Inhibit destruction of dopamine by enzymes.
• Actions result in more dopamine in the synaptic
  cleft where it can act on receptors.

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Results of Amphetamine Use

• Insomnia, restlessness
• "Paranoid psychosis"
• Hallucinations
• Violent and aggressive behavior
• Weight loss
• Tremors

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Crystal Meth

• Highly addictive amphetamine with effects
  similar to cocaine.
• Synthetic (manmade) drug, manufactured locally
  using pseudo-ephedrine (ingredient in cold
  medications), acetone, drain cleaner, lithium,
  iodine, paint thinner, kerosene.
•  Damage to the brain is similar to that caused by
  strokes or Alzheimers disease.
• 20 of people who use meth become dependent.

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Ecstasy

• Ecstasy or (MDMA) -Stimulant and mild
  hallucinogen.
• Produces euphoric high
• Can damage serotonin-producing neurons,
• resulting in permanent deflation of mood and
  impairment of memory.

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Ecstasy
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Cocaine

• Cocaine induces immediate euphoria followed by a
  crash. Crack, a form of cocaine, can be smoked.
  Other forms of cocaine can be sniffed or injected.

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Long Term Effects of Cocaine

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Movement problems
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Hallucinations

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Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are psychedelic (mind-manifesting)
drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory
images in the absence of sensory input.
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LSD

1. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)- chemical that
   alters a user's mood, thoughts or perceptions.
2. Thought that effects of LSD caused by stimulation
   of serotonin receptors on neurons in brain area
   called the raphe nuclei. Not clear what produces
   all the effects of LSD.
3. Mandatory 5 year sentence for possession of 1
   gram.

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Effects of LSD

• Feelings of "strangeness"
• Vivid colors
• Hallucinations
• Confusion, panic, psychosis, anxiety
• Emotional reactions like fear, happiness or
  sadness
• Distortion of the senses and of time and space
• "Flashback" reactions - these are the effects of
  LSD that occur even after the user has not taken
  LSD for months or even years.
• Increases in heart rate and blood pressure
• Chills
• Muscle weakness

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Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Mushrooms produce s yawning,
  inability to concentrate, restlessness, increased
  heart rate, and hallucinations (visual and
  auditory
• Amanita Muscaria produces feelings of euphoria,
  hallucinations, muscle jerks, drowsiness,
  sweating, pupil dilation, and increased body
  temperature. Toxic to kidneys and liver.

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Mushrooms Effects on Brain

• Chemical structure similar to serotonin
• Primary effect of psilocin is on seratonin
  receptors.
• Reduces reuptake of serotonin by neurons .
• Muscimol activates GABA receptors on neurons-
  inhibitory system

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Mushrooms

• Identification of hallucinogenic mushrooms can be
  difficult because they look similar to toxic,
  deadly mushrooms.
• Mushrooms bought from dealers may be contaminated
  with drugs such as LSD or PCP
• In 1998 in the United States, 9,839 cases of
  mushroom poisoning were reported by poison
  centers
• "All mushrooms are edible, but some only
  once."-- Croatian Proverb

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PCP

• Phencyclidine- affects multiple neurotransmitter
  systems in the brain inhibits reuptake of
  dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and inhibits
  action of glutamate.
• Dissociative anesthetic because users appear to
  be "disconnected" from their environment they
  know where they are, but they do not feel as if
  they are part of it violent/aggressive behavior
• Can act like many other classes of drugs
  depending on user and administration

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Cannabinoids

• Marijuana (Cannabis sativa)
• THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the major
  active ingredient in marijuana (hemp plant) that
  triggers a variety of effects, including mild
  hallucinations.

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Marijuana Effects on Brain

• THC acts on cannabinoid receptors on neurons in
  brain.
• Brain areas involved in memory, concentration,
  perception, movement.
• Impairs with normal functioning of these areas of
  the brain.

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Marijuana Effects on the Brain

• Anandamide is the brain's own THC (just like
  "endorphin" is the brain's own morphine).
• THC can affect two neurotransmitters
  norepinephrine and dopamine. Serotonin and GABA
  levels may also be altered.

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Addiction/Death?

• Addiction is controversial.
• Also controversial is whether marijuana causes
  long-term mental abnormalities.
• Future research needed.
• NO documented cases of a fatal overdose produced
  by marijuana.
• High level of tar and other chemicals in
  marijuana smoking marijuana increases the
  chances of lung problems and cancer later in life.

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How long does marijuana stay?

• Marijuana can be detected in urine, blood,
  saliva, and hair follicles.
• Depends on how much a person has smoked, how long
  a person has smoked for, and the method used to
  detect THC.
• The half-life of THC is about 24 hours. However,
  the metabolites of THC can be detected for 45 to
  60 days after the last use.

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Drug Use

• The graph below shows the percentage of US high-
  school seniors reporting their use of alcohol,
  marijuana, and cocaine from the 70s to the late
  90s.

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Influences on Drug Use

• The use of drugs is based on biological,
  psychological, and social-cultural influences.

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Marijuana Use

• The use of marijuana in teenagers is directly
  related to the perceived risk involved with the
  drug.

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Near-Death Experiences

• After a close brush with death, many people
  report an experience of moving through a dark
  tunnel with a light at the end. Under the
  influence of hallucinogens, others report bright
  lights at the center of their field of vision.

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Mind-Body Problem

• Near-death experiences raise the mind-body issue.
  Can the mind survive the dying body?

1. Dualism Dualists believe that mind
   (non-physical) and body (physical) are two
   distinct entities that interact.
2. Monism Monists believe that mind and body are
   different aspects of the same thing.