Effects Of Drug Addiction On The Brain
Briana Mack
Dr. M. Okulate
Biology 112 Honors
04 April 2014
Drug Addiction and the Effects on the Brain
The prevalence of drug addiction in America has been an epidemic in the past fifty years because of the violence and tragedy of events where drug use was the catalyst. Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, Amphetamine, Heroin, LSD and many more abused drugs have destroyed many lives and families from constant abuse of the substances that emasculate the body with every dose. Even though the United States of America have illegalized most of fatal drugs, addicts constantly use these drugs and numerous cause of deaths are by users overdosing on a particular drug. Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive …show more content…
drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. It produces short-term euphoria, energy, and talkativeness in addition to potentially dangerous physical effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure. In the powdered form of cocaine is either inhaled through the nose (snorted), where it is absorbed through the nasal tissue, or dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream. Crack is a form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that can be smoked. The crystal is heated to produce vapors that are absorbed into the blood stream through the lungs. (The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.)Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits regulating pleasure and movement. Usually, dopamine is released by neurons in these circuits in response to potential rewards and then recycled back into the cell that released it, thus shutting off the signal between neurons. Cocaine prevents the dopamine from being recycled, causing excessive amounts to build up in the synapse, or junction between neurons. This amplifies the dopamine signal and ultimately disrupts normal brain communication. This abundance of dopamine causes cocaine’s characteristic “high”. With repeated use, cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward system as well as other brain systems, which may lead to addiction. Tolerance to cocaine also often develop; therefore, many cocaine abusers report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure. Many cases users of cocaine will increase their dose in an attempt to intensify and prolong their high, but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (also called meth, crystal, chalk, and ice) is an extremely addictive stimulant drug that is chemically similar to amphetamine.
It takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder. Methamphetamine is taken orally, smoked, snorted, or dissolved in water or alcohol and injected. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate, intense euphoria. The pleasure also fades quickly; users often take repeated doses, in a “binge and crash” pattern. Meth negatively affects the brain similar to cocaine by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine, leading to high levels of that chemical in the brain. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. Methamphetamine has the ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the euphoric “rush” or “flash” that many users experience. People who use methamphetamine long-term may experience anxiety, confusion, insomnia, and mood disturbances and display violent behavior. They may also show symptoms of psychosis, such as paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions. Chronic methamphetamine use is accompanied by chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Imaging studies have shown changes in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning. In studies of chronic methamphetamine users, severe structural and functional changes have been found in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in these
individuals.
Ecstasy
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), popularly known as ecstasy or, more recently, as Molly, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth and empathy toward others, and distortions in sensory and time perception. MDMA is taken orally, usually as a capsule or tablet. The popular term Molly (slang for “molecular”) refers to the pure crystalline powder form of MDMA, usually sold in capsules. The drug’s effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours, although it is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. MDMA acts by increasing the activity of three neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The emotional and pro-social effects of MDMA are likely caused directly or indirectly by the release of large amounts of serotonin, which influences the mood of a person. Serotonin triggers the release of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, which play important roles in love, trust, sexual arousal, and other social experiences. The characteristic feelings of emotional closeness and empathy produced by the drug; studies in both rats and humans have shown that MDMA raises the levels of these hormones. The surge of serotonin caused by taking MDMA depletes the brain of this important chemical, however, causing negative after effects: including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, and anxiety. These effects may occur soon after taking the drug or during the days or even weeks thereafter. Some heavy MDMA users experience long-lasting confusion, depression, sleep abnormalities, and problems with attention and memory, although it is possible that some of these effects may be due to the use of other drugs in combination with MDMA (especially marijuana).
Amphetamine
Amphetamines are stimulants of the central nervous system and sympathetic division of the peripheral nervous system. It appears that the main action of amphetamines is to increase the synaptic activity of the dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Amphetamines cause the release of dopamine from axon terminals, block dopamine reuptake, inhibit the storage of dopamine in vesicles, and inhibit the destruction of dopamine by enzymes. All of these actions result in more dopamine in the synaptic cleft where it can act on receptors. Many of the effects of amphetamines are similar to cocaine. Short term effects of Amphetamines are: Increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced appetite, dilation of the pupils, feelings of happiness and power, and reduced fatigue. Addiction to and withdrawal from amphetamines are both possible. Amphetamine use also causes tolerance to its effects; meaning that more doses are used to get a "high." Amphetamine withdrawal is characterized by severe depression and fatigue; therefore, users will go to extreme measures to avoid the "downer" that comes when the effect of amphetamines wears off.
Heroin
Heroin is an opioid drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance. Heroin can be injected, inhaled by snorting or sniffing, or smoked. All three routes of administration deliver the drug to the brain very rapidly, which contributes to its health risks and to its high risk for addiction. When it enters the brain, heroin is converted back into morphine, which binds to molecules on cells known as opioid receptors. These receptors are located in many areas of the brain (and in the body), especially those involved in the perception of pain and in reward. Opioid receptors are also located in the brain stem, which controls automatic processes critical for life, such as blood pressure, arousal, and respiration. Heroin overdoses frequently involve a suppression of breathing, which can be fatal. After an intravenous injection of heroin, users experience a surge of euphoria (“rush”) accompanied by dry mouth, a warm flushing of the skin, heaviness of the extremities, and clouded mental functioning. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes “on the nod,” an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Users who do not inject the drug may not experience the initial rush, but other effects are the same. Regular heroin use changes the functioning of the brain. One result is tolerance, in which more of the drug is needed to achieve the same intensity of effect. Dependence is another result characterized by the need to continue use of the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
LSD
LSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals and it is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It is popular in crystal form and then converted to a liquid for distribution. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste. It is sometimes added to absorbent paper, which is then divided into small squares decorated with designs or cartoon characters (“loony toons”). LSD has the popular effect of leading users to the same place, a serious disconnection from reality. LSD users call an LSD experience a “trip,” typically lasting twelve hours or so. When things go wrong, which often happens, it is called a “bad trip,” another name for a living hell. Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs in people under the influence of LSD. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user’s sense of time and self is altered. Experiences may seem to “cross over” different senses, giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death while using LSD. The experience of flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience is very common. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, and may do so within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. However, LSD does produce tolerance, so some users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug.
References
"Adderall (Amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine Mixed Salts) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions - Prescribing Information at RxList." RxList. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
"Addiction: A Brain Disease with Biological Underpinnings -- Hazelden." Addiction: A Brain Disease with Biological Underpinnings -- Hazelden. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
"Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care." What Other Biological Factors Contribute to Addiction? N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Drug Addiction as A Psychobiological Process." ARU/Buffalo: A Psychobiological Model of Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Drug Addiction." Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Horvath, Tom A. "Biological Causes of Addiction." - Addictions. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
"The Science of Addiction: Genetics and the Brain." The Science of Addiction: Genetics and the Brain. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Short- & Long-Term Effects of LSD - Harmful Effects on the Body - Drug-Free World." Short- & Long-Term Effects of LSD - Harmful Effects on the Body - Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Dr. M. Okulate
Biology 112 Honors
04 April 2014
Drug Addiction and the Effects on the Brain
The prevalence of drug addiction in America has been an epidemic in the past fifty years because of the violence and tragedy of events where drug use was the catalyst. Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, Amphetamine, Heroin, LSD and many more abused drugs have destroyed many lives and families from constant abuse of the substances that emasculate the body with every dose. Even though the United States of America have illegalized most of fatal drugs, addicts constantly use these drugs and numerous cause of deaths are by users overdosing on a particular drug. Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive …show more content…
drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. It produces short-term euphoria, energy, and talkativeness in addition to potentially dangerous physical effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure. In the powdered form of cocaine is either inhaled through the nose (snorted), where it is absorbed through the nasal tissue, or dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream. Crack is a form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that can be smoked. The crystal is heated to produce vapors that are absorbed into the blood stream through the lungs. (The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.)Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits regulating pleasure and movement. Usually, dopamine is released by neurons in these circuits in response to potential rewards and then recycled back into the cell that released it, thus shutting off the signal between neurons. Cocaine prevents the dopamine from being recycled, causing excessive amounts to build up in the synapse, or junction between neurons. This amplifies the dopamine signal and ultimately disrupts normal brain communication. This abundance of dopamine causes cocaine’s characteristic “high”. With repeated use, cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward system as well as other brain systems, which may lead to addiction. Tolerance to cocaine also often develop; therefore, many cocaine abusers report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure. Many cases users of cocaine will increase their dose in an attempt to intensify and prolong their high, but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (also called meth, crystal, chalk, and ice) is an extremely addictive stimulant drug that is chemically similar to amphetamine.
It takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder. Methamphetamine is taken orally, smoked, snorted, or dissolved in water or alcohol and injected. Smoking or injecting the drug delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate, intense euphoria. The pleasure also fades quickly; users often take repeated doses, in a “binge and crash” pattern. Meth negatively affects the brain similar to cocaine by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine, leading to high levels of that chemical in the brain. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. Methamphetamine has the ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the euphoric “rush” or “flash” that many users experience. People who use methamphetamine long-term may experience anxiety, confusion, insomnia, and mood disturbances and display violent behavior. They may also show symptoms of psychosis, such as paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions. Chronic methamphetamine use is accompanied by chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Imaging studies have shown changes in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning. In studies of chronic methamphetamine users, severe structural and functional changes have been found in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in these
individuals.
Ecstasy
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), popularly known as ecstasy or, more recently, as Molly, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth and empathy toward others, and distortions in sensory and time perception. MDMA is taken orally, usually as a capsule or tablet. The popular term Molly (slang for “molecular”) refers to the pure crystalline powder form of MDMA, usually sold in capsules. The drug’s effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours, although it is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. MDMA acts by increasing the activity of three neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The emotional and pro-social effects of MDMA are likely caused directly or indirectly by the release of large amounts of serotonin, which influences the mood of a person. Serotonin triggers the release of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, which play important roles in love, trust, sexual arousal, and other social experiences. The characteristic feelings of emotional closeness and empathy produced by the drug; studies in both rats and humans have shown that MDMA raises the levels of these hormones. The surge of serotonin caused by taking MDMA depletes the brain of this important chemical, however, causing negative after effects: including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, and anxiety. These effects may occur soon after taking the drug or during the days or even weeks thereafter. Some heavy MDMA users experience long-lasting confusion, depression, sleep abnormalities, and problems with attention and memory, although it is possible that some of these effects may be due to the use of other drugs in combination with MDMA (especially marijuana).
Amphetamine
Amphetamines are stimulants of the central nervous system and sympathetic division of the peripheral nervous system. It appears that the main action of amphetamines is to increase the synaptic activity of the dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Amphetamines cause the release of dopamine from axon terminals, block dopamine reuptake, inhibit the storage of dopamine in vesicles, and inhibit the destruction of dopamine by enzymes. All of these actions result in more dopamine in the synaptic cleft where it can act on receptors. Many of the effects of amphetamines are similar to cocaine. Short term effects of Amphetamines are: Increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced appetite, dilation of the pupils, feelings of happiness and power, and reduced fatigue. Addiction to and withdrawal from amphetamines are both possible. Amphetamine use also causes tolerance to its effects; meaning that more doses are used to get a "high." Amphetamine withdrawal is characterized by severe depression and fatigue; therefore, users will go to extreme measures to avoid the "downer" that comes when the effect of amphetamines wears off.
Heroin
Heroin is an opioid drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance. Heroin can be injected, inhaled by snorting or sniffing, or smoked. All three routes of administration deliver the drug to the brain very rapidly, which contributes to its health risks and to its high risk for addiction. When it enters the brain, heroin is converted back into morphine, which binds to molecules on cells known as opioid receptors. These receptors are located in many areas of the brain (and in the body), especially those involved in the perception of pain and in reward. Opioid receptors are also located in the brain stem, which controls automatic processes critical for life, such as blood pressure, arousal, and respiration. Heroin overdoses frequently involve a suppression of breathing, which can be fatal. After an intravenous injection of heroin, users experience a surge of euphoria (“rush”) accompanied by dry mouth, a warm flushing of the skin, heaviness of the extremities, and clouded mental functioning. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes “on the nod,” an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Users who do not inject the drug may not experience the initial rush, but other effects are the same. Regular heroin use changes the functioning of the brain. One result is tolerance, in which more of the drug is needed to achieve the same intensity of effect. Dependence is another result characterized by the need to continue use of the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
LSD
LSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals and it is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It is popular in crystal form and then converted to a liquid for distribution. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste. It is sometimes added to absorbent paper, which is then divided into small squares decorated with designs or cartoon characters (“loony toons”). LSD has the popular effect of leading users to the same place, a serious disconnection from reality. LSD users call an LSD experience a “trip,” typically lasting twelve hours or so. When things go wrong, which often happens, it is called a “bad trip,” another name for a living hell. Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs in people under the influence of LSD. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user’s sense of time and self is altered. Experiences may seem to “cross over” different senses, giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death while using LSD. The experience of flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience is very common. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, and may do so within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. However, LSD does produce tolerance, so some users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug.
References
"Adderall (Amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine Mixed Salts) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions - Prescribing Information at RxList." RxList. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
"Addiction: A Brain Disease with Biological Underpinnings -- Hazelden." Addiction: A Brain Disease with Biological Underpinnings -- Hazelden. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
"Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care." What Other Biological Factors Contribute to Addiction? N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Drug Addiction as A Psychobiological Process." ARU/Buffalo: A Psychobiological Model of Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Drug Addiction." Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Horvath, Tom A. "Biological Causes of Addiction." - Addictions. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
"The Science of Addiction: Genetics and the Brain." The Science of Addiction: Genetics and the Brain. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Short- & Long-Term Effects of LSD - Harmful Effects on the Body - Drug-Free World." Short- & Long-Term Effects of LSD - Harmful Effects on the Body - Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.