Drugs of Abuse
Neurotransmitter Pharmacokinetics
Neuroanatomy & Networks
Imaging Methods
Behavioral Methods
100
What are some key terms covered in class related to Drug use & ABUSE?
Abuse, Withdrawal, Dependence, Tolerance, Addiction, Craving

Have a BASIC understanding of what these terms mean.
100
What are the two primary sources of Acetylcholine (ACH) production in the CNS?
Basal Forebrain & the PPT

Note: PPT stands for Pedunculopontine Tegmental Area
If we break this down we have a brainstem location:
+ Pedunculo = CEREBELLAR Peduncles + Pontine = Pons + Tegmental ("floor") - area around the Inferior Colliculi & below the tectum ("roof"; where the Superior Colliculi is located)

*See Corpora Quadrigemina ("Four Bodies") if interested
100
Name one general function of the parietal lobe covered in class?
Spatial mapping
100
What is the general difference between In-Vivo and In-Vitro?

In-vivo involves living organisms - say to test a DA Agonists effects. In-vitro is used outside of an intact living organism in cell/tissue cultures - say to count receptors on brain tissue.
100
The morris water maze & radial arm maze are behavioral techniques for studying what? Name at least 2 things.

Spatial Learning, spatial memory, anxiety level, motivation, and so on...
200
What is the difference between DRUG ABUSE & DRUG DEPENDENCE? (What is Drug Abuse & what is Drug Dependence)

Substance ABUSE is less severe and does NOT necessarily lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms present in DEPENDENCE.
200
This NT is an Indoleamine & at birth is “shipped” from the placenta to the developing fetal forebrain. Its transport through the BBB depends on its overall level in the blood which can be affected by diet (think cheese, carbs, etc).


Name this transmitter, its precursor & brainstem source.

a.) Serotonin (5-HT )

b.) synthesized from tryptophan (reduction produces INDOLE, Pyruvate, & Ammonia),

c.) Raphe 

200
1.) The INSULA (5th Lobe) is known for what - generally?

Answer #1: Mapping the internal “milieu” or physiological state of the body.

200
What “IMAGING” method would you use in order to capture the sum of CORTICAL event-related potentials in REAL TIME?

Electroencephalography (EEG) - Brain Waves!
200
**Just take away the method used from this question Knocking out genes that code for presynaptic D2 receptors leads to an INCREASED SENSITIVITY to cocaine. Lower D2 receptor levels in critical reward areas result in some drugs "feeling" better. Does this result in more or less Dopamine (DA) production?
Knockout produces MORE dopamine released per stimulation (no D2 inhibition to act as a braking mechanism!)

**Just note the method
300
According to Henningfield and Benowitz (the Chart in the book & on D2L) - which drug is:
a) MOST known for its reinforcing properties &
b) MOST known for its withdrawal properties?
a) Cocaine
b) Alcohol
300
What is an effect of toxins that deactivate Acetylcholinesterase (ACh-E)?

Buildup of ACh in the synaptic-cleft, receptor overstimulation at neuromuscular junction can induce paralysis & asphyxiation, etc
300
A structure called the Habenula may be linked to certain disorders or symptoms by indirect INHIBITION of VTA Dopamine (DA) activation or release. Given what you know about the VTA & DA - what may a result in behavior be?


Depression, Lack of Motivation, Learned Helplessness, etc. VTA is important in the brain's reward & motivation system.

300
What IMAGING method would you use in order to detect changes in brain activation during a cognitive task using the Blood-Oxygen Level-Dependent signal (BOLD)?
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
300
Making pictures of receptor distribution on cell brain slices using antibodies is called what?
Immunocytochemistry

400
What is a problem with the physical dependence model of drug abuse?

Not all drugs cause withdrawal, and relapse can still occur even after successful withdrawal.

400
Methamphetamine (MPH) is available in both immediate and extended release forms (isomers). The extended release form, Lisdexamphetamine (Vyvanse) works by combining MPH with the amino acid Lysine. Why would this combination result is a reduced rate of absorption?

The chemical must be catabolized or broken down after oral administration before “releasing” the active MPH compound for distribution.

400
Name of the prominent pathway projecting from the Substantia Nigra?
Nigrostriatal
400
The Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) has many reciprocal connections with surrounding regions which mediate a particular drug response.

You want to visualize changes in the number of receptors on a brain slice, which method would you use?
Receptor Autoradiography
400
Transgenic mice have additional genes inserted into their genome. What is an example of this covered in class?
Yep, the "Doogie Mouse." Doogie has a lower threshold receptor leading to increased intracellular CA2+ levels and some increased learning abilities.

*Do you remember the question on our last quiz about a high-threshold receptor?
500
ADHD is a heterogeneous disorder meaning their are multiple profiles based on the underlying neurobiology of an individual. For example, say (hypothetically) some ADHD children demonstrate an overproduction of DA while others an underproduction.

What CURVE demonstrates why a psychostimulant like Methamphetamine (MPH), delivered on a low-dose, fixed schedule, can be effective?

***You can skip this - it is not on the exam!!! But, an important tool. For more: http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0165614798011869-gr2.jpg

Inverted U-curve, Dose-dependent Curve, Yerkes-Dodson Curve/Law
500
Lisdexamphetamine (Vyvanse), is the combination of amphetamine & the amino acid Lysine.

This combination is effective against drug abuse - why might this be? (Just think back to Bioavailability)
Since the rate of absorption and access to the brain is affected it has much lower reinforcing properties that can lead to abuse, addiction & toxic side effects.

(It is “prodrug” meaning it must be broken down prior to activation and thus can not be administered via another method.)
500
What are 4 "primary" regions listed on your slides that comprise the Basal Ganglia?

Caudate + Putamen (= the Striatum) Globus Pallidus (Striatum + GP = Corpus Striatum) Substantia Nigra

500
**Note: this question is not on exam, but refers to important cells discussed in class that are not Neurons.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) measures diffusion of water molecules creating tract based images in the brain. These tracts have certain properties that prove efficient at INSULATING the cellular pathways & SPEEDING UP transmission. What are these pathways comprised of?
White Matter, Myelin Sheath / Lipid, (Do you remember the Nodes of Ranvier & saltatory conduction?)

**Again, not for class or exam
500
Chronic drug use can lead to drug tolerance and result in behavioral, psychological and physiological alterations, however ENVIRONMENT also plays a role.

Administration of a placebo can instantiate these alterations in absence of the drug along with CUES. What is one area of the brain likely involved in the learning (how about memory) of cue-environment interactions & what is the name of this behavioral method listed on your slides?

Answer #1: Hippocampus

Answer #2: Conditioned-place preference
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