Introduction
What categories of drugs fall under "psychoactive?"
Drugs of abuse or therapeutic drugs
What does "acute" mean in regards to psychological/biological effects?
"Acute" means that these effects occur with just one dose and the effects are short-term.
Alcohol is a ____ depressant.
CNS; central nervous system
What are fluid compartments?
What is the legal BAC limit?
.08%
What is a "blackout?" At what BAC does it occur?
A "blackout" is a lapse in memory or memory loss for a specific timeframe. Blackouts occur around .2% BAC
What is an analgesic?
A drug that reduces pain
Explain how metabolism occurs differently in males and females.
Males naturally have enough acetyldehyde dehydrogenase in their stomach which absorbs 16% of the alcohol. Females only have enough acetyldehyde dehydrogenase to absorb 8% of the alcohol before metabolism.
What does BAC stand for? What exactly is it?
Blood alcohol concentration: the % of alcohol within the blood
Explain "disinhibition"
It means that a person is behaving in a way that they wouldn't behave sober. Impulsive behavior.
Where does metabolism take place in the body? Where does excretion take place?
Metabolism mostly occurs in the liver while excretion occurs via the kidneys.
What are the two ways that absorption can be slowed down?
You can either drink water or eat fatty foods. With water, the alcohol molecule will dissolve in it prior, therefore diluting the alcohol. For fatty foods, the alcohol will either be absorbed into the fat first (diluting it) or the fat will cause a "traffic jam" for molecules trying to exit the stomach lining.
Describe the difference between an agonist and an antagonist.
An agonist enhances synaptic transmission while an antagonist inhibits it.
What cognitive deficits occur with alcohol?
Deficits in the STM, LTM, and decision making
Explain the difference between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Pharmacokinetics is what the body does to the drug, while pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body.
What happens with larger people in terms of distribution?
Larger people have more fluid compartments, which slows/decreases distribution rate.
List the 2 characteristics that must be present for a psychoactive drug.
1.) Affects psychology in some way
2.) Directly affects action within the synapse
List 5 of the psychological effects of alcohol.
1.) Disinhibition 2.) Cognitive deficits 3.) Blackouts 4.) Increased rate of accidents, crime and violence 5.) Motor and balance deficits
List the 4 steps of the pharmacokinetics associated with alcohol and explain each one briefly.
1.) Absorption: process of the drug entering the body
2.) Distribution: circulation of the drug in the blood until it reaches target tissue
3.) Metabolism: breakdown of the drug
4.)Elimination: the process of the drug leaving the body
What are the two chemical components of alcohol that affect absorption?
1.) Water solubility: alcohol is able to dissolve in water before passing through the stomach lining and into the bloodstream (alcohol molecules are too big to pass through without being dissolved first)
2.) Lipid solubility: alcohol is able to dissolve through fatty layers, making it possible for alcohol to cross fatty membranes.