Effects of Drugs on the Human Brain
According to the “National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), drugs interact with the brain and body to alter moods, emotions, and behaviors by changing brain chemistry and a person’s perceptions, and by impacting how individuals interact with the world around them.”
Source: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/central-nervous-system/
Drug Addiction is a Complicated Disorder.
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.
How do Drugs Affect
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the Brain & Body? Physiological/Physical Cocaine and Crack can cause brain damage. Repeated drug use increases dopamine, a brain neurotransmitter and increases risks for addiction. Significant weight loss due to loss of appetite and malnourishment. Cardiac problems such as chest pain increase the risk of stroke and inflammation of the heart.
Psychological/Mental
Can cause severe depression.
Causes anxiety and edginess.
Emotional
Can cause euphoria and a desire to take the drug again.
Increased sensitivity and negative moods.
Behavioral
People take more risks and might lead to more aggression.
People have difficulty making decisions, planning and following thru on responsibilities.
Cocaine’s effects on the Brain
Cocaine travels through, the bloodstream whether you inject, smoke or snort it. It has effects on the Reward Pathway: the prefrontal cortex, VTA and the nucleus accumbens.
Prefrontal Cortex: It contributes to planning,
complex behaviors and personal development.
VTA: it is involved in the drug and natural reward system of the brain.
Nucleus accumbens: it primary operation is based on two neurotransmitters:Dopamine which promotes desire and serotonin which regulates satiety and inhibition.
A brain on cocaine A normal healthy brain
Functional MRI: The brain’s response to cocaine cues
Arrows point to the anterior cingulate area, which is activated (yellow) in cocaine-addicted patients (left) but not in healthy volunteers (right) (Wexler et al.,
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2001). Source: Abtract: Imaging the Addicted Human Brain, Joanne S. Fowler, Ph.D. et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851068/ PET Scan of the brain shows effect of Drug Use. A PET scan of a person of a person of cocaine. Marijuana has long term effects on the brain with permanent adverse changes. On the control PET scan there is a lot of red areas, indicating the brain is utilizing glucose to perform brain and bodily actions. The scan on the right is that of a person that is using cocaine and it shows that there is a reduction in the usage of glucose. Therefore it is less active. MARIJUANA MAY HURT THE DEVELOPING TEEN BRAIN The teen brain is still developing and it i,s e spec i ally v ul n era ble to drug use_ TEEN ( ' a CHLO ' !Q R e gu l ar heavy marijuana use by teens can lead to an IQ drop of up to 8 points3 HEAVY MARIJUANA USE BY TEENS IS LINKED TO4; ,e xam scores with life less lik ely less likely to graduate mo r,e likely to more to enroll in from HS or earn a lower lik ely to be college college income unemJ;!lo ed 11111.1\.'- N ational I nstitut e on Drug Abuse l_ NSDUH, SAM SH,A 201 4; 2- MTT SUrvev; 3. Meter et al 2012; 4 _ MTF Survey; Coll t>-<:l'a rlc et al, 20 '1.3; Si l i ru; et al 2014; Tucke, el' al 2005; Hamel et al, 2014; Volkow et al 2014; Fe cgusson and Bo den 2008; Brooks et al 2013 Conclusion: Don’t Use Drugs! Take Care of Your Brain! Take care of your brain because you can’t replace it. Deal with stress therapeutically Reach out to friends - stay social Get exercise and plenty of sleep every day.
Eat a healthy diet.
Avoid the temptation of taking drugs.
Don't hang around with people who do drugs.
If you need help, call the Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction hotline run by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), available 24 hours a day.
800-662-HELP (4357)
Sources:
https://www.google.com/search?q=images+of+brain&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=5kqLdwRATRglZM%253A%252CX8D2GN8LIW 9WvM%252C_&usg= hSFRryQ7v3SgrozbmxufnSEWSbk%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjK6cqO9cvbAhXhx1kKHRFfBF0Q9QEINzAG#i mgrc=5kqLdwRATRg
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851068/
https://www.google.de/search?q=prefrontal+cortex,&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvvoqa9svbAhURvlkKHbmmCcAQ_ AUICigB
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/central-nervous-system/
https://www.google.de/search?q=pictures+of+drugs&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiw1-Lj-MvbAhWxzlkKHRovCXoQ_ AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=637
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of+teenagers+and+drugs&gs_l=img.3...6254591.6259742.0.6259960.25.21.1.3.3.0.84.1280.21.21.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.16.760...0j0i6 7k1j35i39k1j0i30k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.b52FQG3WQ48#imgrc=gyIXMsppRfcajM:
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,...
Lange, R. A., & Hillis, L. D. (2001). Cardiovascular complications of cocaine use. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(5), 351-358.
Cocaine. National Institute of Drug Abuse: The science of drug abuse and addiction, Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/directors-page Holman, B. (1994) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary Biological effects of central nervous system stimulants. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pd fviewer?sid=118723c1-a0ab-413a-ace1.
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).
People have been using mood and personality effecting drugs for centuries, from coffee, to marijuana, to cocaine, including alcohol. We know these things change our brains in some way. Though some intellectuals such as Malcom Gladwell have expressed points of view that, "The modern personality is, in this sense, a synthetic creation,"(252) not many seem particularly alarmed by this idea in the above quote that Malcom Gladwell calls a "disquieting notion,"(252) beyond a few offhand jokes about their reliance. This is especially true with coffee and tea (anything with a reasonable amount of caffeine). However the public perception of other drugs, such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, does vary a bit. It is useful to note that most people
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues." (2) In the brain, there are many changes that take place when drugs enter a person's blood stream. The pathway in the brain that the drugs take is first to the ventral tegmentum to the nucleus accumbens, and the drugs also go to the limbic system and the orbitofrontal cortex, which is called the mesolimbic reward system. The activation of this reward system seems to be the common element in what hooks drug users on drugs (2).
Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the other hand, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of stimulation.
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.
Chronic addiction affects parts of the brain negatively, which leads to memory loss, poor decision-making, poor judgments, and immoral behaviors. These effects on the brain from drugs are long-lasting.
... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited ""Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" - Drug Abuse and Addiction." Web.
Cocaine and the Nervous System. [online] Available at: http://serendip.bryanmawr.edu/exchange.node/1739 [Accessed: 2 Oct 2013]. Donaghy, M. 2005. "The Species of Neurology.
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