Drug action Like neurotransmitters, drugs can speed up (CNS stimulants) or slow down (CNS depressants) the transfer of electro-chemical messages between neurons in the brain. Messages between neurons can also be distorted when hallucinogenic drugs are taken.
Contents
- 1 How does drugs affect the brain?
- 2 What are two major ways drugs can affect the brain?
- 3 How do psychoactive drugs affect the central nervous system?
- 4 What types of drugs slow down the CNS and the brain?
- 5 What does overdosing do to your brain?
- 6 What are the symptoms of central nervous system drug abuse?
- 7 How psychotropic drugs affect the brain?
- 8 How do drugs affect brain quizlet?
- 9 How do controlled drugs affect the nervous system?
- 10 What drug relaxes the central nervous system?
- 11 What slows down the central nervous system?
How does drugs affect the brain?
Drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body. This allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons.
What are two major ways drugs can affect the brain?
How do drugs affect your brain?
- Imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers.
- Overstimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain.
How do psychoactive drugs affect the central nervous system?
Psychoactive drugs are drugs that affect the Central Nervous System, altering its regular activity. They cause changes in a person’s mood, behavior, and awareness (like time and space).
What types of drugs slow down the CNS and the brain?
Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants are medicines that include sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics. These drugs can slow brain activity, making them useful for treating anxiety, panic, acute stress reactions, and sleep disorders.
What does overdosing do to your brain?
During an overdose, the body experiences CNS depression, which can result in decreased rate of breathing, decreased heart rate, and loss of consciousness, possibly leading to coma or death. In other words, an overdose causes the body to forget to breathe on its own.
What are the symptoms of central nervous system drug abuse?
Symptoms of severe CNS depression include:
- reduced heart rate.
- low breathing rate of fewer than 10 breaths per minute.
- extreme confusion or memory loss.
- nausea and vomiting.
- poor judgment.
- blue lips or fingertips.
- irritability and aggression.
- clammy or cold skin.
How psychotropic drugs affect the brain?
Psychotropics are a broad category of drugs that treat many different conditions. They work by adjusting levels of brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, like dopamine, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and serotonin.
How do drugs affect brain quizlet?
A drug passes from your body into your brain. Once inside your brain, drugs can change the messages your brain cells are sending to each other, and to the rest of your body. They do this by interfering with your brain’s chemical signals.
How do controlled drugs affect the nervous system?
Mind-altering drugs may slow down or speed up the central nervous system and autonomic functions necessary for living, such as blood pressure, respiration, heart rate, and body temperature.
What drug relaxes the central nervous system?
Benzodiazepines. Sometimes called “benzos,” benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants that are prescribed to treat anxiety, sleep disorders, convulsions, and other acute stress reactions. Common benzos include Valium, Xanax, and Ativan.
What slows down the central nervous system?
CNS depressants are substances that can slow down your central nervous system. Some common examples include opioids, sedatives, and hypnotics. These drugs are used to treat pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, and stress.
