Biomedical Pharmacology Exam 1

Prolonged use of strong stimulants results in which of the following?

1. Depletion of the body's energy resources 3. Cellular and organ damage 4. Paranoia

Which of the following are functions of the old brain?

1. Regulating physiological functions 2. Basic emotions and cravings 3. Imprinting survival memories

For how long does the high from amphetamine generally last?

4-6 hours

When the human body is continuously challenged by the use of drugs that alter the body's natural balance, a "new normal" is created, known as:

Allostasis

On which part of the body does long term use of stimulants have the most significant impact?

Cardiovascular system

Which of the following groups have been involved in growing, manufacturing, distributing, taxing and prohibiting drugs?

Ruling classes, governments, industry and criminal organizations

Which of the following factors have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C?

Sharing of contaminated needles and drug induced high risk sexual practices

Which form and method of using cocaine produces the most intense and immediate high?

Smoking crack cocaine

Which of the following statements is true regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs by a woman who is pregnant?

The placenta is not an effective barrier, therefore, if the mother uses, the baby uses

Medical use of cocaine relies on its effects as a(n):

Topical anesthetic

Alcohol and other psychoactive drugs affect which parts of the brain?

1. Primitive brain 2. Reasoning center 3. Neo-cortex 4. Old brain

Which of the following are physical reactions to stimulant use?

1. Tachycardia 2. Weight loss 3. Blood vessel constriction 4. Elevated blood pressure

When drugs are taken orally, the effects are delayed for approximately how long?

20-30 minutes

What is the half-life of caffeine?

3-7 hours

How long will the high from smoking a typical dose of crack cocaine (1 rock) generally last?

5-20 minutes

Which of the following is currently the most popular psychoactive substance worldwide?

Alcohol

Stimulant drugs chemically dissimilar but pharmacologically related to amphetamines, producing many of the same effects, but not as strong are called:

Amphetamine congeners

when it comes to alcohol and other psychoactive drugs, Islamic cultures have traditionally:

Avoided use Used tobacco, hashish and coffee as substitutes Khat

The DEA classifies drugs into five schedules based on potential medical benefits and their abuse/addiction potential. The DEA includes which of the following in the Schedule I category?

C. (1,2,3) Marijuana, heroin and LSD [But also peyote, psilocybin, mescaline, MDMA]

Which of the following is true about plants and plant byproducts that produce psychedelic effects?

C. 1,2,4 1. Plants with psychedelic properties have been used in religious, magical and social ceremonies throughout history 2. There is a type of mold that can infect rye plants and produce LSD like experiences 4. A certain cactus produces psychedelic experiences when eaten

What are some possible signs of drug abuse and dependence that can be spotted by a friend? Cocaine? Caffeine?

Cocaine - Evidence of weight loss, pupillary dilation, insomnia, hypersomnia Caffeine - Headaches, restlessness, muscle twitching and psychomotor agitation

List the different types of tolerance.

Cross tolerance Dispositional tolerance Behavioral tolerance Pharmacodynamic tolerance

Which of the following is true regarding 12-step programs?

D. A spiritual program, based on 12 steps and research documents it's effectiveness

The most crucial neurotransmitter involved in behavioral addictions, drug use and drug abuse is:

Dopamine

Discuss how the recent expansion of amphetamine use can affect a community.

Drug abusers might resort to crime to afford the habit and young females may turn to prostitution. It also fuels the war on drugs and gang activity, which in turn results in violence and fatalities.

Down regulation of a brain's cell receptors occurs when a person uses drugs and:

If the cell sense there are too many neurotransmitters, it retracts many receptor sites, causing a slowdown of message transmission

The emotional center of the brain that is activated when a person with an addiction sees a person, place or thing that reminds him of their addiction is called:

Limbic system; amygdala

Which of the following is not a plant based stimulant?

Mephedrone (a synthetic stimulant)

Define the difference between pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body Pharmacokinetics is what the body does to the drug

Using drugs to replace, supplement or counterbalance the effects of a person's drug of choice is known as:

Polydrug use

Consuming alcohol when using cocaine results in which of the following?

Prolonging the effects of cocaine

Psychiatric medications, including anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and anti-anxiety drugs, are prescribed to:

Rebalance brain chemistry

Which of the following is true?

Reference pp. 1.6

A practical way to classify psychoactive substances is the following:

Stimulants, depressants and psychedelics

Which of the following methods are used to absorb drugs through the mucosal membrane?

1. Snorted 2. Under the tongue (sublingual) 3. Between the gums and the cheeks (buccally)

Which of the following are examples of environmental factors that can make a person more liable to abuse a psychoactive substance?

1,3,4 only

Psychoactive drugs have which of the following effects on the nervous system?

1. Alters information sent to the brain 2. Disrupts messages sent back to the body 3. Disrupts thinking and alters the way in which neurotransmitters normally function

Which of the following are examples of titrating the effects of drugs?

1. Cigarette smoker regulates nicotine level by how often and how deeply they inhale 2. Marijuana user regulates effects by how deeply and often they inhale 4. Caffeine addict regulates by amount of beverages consumed

Which of the following statements are true about alterations to the body's normal balance (homeostasis)?

1. Homeostasis is thrown off when the human body is continually challenged by stressful events 2. The use of psychoactive drugs disrupts homeostasis 3. The body adapts through allostasis 4. The body strives to adapt through synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter alterations

Regardless of their degree of strength, all stimulants affect the body in which of the following ways?

1. Increases brain's electrical activity 2. Increases brain's chemical activity 3. Increases CNS activity 4. Increases peripheral nervous system activity

Performance enhancing drugs function in which of the following ways:

1. Increases endurance 2. Increases muscle size 3. Increases aggression 4. Increases mental focus

Synaptic plasticity in response to psychoactive drugs can result in which of the following?

1. Increases in the number of available neurotransmitters 2. Decreases in the number of available neurotransmitters 3. Increases in the number of receptors and receptor sites 4. Ability of synapse to change in strength and function when the pathway is over/under used

Listed below are three different sequential variations of drugs in the opiate family. Which one accurately represents the order in which the drugs were discovered and used?

1. Poppy 2. Opium 3. Laudanum 4. Morphine 5. Heroin

Drinking alcohol before using cocaine will do which of the following?

1. Prolonging and intensifying the effects of cocaine 3. Creates cocaethylene which increases violent tendencies

Stimulants force the release of which of the following neurotransmitters to infuse the body with lots of extra energy before the body needs it?

1. Serotonin 2. Epinephrine 3. Dopamine 4. Norepinephrine

Which of the following describes changes in the brain of a person who is addicted to alcohol or other drugs?

1. The reward/control circuits of the addiction pathway are hijacked by changes in brain chemistry altered by substance abuse 2. The "go" circuit becomes overactive and drives compulsive use 3. The "stop" circuit is overridden by the "go" switch 4. Drug cravings hijack the survival mechanisms and override rational actions

Which of the following physical and chemical changes in the body are signs that indicate addiction to alcohol or other drugs?

1. The user develops tolerance and needs more of the drug to feel an effect 2. The user develops tissue dependence and needs to use to feel normal 3. After not using for a period of time, the user experiences withdrawal

The compulsion to use cocaine is due to which of the following?

1. Heredity disposition 2. Altered brain chemistry 3. Craving for the high 4. Desire to avoid the crash

There are several routes of administrating drugs, and some reach the brain faster than others. Which of the following sequences correctly lists the routes of administration from fastest to slowest?

1. Inhaling 2. Injection 3. Mucous membrane absorption 4. Oral ingestion

When a stimulant drug wears off and the body withdraws from the extra energy produced by the drug, which of the following occurs?

1. User becomes exhausted 2. Emotional depression sets in

Which of the following statements most accurately represents the use of plant-based psychoactive substances?

About 4,000 plants yield psychoactive substances and the vast majority of them are not illegal

Name one of the nineteenth and twentieth century developments that led to different ways of refining and using cocaine.

Albert Niemann isolated the alkaloid cocaine from the coca leaf, which turned a mild stimulation into an intense rush with addictive properties. Cocaine was then able to be snorted.

According to the authors of Uppers, Downers and All Arounders, a psychoactive drug is defined as:

Any substance that directly alters the normal functioning of the CNS

Cross-tolerance is defined as:

As a person develops tolerance to one drug, they develop tolerance to other drugs as well

Identify one drug problem we face today that our ancestors did not have to face and why?

Heroin is an epidemic our ancestors did not have to face. It wasn't discovered until 1874 and it did not become a massive problem until the mid 1900's

Continued smoking to avoid the negative effects of nicotine withdrawal is known as:

Negative drug reinforcement

Pharmacodynamic tolerance includes which of the following?

Nerve cells become less sensitive to the effects of the drug