In Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Abuse and Dependence

Description

In Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Abuse and Dependence, you will explore the brain and see what happens when drugs affect its functions. Filled with an array of useful definitions and amazing historic discoveries about the nervous system, this book will bring you up to speed on the brain/behavior relationship, basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the mechanistic actions of mood-altering drugs, including alcohol, marijuana, anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, cocaine, and opiates. Interspersed with original eye-catching illustrations, Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior provides the same type of captivating instruction found in Dr. Brick's highly successful courses. Its clear-cut organization and topical "info-phrases" invite reader dialogue. Unlike most pharmacology-related texts, this book is written by scientists who work in the field of alcohol and drug studies and who share with you their vast, practical experiences in the clinical as well as pharmacological issues surrounding drug abuse and dependence. Specifically, you'll read about: how psychoactive drugs affect cognition, behavior, and emotion the brain/behavior relationship the specific effects of 7 major addictive drug groups pharmacokinetics--tracing the impact of drugs through the body redefining addiction The brain is a fascinating organ--even more fascinating when we consider how readily certain mood-altering drugs can cause us to veer into all kinds of different behavioral paths. Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior is a unique balance of insightful instruction, useful charts, and easy-to-use tables and formulas that will give you a broad, lasting introduction to this intriguing subject. Whether you're a nurse, chemical dependency counselor, psychologist, or clinician, Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior will be a quick reference guide long after the first reading. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction What Is a Drug? Golden Age of Pharmacology Why Study the Brain-Behavior Relationship? BBB Model of Drug Action Is There a Brain-Behavior Relationship? Mind-Body Dichotomy The Mind Is Physical Enter the Nervous System Electricity, the Brain, and Behavior Neurons and Synapses Discovered Evidence of a Brain-Behavior Relationship The Emotional Brain Does the Brain Store Memories? Why Do People Take Drugs? Pharmacokinetics: How Do Drugs Get There? Entering the Circulation: The First Step Getting the Drug Out of the Blood: The Second Step Describing the Relationship Between Dose and Effect Elimination Neuroanatomy: Where Do Psychoactive Drugs Act? The Brain Is the Target of Psychoactive Drugs Cerebral Cortex (Cerebrum) What Does the Cortex Do? Subcortical Structures Ventricles Neurophysiology: How Do Psychoactive Drugs Act? The Bottom Line Neurons, Glia, and Neurotransmission What Are Ions? Resting and Action Potentials Explained Non-Ion-Gated Neurotransmission What Are Neurotransmitters? Where Do Neurotransmitters Come From? Where Do Neurotransmitters Go? What Are Receptors? Neurotransmission, Drugs, and Behavior Alcohol: The Socially Accepted Addictive Beverage What Is Alcohol? Why Do People Drink? How Does Alcohol Get into the Blood? Factors Affecting Absorption Neuropharmacology of Intoxication Oxidation and Elimination Calculating the BAC What Is BAC? Biobehavioral Effects of Alcohol Intoxication Driving and Other Complex Tasks in Which Attention Is Divided Alcohol and the Fetus Other Medical Consequences of Alcohol Cocaine and Other Stimulants: Drugs That Make Us High Cocaine Harmful Side Effects of Cocaine Abuse of and Dependence on Cocaine Cocaine and the Fetus Does Cocaine Affect Driving? Amphetamine Medical Uses of Amphetamines Abuse of and Dependence on Amphetamines Xanthines Opioids: Drugs That Calm Our Pain Natural Opiates Terminology Use and Popularity Semisynthetic Opiates Synthetic Opioids Brain Opioid Peptides Opioid Antagonists Administration Distribution and Elimination Medical Uses Harmful Effects: Myths and Realities Abuse of and Dependence on Opioids Marijuana: The Illegal Recreational Plant What Is Marijuana? What Is THC? How Is Marijuana Administered? Distribution Different Types of Marijuana Who Uses Marijuana? Neuropharmacology of Cannabinoids Half-Life and Measurement of THC Biobehavioral Effects and Use of Marijuana Harmful Effects: Myths and Realities Marijuana and the Fetus Tolerance and Dependence Legal Penalties for Marijuana Possession Anxiolytics: Drugs That Calm Us Down What Is Anxiety? What Are Anxiety Disorders? Where Does Anxiety Begin? Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety Absorption, Distribution, and Elimination How Do Benzodiazepines Work? Where Are Benzodiazepine Receptors? Biobehavioral Effects of Benzodiazepines Benzodiazepines and the Fetus Abuse of and Dependence on Benzodiazepines Other Anxiolytic Medications Guidelines for the Use of Anxiolytic Drugs Antidepressants: Drugs That Lift Us Up What Is Depression? What Are Monoamines? Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors Lithium Salts Stimulants Tricyclic Antidepressants Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors Other Medications Antipsychotics: Drugs That Make Us Sane What Is Psychosis? Symptoms of Schizophrenia Early Treatments for Schizophrenia Golden Age of Pharmacology Neurotransmitters and Schizophrenia Where in the Brain Do Antipsychotic Medications Work? What it All Means Brain Dopamine Pathways Side Effects Addiction Is Not What You Think Definitions Neurochemical Dysfunction as a Cause of Addictions Conclusions Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Publication Date: January 1998

Number of Pages: 186 w/ index