Drug Influence and Brain Chemistry

Neural Pathways Exist In The Brain

1 Neurons transmit messages in our brain
• Neurons are responsible for passing signals throughout the passages of the brain.
• Neurons are different shapes, sizes, and perform different functions based on this.

2 The Reward Pathway Reinforces Behavior
• The reward pathway lies within the middle of our brain.
• The reward pathway is responsible for motivation, rewards, and behavior.
• The reward pathway helps us feel good when we take part in survival activities (i.e. eating, drinking, "reproducing")
• The pathway connects to the parts of the brain associated with memory, and behavior.
• Neurons in the brain send out messages releasing Dopamine once one of the activities has taken place.

3 Neurons Communicate Via The Synapse
• One neuron can send signals to another by sending an electrical signal along its axon, and transferring the electrical signal into a chemical signal at the end of the axon, sending bubbles of chemicals across a gap called a Synapse, and into receiving areas on another neurons dendrites.

4 Other Cells In The Brain
• Neurons aren't the only cells in your brain though, there are plenty of others that support our brain function.
•Astrocytes are a supporting cell in the brain, along with oligodendrocytes, and microglia.
• many of the supporting cells in the brain can fall under the category of Glia.

Drugs Alter The Brains Reward Pathway

1 The Physiology Of The High
• Drugs can bypass all of your other senses and directly activate the feeling of being "high"
• As an example, Cocaine blocks your dopamine transporters, and blocks left over dopamine in the synapse, and leads to overstimulation.
• Either the drug acts as another kind of releaser so that dopamine can be released, or it acts as a blocking agent so the dopamine cant get back through the dopamine transporters.

2 The Brains Coping Mechanism
• A way that the brain copes with drugs, is a reduced level of dopamine receptors.
• If there are to many dopamine receptors in your neurons, then you can become overloaded and suffer tremendous consequences.

3 Hardwiring An Addict
• As your brain is continually adjusting to handle the drug, the areas that are associated with judgment, learning, and behavior begin to chemically, or physically change.
• Eventually, your brain is "hardwired" to the use of these drugs, so things associated with the drug become a reflex.

4 Changes Last Long After Use
• Even after a sustained period of time since the last dosage of (insert drug here) your brain levels are still affected by the drug.
• People who have gone 100 days without drugging up still have decreased brain levels, when compared to people who haven't done drugs.

5 Death By Overdose
• Drugs can affect a lot of things, they can harm you and/or others, and they can even kill you.
• some of the ways that drugs can kill you are
A: Polydrug Cocktails
a: when more than one drug is mixed (I.E. heroin and alcohol)
B: Stimulants can cause Brain damage, heart attacks, and even overheating.