Anyone a health teacher? or knows about drug use and the brain?
- Thread starter laxpug19
- Start date
mingez
New member
Funny, we just studied CNS stimulants in my Pharm class. By "stimulants" I'm going to assume you mean in the traditional sense such as amphetamines...it sounds like you are talking about street drugs.
They create pleasant feelings by stimulating the release of dopamine. The only chemical I believe they block is the same chemical: dopamine.
The dopamine then builds up in the synapse (rather than being reabsorbed by the originating cells for later dispersal) and as a result, the only way the addicted subject can get a pleasurable feeling is to take more stimulants (cocaine, meth, etc) This is why they would choose drug over things like love, food, or even thirst. In the addict, the only thing that can spawn release of any more dopamine is the drug itself.
Typically the reward circuit's function is to provide a reward (Pleasurable feeling) in response to activities, ie wheeling, exercising, eating, to encourage repetition of that function.
The VTA and nucleus accumbens are the pathways involved in the reward circuit. The blocking of dopamine is key, because in normal people, reuptake of the chemical completes the circuit.
Hope that helps...and I hope that's what your teacher is looking for.
Last edited:
LadyJeepFreak
New member
dude, glad mingez got that one for ya. LOL Way outta my league. Good Luck on the exam!
