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Drugs & the Brain

Drugs & the Brain. Psychology. Psychoactive Drugs. Chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods Three categories: Depressants Stimulants Hallucinogens. Depressants. Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions Examples Alcohol

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Drugs & the Brain

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  1. Drugs & the Brain Psychology

  2. Psychoactive Drugs • Chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods • Three categories: • Depressants • Stimulants • Hallucinogens

  3. Depressants • Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions • Examples • Alcohol • Barbiturates or tranquilizers (prescription drugs used to induce sleep or relieve anxiety) • Opiates (heroin, morphine)

  4. Depressants • Effects • Disinhibition (less likely to hold back) • Slowed neural processing • Memory disruption • Reduced self-awareness & self-control

  5. Alcohol shrinks the brain

  6. Stimulants • Excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions • Examples • Caffeine • Nicotine (cigarettes) • Amphetamines (cocaine, ecstasy) • Methamphetamine (speed)

  7. Stimulants • Effects • Increased heart rate & breathing • Causes pupils to dilate • Diminished appetite • Increased energy & self-confidence

  8. Physiological Effects of Nicotine

  9. Effects of Methamphetamine

  10. After 4 Years of Addiction

  11. Hallucinogens • Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. • Examples • LSD • Marijuana

  12. Marijuana • Impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time necessary to operate a car or other machine. • Disrupts memory formation and interferes with immediate recall of information learned a few minutes before. • Prenatal exposure impairs brain development.

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