Inhibitory or Excitatory Potential Changes Essay example

     The axon terminals after the neurotransmitters are released are supposed to reabsorb the extra neurotransmitters. The lack of serotonine in the neurons cause a lack of serotonine transporters, the spots on the neurons responsible for reabsorbing serotonine. Ecstasy blocks the re-uptake of serotonine by the synaptic terminal. The serotonine becomes toxic and begins to kill off brain cells (“After the Rave: the Ecstasy Hangover”, (www.faculity.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html).

MDMA has been found to be useful in treating schizophrenia due to the effects in has when it saturates the 5HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex. This causes the MDMA to block D2 receptors in the mesolimbic area, which reduces the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations. This is because the hypoactive release of DA is blocked, and the stimulatory effects on glutamate releases from 5HT2A receptors such as activated mesolimbic dopamine neurons is reduced, preventing

Psychoactive substances apply their effects by transforming biochemical or physiological processes in the brain. The message system of nerve cells, or neurons, relies on both electrical and chemical transmission. Neurons rarely touch each other; there is a microscopic gap between one neuron and the next, called the synapse. When a neuron fires, it releases chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapse. Psychoactive drugs act by altering neurotransmitter function, they bind to the site of the firing neuron and inhibit this process so the

MDMA effects three neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The feelings of strong emotion and increase in sociability are likely due to the release of serotonin, as serotonin is a large factor in mood. Serotonin is also responsible for releasing vasopressin and oxytocin, which also amplify feelings caused by MDMA. After the release of serotonin, however, the brain “comes down” from these feelings. Confusion, depression, and anxiety are common after serotonin has been depleted, and may become chronic after heavy MDMA

MDMA has high stimulating effects which enable users to dance for extended periods of time, which may also lead to dehydration, hypertension, and heart or kidney failure. Ecstasy is both a hallucinogenic and stimulant drug. It is usually taken in pill form and supposed to be composed of the pure chemical (Kelly 2000). Recent research findings link MDMA to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory (Gouzoulis 2008).

All patients were injected with a radioactive marker that binds to serotonin re-uptake sites on the axons of 5-HT neurons. It was shown that the marker binds to 22% fewer sites in MDMA users. Researchers believe that this decreased binding indicates that the serotonin transporters have been damaged. It is believed that this damage may have negative consequences long term, including anxiety, depression, and memory disturbances. (McCann,

Ecstasy (MDMA) has recently gained popularity in the media due to the dramatic increase in its use by Americans, especially teens and young adults. This has lead to a surge in research efforts to determine the short and long-term physical and neurological risks that are associated with the drug. It has been discovered that Ecstasy is one of the most dangerous drugs currently available on the streets of America. It poses serious risks to its users both psychically and neurologically, being known to cause damage to major organ systems in the body, including the liver, heart and brain. Psychically, there are temporary negative side effects that occur while the drug is still active in the body, and also long-term

Short-term MDMA use commonly lead to the beneficial psychological effects of euphoria and increased empathy (Meyer 2013). The Neutral effects of hallucinations and enhanced sensations were also common (Greene, Kerr, Braitberg 2008). Physically, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure (Keane 2014) and dehydration, and hyperthermia (Carvalho, Carmo, Costa, Capela, Pontes, Remiao, Carvalho, Bastos 2012) were typical effects. These were all assigned the category of adverse. Increased perspiration was the final typical physical side effect (Keane 2014). It was assigned the category of

The use of substances can alter the person’s state of consciousness in many ways. The depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens affect the level of consciousness in different ways due to their specific alterations in the level of brain chemistry in brain cells. When the substances taken breach the blood/brain barrier and reach the brain, they cause alteration in the normal levels

Neurotransmitters travel through designated pathways within the brain and may influence some specific behaviors and emotions. Acetylcholine is a chemical that affects muscle action, knowledge, and retention. Endorphins are chemicals which are natural opiates released in response to the sensation of pain as well as movement. Drugs and other chemicals affect brain’s chemistry at the synapses. Agonists excite the neurons by mimicking particular neurotransmitters or by blocking their process of reuptake. Antagonists inhibit a particular neural transmitting release or block the

Research has been done on how MDMA affects our brain and specifically how neurotransmitters are affected. Neurotransmitters are chemical molecules in our brain that send information

According to Csiernik, “Psychoactive drugs work by altering an individual’s mental processes, including cognition, and affect through decreasing, increasing, disrupting or balancing central nervous system activity” (Csiernik, 2014). In addition, “This is turn produces changes in mood, perception, sensation, need, consciousness and other psychological functions and ultimately changes in behaviors” (Csiernik, 2014).

While researching neurotransmitters I did learn about the stimulant drug Ecstasy, also known as MDMA a class 1 drug which means it has no medical value and is highly addictive. The way that this works is very interesting. Neurotransmitters work like a lock and key, for each lock there is only one key to fit the lock, so for serotonin or dopamine, there is only one key that fits that particular lock. When MDMA is introduced into the brain it fits the serotonin receptor, once it is transported to an axon it does something strange, it allows serotonin to be released back out into the axon making a surplus of serotonin flooding the axons. This floods the axons with serotonin which in turn makes the user feel euphoria, lowers inhibitions, relaxation and an increase of awareness in the surroundings. Dr. G Ricaurte at Johns Hopkins University has been investigating the effects of MDMA in the brain. One of the parameters of his study pool was subjects who had used the drug over 200 times in the last 5 years. The subject’s behavior appeared normal but brain scans showed otherwise. Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) showed damaged cells where serotonin is released. The

Methylenedioxymethamphetamin (MDMA), also known as Ecstasy, is one of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs in Schedule I. Like most drugs, MDMA has high potential for substance abuse. When made available to the general public, MDMA was seen in a bad light. The potential adverse health effects include but are not limited to: nausea, chills, sweating, involuntary jaw clenching, teeth grinding, muscle cramping, blurred vision, as well as dehydration and hyperthermia. These negative aftereffects occur because MDMA reduces serotonin levels in axon terminals by releasing large amounts of that particular neurotransmitter. By increasing the activity of neurotransmitters, MDMA becomes a quite powrful stimulant and can affect the user’s mood, appetite, and sleep cycle in various ways (“What Does MDMA Do to the Brain?” 2006). The question is, can this drug’s effect on one’s mood and neurotransmitter levels be used in a positive way with the proper setting?

Drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and cannabis, are of natural or synthetic origin, which can alter the emotional state, perception, body functioning and behaviour of an individual. Drugs are known to work in the brain by activating certain brain circuits via different mechanisms, and stimulate or inhibit different neurons in the pathway. However, due to the effects of each drug being different, a drug will affect either different pathways and neurons in the brain to that of another, or through a different process, i.e. direct or indirect activity. This essay will discuss the different mechanisms of action that cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and