Goal of Class The search for and understanding of the common underlying psychopathologies or causes, in the brain, mind, and culture, that predispose some individuals to drug use and abuse (Keller, 1992).

Course Map Part I (midterm 1) –History and Policy of Drug Use –Neuropsychopharmacology Neurotransmitters; Expectancy; Placebo –Addiction Part II (midterm 2) –Specific drugs and drug categories Stimulants; Opiates; Hallucinogens; Marijuana; Antidepressants; Alcohol Part III –Student presentations

Learning Tips Be skeptical and critical. Look for both sides of every story. Think big (holistic). Think small (reductionistic). Connect the dots. Remember that correlation  causation. Be an active learner

Definitions Pharmakon is Greek for drug. –Pharmacology is the study of drugs. Psyche is Greek for mind. –Psychopharmacology is the study of drug effects on mental states and behavior. Neuro is Greek for nerve. –Neuropharmacology is the study of drug effects on the nervous system. Cognitio is Latin for knowing. –Cognitive Neuropharmacology is the study of drug effects on the nervous system that relate to cognition.

Concerns in Cognitive Science Perception Attention Learning Memory Consciousness Emotion Language Decision-making What do drugs have to do with these things?

Questions How, where, and why are drugs used? How do they work? What sorts of effects do they have? What role do expectations play in those effects? What sorts of long-term effects do they have (e.g. damage)? Why do some people become addicted to drugs? How has society responded to drugs and addiction? What forces shape drug policy (e.g. scientific, economic, political)

What Makes a Drug Legal or Illegal? The distinction we sometimes make is between –drugs that give pleasure directly (recreational use) –drugs that give people the ability to function in society (which can indirectly lead to pleasure) (instrumental use) How are drugs (legal/illegal) misused and/or abused? –misuse: inappropriate application –abuse: use that produces physical, mental, or social impairment

Why some do and some don’t Risk factors –Genetic –Socioeconomic status –Psychosocial Deviant subcultures Approval/disapproval of friends and parents Availability Judgment of risks involved Inclination toward other drug use or delinquent behavior

Why some do and some don’t (cont.) Protective factors –Genetic –Positive home environment –Education –Peer relationships –Positive attitudes and beliefs

“drug” What is a “drug”?

Definitions –“Anything you take with the intention of changing how your body acts.” –“A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication.” –“A chemical substance that affects the central nervous system, causing changes in behavior and often addiction.” –…”excluding those nutrients considered to be related to normal functioning.”

Drug Effects Drugs are chemicals with real biochemical consequences that affect behavior A depressed individual takes an antidepressant and the depression lifts. What are the brain mechanisms that produce that effect?

Drug Effects (Cont.) How we think about drugs can alter these drug-brain dynamics –A depressed individual takes a sugar pill thinking it’s an antidepressant and the depression lifts. –What are the cognitive mechanisms that produce that effect?

Drug Effects (Cont.) What our society and culture say about drugs alters the dynamics –Pro- and anti-drug messages –Role of media –Role models

Drugs as a Tripartite Phenomenon Chemical substances that act upon and can cause temporary or lasting changes in biological (e.g. neural) tissue Psychoactive agents, having effects on emotion, cognition, and behavior Sociocultural artifacts that influence individual and societal behavior via their role in rituals, media, language, etc.

Drugs Operate in Tripartite Context Biological (e.g. drug interactions, physiological arousal/sedation, genetics, gender) Psychological (e.g. mood, cognitive expectations, personality) Social/Cultural (e.g. cultural setting, group beliefs) »Evolutionary?? »Economic??

The Biopsychosocial Approach The biological, psychological, and social environments are interrelated and interdependent Drugs......the BPS environment. affect are affected by are part of

Your Drug Knowledge How much chocolate would you have to eat to get the same high as one marijuana joint? –25 lbs What drugs are most often used by children under fourteen? –Chemical solvents (benzene, propane, those found in glue and paint). 20% of 8 th graders have used them. Is caffeine addictive? –Yes/No What popular rave drug is known to cause brain damage? –Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine: MDMA) Are herbal remedies sold at health food stores “drugs”? –Yes/no

Your Drug Insight Are drugs inherently good or bad? –What makes them ‘bad’? –What are some benefits? What are factors that encourage one to take drugs (legal or illegal) today? –Is altering the body and mind morally wrong? –Is drug taking a failure of character? Is there “Better living through chemistry?” –Why do you take drugs? to cope? to make up for chemical deficits? –Do legal drugs ‘cure’ diseases? create them? redefine them? –The expectation that a drug (legal or illegal) will change us. But, do they? at what price? Whom do we blame for addiction? –oneself- friends- family- society- uncertainty- stress Are there drugs that you associate with specific people/groups (economic, ethnic, etc)? Policy of the US: “To create a drug free America” by 1995; by 2002; by 2012?? – Do we still want a “drug free America?”