DAY 6 How do drugs affect the brain

DAY 6: How do drugs affect the brain? What is the impact of drug use on the teen brain?

Let’s review… What’s happening at a synapse? • Chemical exchange between neurons • Packages of chemicals (vesicles of neurotransmitters) are released from one neuron • Another neuron receives the chemicals (receptors) Neurotransmission

Neurotransmission Neuron 1 NEUROTRANSMITTERS • Chemicals in vesicles that get released • Examples: dopamine, serotonin Neuron 2 RECEPTORS • Receivers for specific chemicals • Examples: dopamine receptor, serotonin receptor

Normal Neurotransmission (Dopamine signals reward) T AP Pre-synaptic neuron DA DA R M Post-synaptic neuron

How do certain drugs affect the brain? • Drugs to treat diseases: • Drugs of abuse: • Increase amount of neurotransmitter in the synapse • Block reuptake of neurotransmitter to increase amount in synapse • Decrease amount of neurotransmitter in the synapse Correcting an imbalance Creating an imbalance

Prozac’s Effect on Brain Drug used to treat depression T AP PROZAC R M Serotonin R M

Cocaine’s Effect on Brain Drug of abuse T AP DA DA COCAINE R M

Do you think there are longterm effects of drug use?

Effects of Cocaine on Brain of an Addict High activity Low activity Amount of Brain Activity (After 10 days of withdrawal, or 100 days of withdrawal) PET scan: radioactive compound that binds to dopamine receptors in the brain

Methamphetamine

Do you think drugs affect teen brains differently than adult brains? Why or why not?

Short break

Drug Abuse Activity • Pick a drug you’re interested in learning more about. • Research how it affects neurotransmission in the brain. • Use Mouse Party and other sites to learn more: • http: //learn. genetics. utah. edu/content/addiction/ mouse/ • Create a video, flyer, or Power. Point that tells teens the impact of this drug on their brains.