Drugs and the Brain: Addiction vs Dependence

 

The brain is one of the most important organs in the human body because it helps us facilitate daily activities. Understanding the brain structure and its complexity allows us to interpret environmental and physical cues on a daily basis. Each hemisphere and lobe of the brain plays a vital role in how the body functions as a whole. The key aspect is to understand that these work together in interpreting language, perception, memory and reasoning. Human’s reaction to stimuli is mainly responsible for perception and it can come in many forms and the heart also comes into play. “A person's sensitivity to external stimuli depends not only on the state of their nervous system, but also on their cardiac cycle” (Esra et al 2020). There are many factors that may cause the brain to be injured, vulnerable or in the worst-case scenario lose some of its key functions. One of the main things is drug addiction. There are times when addiction is confused with drug dependence

Although both are viewed in negative aspects, they are different. These two terms are important to understand because in terms of personal experience, I have a relative who depends on drugs to survive but I would not refer to them as an addict. Drugs have both good and bad effects on people's bodies and brains. They usually work because they resemble something that is produced naturally in the body.  Although the Funk and Wagnall’s encyclopedia defines drug dependency as the “non-medical use of a drug that interferes with a healthy and productive life”, it also goes on to explain that some people use prescription drugs once in a while because they are in need not because they prefer to. Drug dependency may have positive or negative effects. The family member that drinks painkillers twice a day to help with pain they are feeling with arthritis, I feel cannot be compared to someone who takes prescription drugs for feelings of euphoria.

Physical dependence would describe a person who has been taking drugs which may be prescription for a long time that it causes the brain to adapt to that drug taking being the “norm”. It can then cause cells in the body to start functioning differently because the drug becomes part of the body. This goes together with psychological dependence which can be explained when people start thinking that they cannot get better without taking medication on a daily basis. I feel that psychological dependence can be triggered also by mental disorders which were discussed in the journal readings. Drug dependence may be seen as a mental disorder because some may argue that, these people do not really need the drugs for survival but their brains “trick” them into thinking that medication is a requirement. These people do not usually have severe withdrawal symptoms and can go for some time without certain drugs. Furthermore, “characteristic behavioral and other responses include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic basis to experience its psychic effects or to avoid the discomfort of its absence” (Venes 2013). Relating it back to personal experience, I have only seen the relative experience minor pain but not completely stop functioning because they did not take 1 pill of Tramacet.

Drug addiction according to Mayo Clinic, is a “disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of the drug”. Some drugs have short term effects while some have long term effects. The body metabolizes drugs by absorbing them in the bloodstream. Drugs like marijuana have short term effects and people do not usually get addicted to that, although some do. That is why many countries are now legalizing the use of marijuana for recreational and medical purposes. Other drugs like methamphetamine or “crystal meth” cause negative effects such as hallucination, rapid heartbeat and disorientation. Some may believe that taking such a drug once or just experimenting does not affect anything. This is wrong because the body can become dependent on the euphoria feeling and that is how a person becomes addicted. 

Illegal drugs triggers the brain to feel pleasure and the long term effect may destroy the brain hemispheres. This may affect a person’s ability to comprehend things, learning and even memory. Once the brain is affected, many effects can be seen in the body such as weight loss, fatigue and reoccurring illnesses. There is a drug that teenagers in South Africa take called “Nyaope”. Once a person experiments with it, then they do not ever get back to normal.  It is mixed with rat poison and that is how illegal drugs take over the world. Most teenagers taking these drugs start having hallucinations and they can sometimes be mistaken for mental disorders.  The body environment gets messed up by drugs and we can see how that is evident even in Utah with the opioid crisis.  

In terms of Ayurveda, drugs can disturb the body's internal environment and cause a person's health to be affected in some way as seen in drug dependent people. According to Patwardhan et al, natural products are more beneficial to use when treating diseases (2004). Sometimes, I feel that, traditional medicines or drugs are usually not considered when treating certain diseases because for the most part, they have not been scientifically tested but those using them claim that they work well. This is why Ayurveda must be approached holistically because most drugs that are sold legally are usually synthesized and modified from things found in nature. Its flu season and I did some research to find out if there are alternatives to treat colds and flu with drugs made from natural products instead of getting things like flu shots. An example is influenza, a virus that attacks the respiratory system. It is characterized mostly by a runny nose, headache or fever etc.  An article I found titled “Aloe Polysaccharides Inhibit Influenza a Virus Infection—A Promising Natural Anti-flu Drug” explained how scientists concluded that these polysaccharides offer internal therapy while attacking the influenza virus. This indirectly relates to the article that was assigned with this reading such that it indicates that the aloe has been modified and customized to fit treatment of certain viruses. This does not limit the plant to treating influenza only but other uses of aloe can also be seen in the market although some are not scientifically recognized yet.  This same reasoning can be used for drug dependency or addiction. 

Aryuveda can be also used in people experiencing drug dependence. Natural herbs that are incorporated into medications that these people take, can be left in their natural state to treat certain diseases. There is no harm in trying them.  Since the brain is triggered by certain elements of the drug, natural methods can also get the brain out of the regular cycle of dependency. I doubt that this method would work with drug addiction especially with illegal drugs because they have so many ingredients that are not even natural. The brain would take a long time to stop being dependent on the illegal drugs. 

 

Works Cited

Buxhoeveden, S.(2015, April 3) Thriving in the Face of Adversity. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuLOT6GsAxw

 

Bhushan Patwardhan, et al. “Ayurveda and Natural Products Drug Discovery.” Current Science, vol. 86, no. 6, 2004, p. 789. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24109136&site=eds-live.

Drug Dependence.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1; EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=dr087700&site=eds-live.

 

Esra Al et al, Heart–brain interactions shape somatosensory perception and evoked potentials, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915629117

 

Gabbard, Glen O. “Mind, Brain, and Personality Disorders.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 162, no. 4, Apr. 2005, pp. 648–655. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.648

Venes D, editor. “Drug Dependence.” Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 22nd Ed, 2013. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nup&AN=t0hD11-264400&site=eds-live.

Understanding the Effects of Illegal Drugs on the Body.” Instablogs.Com, 2018. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsggo&AN=edsgcl.553295996&site=eds-live.

The Brain and Mind are Intertwined

 The brain is the most complex organ in the body; it is the embodiment of our mind and who we are. It also controls all the functions of the body and interprets information from its surrounding environment. Thus, traumatic events, drug abuse and diseases affect the health of the brain. And if the brain is affected our mental and physical health would be too, because these two are intertwined, and in mental health the brain and mind are intertwined as well. For example, when I make time to go to the gym, even if it is for an hour, I feel distressed and more energized. Moreover, studies in Salk Institute for Biological Studies showed that running increases the birth of new hippocampal neurons in mice, and demonstrated that exercise-induced neurogenesis is associated with improvement of memory related tasks in mice (Raichlen & Alexander 2020). The article refers to exercising as a tool to decrease memory loss, especially with aging and people with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. As the brain and mind and body are intertwined in Ayurveda it is said that the mind spreads all over the body (Parla 2018). Thus an optimal brain health includes: good lifestyle and diet practices. A good habit is exercising, and as mentioned before this helps boost confidence and happiness, because when exercising the brain releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins that makes us feel happy (Penttila 2020). A good diet is important for good health, and it makes us feel happy as well. There have been so many times when eating a piece of chocolate makes my day. It is important to account for healthy diets and not junk food to help the brain’s health. The brain is not an isolated organ, but is the link connecting all the other systems of our bodies and the environment. That is why, when the brain has suffered traumas it takes long to heal and it can lead to physical and cognitive disabilities, and could potentially change someone's behavior.

If the brain is the embodiment of the mind and the control center in our bodies; we must take good care of it. But unfortunately a lot of people do not really see the effects on having a balance between body, mind and soul, and oversee the connection between the mind and brain. Also, some traumas to the brain cannot be avoidable, such as accidents and being born with certain diseases, but there are brain traumas we can avoid, such as drug abuse. Drugs have changed medicine and lifestyles, for instance imagine treating cavities without anesthesia (it makes my mouth hurt). They are so influential that they can improve someones’ life or make it worse, because these are chemical substances that change how the body, mind and brain work, and they can cause behavioral changes. For example, my grandma is a very independent, strong, caring and loving woman, and she does not cry for any little thing. But after three to five beer bottles she gets drunk, and is as if she is a completely different person. Usually when she visits us we all want to be with her, talking, hugging her and kissing her, but when she is drunk we run away from her, not in a bad way though. It is just that she becomes very annoying and much more sensitive than usual. The moment she sees one of her grandchildren, she will call them to the dance floor and dance with them, and start saying “ why don’t you call me?”, “ you don’t love me”, “you all will forget about me when you get married”, “you are so big I remember when you were born and I had you in my arms” And my favorite “I was right and your other grandmother wasn’t”. Or would make us sit on her lap, and of course start crying. In some cases she becomes mad and starts scolding her kids and her older grandkids, and that is what we dislike the most. And she would even swear more often than usual and make fun of us. Although, it is fun when she swears and makes fun of my older cousin. We love her, and we know when to stop giving her alcohol so she does not start fights with other drunk relatives. If drugs like alcohol can do stuff like these in a couple of hours or even minutes imagine long term effects of drugs. For instance, MDMA, found in ecstasy, produces a long-term depletion of brain serotonin which triggers a long-term increase in anxiety (Clemenses et al. 2004). On the other hand, drugs can help improve the quality of life especially when someone suffers conditions such as congestive heart failure, and they would need to use medicine for the rest of their lives. Drugs have life changing effects because they interfere with the way neurons send, receive and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as heroin, resemble the shape of a natural neurotransmitter in the body and bind in the active site of receptors, but these do not activate the neurotransmitters in the same way, and they lead to abnormal messages being sent (NIDA 2020). Thus changes in behavior and thinking as well, and this goes for over the counter or prescription medicine too. Like when some medicines can make you feel depressed or irritated. 

Moreover, drugs are not the only ones that unbalanced the mind by injuring the brain. As mentioned before, the brain interprets the environment and produces responses, and when the environment is negative and unhealthy our thoughts and behavior would reflect our injured brain. This is why Southern Utah University has encouraged students to visit a counselor, and do something that makes you happy and distressed. Having a positive environment helps improve our mental health. When I have been to a counselor for stress related reasons they recommend that I change my study area. At first it did not make sense to me, but changing the visual stimuli that the brain is taking in can make a difference in our responses. Bedrooms are usually associated with relaxation, sleep and a safe place. And I noticed that every time I arrive home the first thing I do is to go to my room and lay on my bed. And it takes a while until I open my books and study or do homework. Moreover, an example of an injury of the mind and brain is PTSD, although this is not a physical trauma it produces same behavioral changes than a drug or another physical trauma would do. The amygdala is responsible for emotions, survival, instincts, and memory and detections of fear. When a person is constantly in a state of fear the amygdala becomes hyperactive. Thus, when affected with PTSD stimuli can trigger overactivity in the amygdala and it could connect to the traumatic event the person suffered. This would cause chronic stress, heightened fear, and increased irritation (Thatcher 2020). This unbalance in Ayurveda affects people with PTSD and in some cases this leads to depression and anxiety. With PTSD there has been a disruption in the mind’s health. These negative thoughts of fear even after the fear has passed makes the brain react to try to get out of it, and causes stress.

Furthermore, drugs can be used to treat mental diseases such as PTSD and they can be beneficial for the patient, but these drugs are chemical imbalancers (Whitaker 2007) and although these drugs are used for treatment, these can potentially change the biology of the brain. Thus, there is a more holistic approach on producing new plant based medicines. Moreover, Plants have medicinal and toxic properties that indigenous cultures from the Americas discovered long before European conquistadors arrived. For example, in Andean cultures, cocoa tree leaves were chewed to gain perceived benefits, and in 1860 Carl Koler isolated cocaine, and it was a revolutionary local anaesthetic. And on the island of Gaudeloupe American Indians used pineapple poultices to reduce inflammation, and in 1891 an enzyme that broke down blood clots was isolated from the juice of pineapple (Patwardhan et al. 2004). And by using ancient medicine there could be the probability to improve medicine and make it less harmful for the mind. Also, including holistic practices can help with treatments and improve the quality of life.

The brain and mind are part of who we are and they should not be excluded from each other. They both need a balanced body and soul to function for the well being of the person. We need to take care of what we get in our systems, like eating protein after exercise for the muscles, we need to consume healthy diets and have healthy lifestyles for the good of the brain and mind. 

Resources

Clemens, K. J., van Nieuwenhuyzen, P. S., Kong M. Li, Cornish, J. L., Hunt, G. E., & McGregor, I. S. (2004). MDMA (“ecstasy”), methamphetamine and their combination: long-term changes in social interaction and neurochemistry in the rat. Psychopharmacology, 173(3/4), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1786-x.

NIDA. 2020, July 10. Drugs and the Brain. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain on 2020, October 24

Raichlen, D. A., & Alexander, G. E. (2020). Why Your Brain Needs Exercise: The evolutionary history of humans explains why physical activity is important for brain health. Chinese American Forum, 35(3), 1–3.

Parla, D. (2018, December 17). Ayurveda's Best Advice on Improving Brain Health. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.sonima.com/food/brain-health/

Patwardhan, B., Vaidya, A. D. B., & Chorghade M. (2004). Ayurveda and natural products drug discovery. Science, 86 (6), 789- 799. 

Penttila, N. (2020, March 24). How Does Exercise Affect the Brain? Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.dana.org/article/how-does-exercise-affect-the-brain/

Thatcher, D. (2020, April 30). Can Emotional Trauma Cause Brain Damage? Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://highlandspringsclinic.org/blog/can-emotional-trauma-cause-brain-damage/

Whitaker, R. B. (2007). Reality Check: What Science Has to Tell Us about Psychiatric Drugs and Their Long-Term Effects. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 21(3–4), 97–123.

Let's Talk About Sleep

There are so many aspects of the brain that we do not understand. We may never understand it because, if you think about it, we cannot just take someone's brain and start poking around. We cannot see how electrical impulse and changing chemical concentrations translates into thoughts. It's a complex network of nerves that are challenging to understand. Our brain performs actions that we are not even aware of such as heart rate, breathing, digesting our lunch, etc. It is constantly aware of everyday life without us even knowing. At the same time, we chose when to move our arm, what motor motions need to happen to hit a ball, or typing this paper. Our brain never shuts off. It is constantly running day and night. Isn’t it interesting that our brain never shuts completely down? Not even while we are sleeping. Your brain is still functioning to keep alive. Sleep is another mystery that plays into the brain. Sleep is a way for our brain to “rest” and process memories. If we can get good sleep there are restorative properties for the brain and consistently bad dreams can be harmful to our overall health.

As I have worked as a sleep tech, I have been able to more fully understand the effects that sleep has on our health and the brain. There are four stages of sleep and we call them N1, N2, N3, and REM. Throughout the night your body cycles through these stages multiple times. N1 and N2 are what is considered “garbage” sleep. This is a light sleep and there are no real benefits from these two stages. When you wake up feeling tired after getting 8 hours of sleep, it may be because most of your sleep was in N1 and N2. N3 and REM are deeper sleep and these stages have restorative properties. These are the stages we want people to get into because they will wake up feeling refreshed, at the same time, their brain has had the time to recover and restore memory. Memory loss, mood, and chronic fatigue are all effects of inadequate sleep.

A common problem with sleep is what is called sleep apnea and most of the people that we see at the sleep center usually have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when breathing stops and starts. Many times sleep apnea happens because the tongue falls to the back of the throat blocking the airway. Another type of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea and this is where the brain does not tell your body to take a breath. When apneas occur there is usually an arousal. What I mean by this is that it can pull you from a deep sleep stage into a lighter stage or it can prevent someone from getting into a deep sleep. Without that deep sleep, your brain cannot restore itself and the processing of your day by the brain does not occur as efficiently. When sleep apnea goes untreated it has been linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s because the problem with sleep is causing memory problems which can further into these types of neurodegenerative. If you know you snore at night or you wake up gasping for air then you should go see if you have sleep apnea. The earlier you get diagnosed the risk of forming neurodegenerative diseases decreases. Sleep apnea is not the only sleep disorder, however, it is very common.

Sleep problems can also affect mood leading to depression or anxiety. One thing we did talk about in my abnormal psychology class was the idea of the usage of drugs in treating depression. Depression is very much a biological mental health issue that affects much of the brain, more specifically, brain chemistry. Our professor mentioned that there are two neurotransmitters that are part of depression. One is a serotonin and the other is norepinephrine. Serotonin is a hormone that plays roles in mood, food, sleep, and sex drive. Norepinephrine is the hormone that I would call the “stress” hormone; it is the hormone that runs the fight or flight response. Both of these together have their effects in causing or maintaining depression symptoms. The only thing we know is that these hormones are linked, however, we do not know how they interact and affect one another. That is why there are so many antidepressants. Some increase serotonin levels only and others only increase norepinephrine. It can take people years to find a drug that aids in the symptoms of depression because there is a balancing act that takes place with the serotonin and norepinephrine that then stabilizes someone's mood. The limit with only antidepressants is that they are a short-term treatment and maybe should not be for the long term. The only reason I do not think that they should be used long term is that once we start providing our body with something it is supposed to make we are no longer allowing our body to function at its peak. Most people can agree that good sleep could help depression but I think most of the time Ambien, a sleep aid, is prescribed. Ambien does help someone sleep but by just giving a sleep aid we do not fully understand the problem of why they are not sleeping. Again, Ambien also may not be a long term treatment. I wonder if part of the answer for a long term treatment for depression would be helping someone create a good sleep environment. Serotonin plays an important role in sleep by synthesizing melatonin. With norepinephrine, sleep could give the body rest and allow the body time to restore norepinephrine levels. A sleep study could be effective in understanding how a person sleeps, where they are having problems in their sleep, and if finding a solution to get good sleep would be effective for that person. One difficulty with this approach is social perception. I think many times people think they need a drug to be curried and would almost laugh at any doctor that said trying to prescribe them an effective sleep environment. Is it the misunderstanding of our society that almost creates more problems when it comes to one's health? It is time everyone looks at their health from a perspective of holistic medicine and less drug pushing nature. Not all doctors are pushing patients to take pills, however, many of them are. I think this is because a patient would not take a liking to a doctor who says “okay, I would like you to come in for sleep study so we can improve your sleep which will help with our depressive symptoms.” It also plays into the belief people have about being cured. If a patient walks in with high hopes and believes that sleep could fix their symptoms, sleep will make a substantial difference in their life. On the other hand, if a patient walks in believing nothing can help them, even the most advanced drugs would have limitations in resolving their symptoms.

In conclusion, the brain is a complex organism that we know little about. Sleep has been linked to dementia, Alzheimer's, depression, and anxiety. Sleep will not cure dementia but if we seek help early when we have difficulty with sleep, good sleep has been linked to reducing the risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease. With depression and anxiety, questions get asked about sleep but it is easier to push medications that dig deep into how sleep could reduce their symptoms. Sleep is important to more areas than one and sleep should have greater consideration for preventing and reducing symptoms of many diseases.

The Brain is Unique and Complex

Nate Griffiths

BIOL 4500      

30 October 2020

The Brain is Unique and Complex

            The Brain, a complex organ with the most important job in the human body. Filled with billions of nerve cells that communicate with each other to carry out the functions of the human body. The complexity of this organ can be shown by all the lobes and their functions. The cerebrum a major part of the brain consists of four lobes: the frontal lobe for cognitive functions, the occipital lobe for vision, the temporal lobe for memories, and the parietal lobe for senses. The cerebellum, the other part of the brain, is used for balance and coordination (LetsTute 2018). With these things we can see that the brain is magnificent and complex. It preforms everything we need to function properly, but with such an important organ comes complications. Imagine losing memories, experiencing an injury, or putting too many prescription or illegal drugs into your body. With these things we can see that complications can arise. In this paper, I am going to speak about injuries to the brain, effects of drugs on the brain, and how addiction can affect us. With these things we can learn and understand how complex the brain truly is and begin to understand how important it is to research these things.

            Injuries range in many categories from major traumatic brain damage, to something as forgetting everything around you, which also could be considered a disorder. Injuries can affect our brain, and can have a major toll on us. When thinking about injuries we also must consider disorders. Disorders are something in which we are seeing an increase. Some examples we are seeing rapid increase in are: depression, anxiety, personality changes, autism, Alzheimer’s, and the list could go on and on. However, we have little to no knowledge of why so many of these disorders occur. With this little knowledge comes extensive research. However, we have cracked very little when it comes to disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s leaves a person forgetting things and almost takes them to a childlike stage where they require care and a watchful eye. This is just one example of how disorders can take a toll on us. With injuries on the brain comes a whole different perspective. Injuries can permanently or temporally effect our ability to function. One injury in particular that I have seen in my life many times are concussions. Concussions happen when someone gets hit in the head causing a swashing of the brain inside the brain cavity. The brain then tries to recover because it was just traumatically hit. The way I see it is like hitting a computer hard and it shuts down. It then slowly reboots until it comes on. Most concussions are related to sporting activities, however they can occur in many circumstances. My experiences with them occurred while I played sports in high school. I never personally experienced a concussion, but I had many friends who did. They experienced many symptoms of forgetting who they are, what they were doing, and what day it was, but the symptoms only lasted hours. The thing that scares me is those who do not report or get checked for their concussion. There has been a rise in those who do not report their concussions in fear of not playing (Christine et al 2019). I saw this occur in my school where kids feared they would have to sit out and not play, which could cause more damage. Though studies show that those who get a concussion have a lower chance to get one again in the same season (Pfaller et al 2016). We can see that there are many known disorders and injuries that have damage to our brain. With concussions and their recovery, we can see that our brain is complex and unique. 

            With the brain being a complex and unique organ, there comes the discussion of how drugs affect our brain. Drugs come in different forms. Whether they are prescription or illicit drugs, they can affect our brain. We have many pathways that occur in our body that help us function. These drugs, whether they are prescription or illicit drugs, affect our pathways by either hindering or blocking them from working, or they speed up and work better. It all depends on how we take these drugs. There are three main ways that someone could take these drugs affects the speed and function of these drugs. First, there is taking drugs orally. When taking it orally, it will slowly work its way down to the stomach where it will be broken down and sent through the system to the brain. This is known as a slow way of taking a drug. The second way is inhaling a drug. This will enter the body rather quickly by going through the mouth or nose immediately to the lungs where it will enter the blood stream fast. This will help the patient feel the effects of the drug quickly. For example, a person with asthma when experiencing an asthma attack, will use an inhaler to allow the medicine to enter the body quickly. The last way for drugs to enter our body is through injections. This will be injected through the muscle allowing it to enter the blood stream quickly as well. The endpoint for all these drugs is the brain. No matter how we take the drug it will end up in the brain causing it to make a change or help it function even better. The way it makes a change, is by tricking our brain into thinking it should actually be there. With receptors resembling those in the body they are able to accomplish their end goal. Depending on the drugs being used, they perform many different things that cause the brain to act differently for good or bad. However, drugs are something that proves that our brain is complex and unique in so many ways signifying that what happens in our head can be altered by using drugs.  

            With drugs altering the way we act, think, and perform, there comes a term known as addiction. Addiction, is the condition of desiring or wanting a particular substance because of how it makes you feel. When a controlled prescription or illicit drug enters the brain, it affects our dopamine receptors causing that person to feel good, or get the relief they need. This will then cause a structure change of our brain. With this structure change we will then not produce dopamine or other hormones making the person rely on the drugs to get a temporary dopamine fix. With that comes the gateway theory, which is when someone uses these drugs for long periods of time, they will become used to the drug requiring them to seek stronger drugs (Lynskey et al. 2018). They are led on a path with no end in sight thus causing them to seek something they will never obtain. Addiction is a serious matter which we are seeing grow rapidly here in the United States. We as future medical care workers have a job to educate ourselves and know when people are abusing their prescription drugs. When I worked at a pharmacy, I personally saw people line up at the pharmacy doors before we opened just to get their controlled substances filled. The way drugs cause changes in our body that leads to addiction is complex and unique, but it just shows how amazing our brain truly is.

            With the brain being complex and unique, we see that how it works is still under intense study. We have seen that there are many injuries that can affect the human body causing temporary or permanent damage. There are also many disorders that happen in the brain that can cause peoples personalities to change or cause them to forget everything. We have seen that drugs can affect our brain in many ways by tricking our brain into thinking they belong. Finally we have learned that addiction is taking over millions of lives in this country by leading them down an ongoing path of seeking something stronger. With these things about our brain, we have learned that the brain is a powerful organ. There are things that can happen to it through trauma or we can change it by what we put into our body. No matter what the process is, we have seen that our brain is unique and complex, and we should be careful to protect it at all costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Christine M. Baugh, William P. Meehan III, Emily Kroshus, Thomas G. McGuire, and Laura A. Hatfield.Journal of Neurotrauma.Jul 2019.2065-2072.http://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2018.6161

 

LetsTute. “Human Brain | Parts & Functions | Cerebrum & Cerebellum | Biology | LetsTute.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 27 Mar. 2018. 

 

Lynskey, M. T., & Agrawal, A. (2018). Denise Kandel’s classic work on the gateway sequence of drug acquisition. Addiction, 113(10), 1927–1932.

 Pfaller, Adam Y., Nelson, Lindsay D., Apps, Jennifer N., Walter, Kevin D., & McCrea, Michael A. Am J Sports Med. published online July 1, 2016. DOI: 10.1177/0363546516651821 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 Drugs and the Unknown Causes of Depression

The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. Each part of the brain controls very specific functions in the body. For example, there is the frontal lobe, which has to do with organizing and planning. The temporal lobe controls memory and language functions. The occipital lobe corresponds to vision and the parietal lobe helps with math and spelling. Since each part of the brain is connected to certain things, a brain injury or hormonal imbalance could mean that the brain is not going to be carrying out these functions properly. People who undergo severe traumatic brain injuries often are not the same emotionally as they were before, and even personality traits may have changed.

There are many diseases that affect the body in its daily tasks, but they originate in the brain. Some of these include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Autism is considered a developmental disorder originating in the brain. Some disorders that spark an interest in me are the personality and mood disorders. These are disorders that cannot be seen by physical symptoms all of the time, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

According to Hardvard health, people with a history of depression tend to have a smaller hippocampus. If depression was just caused by a chemical imbalance, then medication should be able to solve that problem fairly quickly. Instead, it could be that people with depression will only feel better as nerves grow and form new connections, which is a process that takes weeks (2009). In a study done in 2007, some researchers studied changes in brain activity in depressed patients. There was an analysis on people at rest and comparing the brain activation to depressed people. People who had changes in brain function after receiving treatment were also analyzed, as well as a control group that was compared to people with depression experiencing complex emotions. The regions of the brain found to be involved in depression included frontal and temporal cortex as well as the cerebellum (2007).

For all of these disorders originating in the brain, drugs have been developed in an effort to give relief to patients who are suffering due to their diagnosis. Drugs work by interfering with neurons in the brain. Some drugs are prescribed to help cure or ease illnesses, but there are also drugs that alter brain function and are addicting, such as heroin and opioids. By acting as a natural chemical in the brain, drugs can change the way neurons go about sending and receiving signals, and therefore change the way it is working.

In the case of depression, medication can help to ease symptoms and improve mood. The NBCI website, last updated in June of 2020, explains the different medications available to treat depression. There are tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors. These three are the most common. The main idea behind depression is that there is an imbalance of serotonin, but these drugs will help the brain to balance chemicals and prevent the re-uptake of serotonin so it is available (2020). A study done on the effectiveness of antidepressants suggests that there is a relationship between the severity of depression and how affective drugs were versus placebos. The results experienced by those who took antidepressants were the same as the results by those who took placebos (2008). This just adds to the question of if depression is caused simply by an imbalance in brain chemicals or if it goes deeper into the brain than we thought. If it is simply a chemical imbalance, then drugs should be able to clear it up immediately.

Because the brain is such complex organ that we don’t even completely understand, it is even harder to create effective drugs for it. In order to create a perfect drug to cure depression, or even any of the other neurological disorders aforementioned, we would need to have a perfect understanding of what is causing these disorders and target the source directly. Perhaps, with enough research, we will one day be able to find the causes of these disorders and be able to treat them more effectively.

Sources: 

“Depression: How Effective Are Antidepressants?” InformedHealth.org [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 June 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK361016/. h.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression.

Fitzgerald, Paul B., et al. "A meta‐analytic study of changes in brain activation in depression." Human brain mapping 29.6 (2008): 683-695.

Ioannidis, John PA. "Effectiveness of antidepressants: an evidence myth constructed from a thousand randomized trials?." Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 3.1 (2008): 1-9.

Publishing, Harvard Health. “What Causes Depression?” Harvard Health, June 2009, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression.

The Intricacies of the Brain

The Intricacies of the Brain

During the majority of my college education, the nervous system has always been one of my favorite topics. The more I learn about the brain the more I realize there is so much we don’t know. Although the brain’s function is obviously integral to the human body, there are so many intricacies that we have yet to discover. The brain controls the most basic functions that make human life possible. For example, the brain controls swallowing, respirations, vasodilation, coordination, movements, memories, personality, and even sensory and informational processing.

The brain is split into different sections based on their functions. The frontal lobe is responsible for problem-solving, personality, emotion, and judgment. The parietal lobe is responsible for processing many senses. The temporal lobe is responsible for processing both long and short-term memories. The occipital lobe is responsible for visual processing. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinated movements and balance. The brainstem is responsible for regulating respirations, blood pressure, and heart rate. 

  A prime example of the functions of the frontal lobe is that of Phineas P. Gage. He is famous for having an iron pipe impale his head and pass mostly through the left frontal lobe. Without modern medical care, it is a miracle he survived, let alone recover within a seven month period. However, after the accident, Gage was never the same. He was prone to abandoning plans, being irritable, moody, and used vulgar far more often than he had before his accident. Gage exhibited changes in many aspects of his personality, ranging from his demeanor to his behavior, all of which can be attributed to the damage to his frontal lobe (Hamilton, 2017). 

On a more molecular level, nerves function to receive and send information quickly. Dendrites pick up information while axons send the information to the next nerve with neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released into synapses where the receiving dendrites with the specific receptors can accept the neurotransmitter and send the information on to the next nerve. Multiple neurotransmitters exist, and can cause either an excitatory or inhibitory response. These chemicals are what allow nerves to communicate with each other and provide sensory details to the brain (TED-Ed, 2017, 03:15–05:21).

Drugs and medications actually work by changing the way cells communicate. Once ingested, the drug enters the bloodstream where it can pass the blood-brain barrier to cause its desired effect within the nervous system. The blood-brain barrier is a physical separation between blood vessels and nervous tissues by astrocytes. Astrocytes are glial cells that hold both blood vessels and nerves in place, providing the scaffolding on which they are built and the bridge that connects the two. Drugs must have specific chemical components to pass through the blood-brain barrier if its desired destination is the brain. 

Drugs work to disrupt the pattern of neurotransmitters. By changing the way the neurons communicate, they can change the way the information is passed or interpreted. Most drugs are made with this in mind and use it to their advantage.

An example of how important neurotransmitters are is that of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is the loss of fine motor skills that can be identified by the shrunken basal ganglia and a decrease in the neurotransmitter dopamine. Drugs that mimic or enhance the effects of dopamine, such as Pramipexole and Levodopa are used to treat Parkinson’s and help the patient to improve their fine motor skills (Mayo Clinic, 2020). 

However, I learned about a very interesting interaction from my psychology 1010 class. If a Parkinson’s patient took too many dopamine-related drugs, they could experience symptoms of schizophrenia, which would be severe behavioral and thought process changes. This is because Schizophrenic patients present with too much dopamine. When a patient has too much or too little dopamine, there can be the effects of the correlating disease.

Other highly regulated or illegal drugs can have some euphoric effects. Although feelings of energy, hallucinations, suppressed appetite, relaxation, and lower inhibitions can sound enticing to some, there is a reason they are regulated the way they are. Many of these drugs can permanently alter the brain’s chemistry and their synapses. Without proper brain chemical structure, people can lose their ability to think clearly, make decisions, learn, and reason properly.

Despite the very biological and objective evidence surrounding the brain, Dr. Gabbard (2005, p. 366) has published a new study that recognizes the distinctions and intimate versatility of the mind and brain. The brain is usually described as a combination of the genetic makeup, biology, and medications of a person, while the mind is recognized as the sum of the environmental factors, psychosocial, and psychotherapeutic variables. Dr. Gabbard fights this notion, by saying this creates implications that the two are treated differently when they are, in fact, so intertwined that to separate them would make the studying of disorders incomplete. He uses borderline personality disorder as an example. This disorder was found to be a result of sexual abuse and neglect. Traumatic abuse has been found to greatly impact the hippocampus and can hyperstimulate the autonomic nervous system. Thus meaning, that the trauma to the mind actually changes the physical makeup of the brain.  

Dr. Gabbard then addresses the implications for treatment. Without the polarizing distinctions between the mind and brain, there should not be those differing treatment methods available. Regarding borderline personality disorder, SSRIs are often used to help treat BPD patients. These drugs promote hippocampal neurogenesis and decrease the hyperreactivity of the neural axis, as well as help the patient connect with their therapist and accept the help they need to be successful in treating their disorder.

Gabbard, G. O. (2005). Psychodynamic Approaches to Personality Disorders. FOCUS, 3(3), 363–367. https://doi.org/10.1176/foc.3.3.363

Hamilton, J. (2017, May 21). NPR Choice page. National Public Radio. https://choice.npr.org/index.html?origin=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/21/528966102/why-brain-scientists-are-still-obsessed-with-the-curious-case-of-phineas-gage

Mayo Clinic. (2020, August 7). Parkinson’s disease - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376062

TED-Ed. (2017, June 29). How do drugs affect the brain? - Sara Garofalo [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qK0hxuXOC8

Battling Drug Abuse and Overdose

The topic of drugs and the brain is extremely interesting. I have really enjoyed learning about how these topics are related and applying this knowledge to the real world. As I’ve thought about drugs and how they affect the brain I have learned the incredible effects drugs can have in curing disease, but also the devastating effects of drug abuse. The topic of drug abuse is especially relevant right now. Since 1999 drug overdose has been on the rise. Particularly the overdose of synthetic opioids has increased dramatically. Although everyone has a choice whether they use or misuse a drug, there are factors that increase the likelihood someone abuses drugs. These include genetics and family history, parental attitudes and behavior, substance use in high school, positive expectations, mental health problems, and sorority and fraternity membership.      

The topic of drug abuse is a major issue in the state of Utah. Utah has ranked the top ten in the nation over the last ten years in drug overdose deaths. The deaths from drug overdose outpaced deaths due to firearms fall, and motor vehicle crashes. In 2017 there were 650 deaths in Utah due to drug overdose with 63,632 deaths from a drug overdose in the United States. I think this is very depressing to think about and more can be done to prevent these deaths. For one, I think simply educating the population more on drug abuse starting at a young age would help.

    Simply knowing how drugs affect the body, specifically, the brain is powerful knowledge that could save a life. In the TED video, "Effects of drugs on mind and body," it stated that most of the population doesn’t know how drugs actually affect the body. They just know that if they take a certain pill then it can magically make them feel better. Where in reality drugs are literally causing changes in the brain between synapses. The PowerPoint slide talked about reward circuity. Understanding that immediate drug use increases dopamine, overtime brain production of dopamine is reduced, the brain becomes “fooled” that the drug has survival value, and then craving for the drug occurs, eventually leading to dependence. Just having this simple knowledge is enough to prevent someone from ever trying a drug. Understanding that drugs can take away your freedom is scary to think about.

     Another piece of knowledge that I believe is very powerful is the Gateway Drug Theory. The theory states that substances which may not themselves be addictive can lead to the use of other addictive drugs. These habit-forming drugs include alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medications. The National Institute of Drug abuse reported a study that linked marijuana use to an increased likelihood of developing an alcohol use disorder. Marijuana use was also linked to other substance abuse disorders including nicotine addiction. The NIH also talked about a study where rodents were exposed to cannabinoids early in their lives. This exposure decreased the reactivity of brain dopamine centers later in adulthood. This could explain why humans are more vulnerable to becoming addicted to other substances later in life. Also, the use of THC early in life can “prime” the brain for enhanced responses to other drugs. The “priming” of the brain is not unique to just marijuana but is also seen with alcohol and nicotine. These substances are typically used before a person progresses to more harmful substances. Again, this is valuable knowledge which most of the population probably doesn’t know. The use of alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana may seem harmless and completely controllable, but the data says these substances can lead to the use of other, much more harmful substances.

Educating the population on not only the dangers of drug abuse but how many other commonly used substances can actually “prime” the brain to form much worse habits is vital. Going along with the environmental factors which can increase an individual’s likelihood to abuse drugs, is the “brain” and “mind” theory. The Mind, Brain, and Personality Disorders paper looked at how the terms “mind” and “brain” are used separately when discussing personality disorders. Although in reality the terms “genes,” “brain,” and “biological” should not be separate from terms like “environment,” “mind,” and “psychosocial.” Genes and environment are intricately connected since the environment can affect personality disorders and psychosocial experiences can result in permanent changes in the brain. Also, psychotherapy may have an effect of altering brain function and structure. The study concluded that severe personality disorders are better understood when patients are treated without the separation of brain and mind. The paper states that genes and environment are connected as experiences can shut down the transcriptional function of some genes and can turn on others. Also, psychosocial stressors can have major effects on brain function. The paper then proposed that “theory of mind” is a useful bridge between the two elements in the treatment of personality disorders as it emphasizes the role that psychotherapy can play in creating a sense of mind in the patient. A “Theory of mind involves being able to recognize that someone else has a different mind from one’s own.” It is being able to recognize your own feelings and others in the form of beliefs, feelings, and motivations.

     I think the topics of drug abuse and brain disorders are intricately related. How an individual grows up and the environment they are in can cause changes in the circuitry of the brain. Well supporting evidence suggests that the addiction process involves a three-stage cycle. The cycle can become more severe the longer a person continues to use substances as it produces major changes in brain function and an individual’s ability for self-control. Studies have also shown how adolescence is a very critical period for brain development. All addictive drugs including alcohol and marijuana can have harmful effects on the adolescent brain. Not only does various substances such as alcohol and marijuana prep the brain for more substance abuse but also who an individual associates with. People that are in an environment with alcohol and drugs are more likely to engage in that behavior too. Other influences include parental influence, cultural norms, media, and learned physical associations.

In conclusion, there are many factors that can contribute to drug abuse. When discussing the brain and mind it is also vital to discuss an individual’s environment. The increasing knowledge of how the environment affects the brain is ongoing research. I believe that understanding the basic concepts of how drugs affect the brain could make an incredible difference in drug abuse and overdose.

Works Cited  

    Gabbard, G. O. (2005). Mind, Brain, and Personality Disorders. The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Keane, H. (2018). Facing addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL Washington, DC, USA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016 382 pp. online (gre. Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(2), 282-283. doi:10.1111/dar.12578

 NIDA. 2020, April 8. Is marijuana a gateway drug?. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-gateway-drug on 2020, October 31

NIDA. 2020, April 3. Utah: Opioid-Involved Deaths and Related Harms. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/utah-opioid-involved-deaths-related-harms on 2020, October 31

 Stats of the State of Utah. (2018, April 09). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/utah/utah.htm

Squeglia LM, Jacobus J, Tapert SF. The influence of substance use on adolescent brain development. Clin EEG Neurosci. 2009;40(1):31-38. doi:10.1177/155005940904000110