Drugs & Behavior II: StimulantsBrian J. Piper, Ph.D.

StimulantsStimulants are drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. Examples of stimulants are:

1. Nicotine2. Caffeine3. Amphetamines4. Ecstasy (?)

Prevalence

Drug Distribution

• Nicotine: active ingredient of tobacco leaves– half-life: 2 hours – 1 cigarette = 9 mg

• Cotinine: inactive metabolite of nicotine– half-life: 20 hours

3.2

Nicotiana

Jean Nicot1530-1600

Nicotine by Route of Administration

Blood nicotine after smoking 1.33 cigarettes for 9 minutes (upper left) or 2.5 g oral snuff (upper right), 7.9 g chewing tobacco (lower left), two-2 mg pieces of nicotine gum for 30 minutes Hukkanen, et al. (2005) Pharmacology Reviews, 57: 79-115.

Nicotine over 24 hours

• Cotinine > Nicotine• Steady state during day

Benowitz et al. (1983) Circadian blood concentrations of nicotine and cotinine during unrestricted smoking. Clin Pharmacol Ther 34: 604-611.

Smoking and the Brain: Acetylcholine

• Vagusstoff: Otto Loewi• Function: movement &

cognition• Nicotinic ACh receptor

CH3 O | ||CH3 – N - CH2 - CH2 – O – C - CH3

| CH3

For more details, see: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chnt1.html

3.3

Smoking increases nACh

• Smoking increases receptor levels in human post-mortem tissue in hippocampus (top) and thalamus (bottom).

Breese et al. JPET (1997) 282, 7-13. Non-Sm Smoker Ex-smoker

3.3

Why Do People Smoke?

Risks of Smoking: Statistics• There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies, and

statistics (Mark Twain/Leonard Courtney)

• Absolute Risk: Rate of condition/total population studied

• Relative Risk: Rate of condition among exposed divided by rate of condition among unexposed

see Statistics.ppt for additional information

Psychology of Decision Making: Smoking & Lung-Cancer

Non-Smokers Smokers

Death from Lung-Cancer 10 100

Non-Death from

Lung-Cancer99,990 99,900

Total 100,000 100,000

Relative Risk of Death: Smokers Odds of Lung Cancer Death 100/100,000 or .001 Non-Smokers Odds of Lung Cancer Death of 10/100,000 or .0001 .001/.0001 = 10 Fold!

Absolute Risk of Non-Death: Smokers: 99.90% Non-Smokes: 99.99%

Doll, R. et al. BMJ 2004;328:1519

Fig 1 Survival from age 60 for continuing cigarette smokers and lifelong non-smokers among UK male doctors born 1851-1899 (median 1889) and 1900-1930 (median 1915), with percentages alive

at each decade of age

1912-2005

Sir Richard Doll

Pipes & Cigar Cohort

Cigarette Cohort

Why physicians?

But there’s good news!

Doll, R. et al. BMJ 2004;328:1519

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

Smoking & Pregnancy

• Risks of smoking:– Spontaneous abortion: 26 weeks– Small size: SGA– SIDS: 1 month to 1 year– Behavioral issues: ADHD

• Smoking Cessation:– Nicotine Replacement Therapy

NHSDUH, 2011

Dose Related?• Online study with Craigslist volunteers• Behavioral Rating of Executive Function

Piper & Corbett (2012) Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 14, 191-199.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

• Hypothesis: Smoking during pregnancy, but not quitting, has negative outcomes

• Online study of non-smokers, smokers, quitters

Piper et al. (2012). Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 121, 62-67.

Nicotine by College Plans0.6

Child Endangerment

• Toddler Smoking: 2 min• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=x4c_wI6kQyE

Insula

Lesions of Insula

• Smoking following brain damage was examined in patients with insula damage.

Naqvi et al. (2007). Science, 315, 531-534.

Lesions of Insula

• Smoking following brain damage was examined in patients with insula damage.

• He quit because his “body forgot the urge to smoke”

Naqvi et al. (2007). Science, 315, 531-534.

Summary

• Neurochemistry: Acetylcholine (& dopamine)

• Public Health Statistics

CocaineCocaine induces immediate euphoria followed by a

crash. Crack, a form of cocaine, can be smoked. Other forms of cocaine can be sniffed or injected.

http://www.ohsinc.com

Nicotine by College Plans