A chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use, and by neurological adaptations in the brain.
Amygdala:
A discrete brain area that is part of the limbic system, has a large number of dopamine-containing neurons, and plays a role in the learning and performing of certain behaviors in response to incentive stimuli (i.e., motivation, reinforcement).
Analog:
A chemical compound that is similar to another drug in its effects, but differs slightly in its chemical structure.
Anergia:
Lack of energy.
Anhedonia:
Loss of interest in pleasurable activities; the inability to feel pleasure.
Anorexia:
Loss of appetite, accompanied by weight loss and thin, gaunt appearance.
Arrhythmia:
Irregular heartbeat.
Axon:
A long, thin fiber that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body and on to other neurons.
Benzodiazepines:
Drugs that relieve anxiety or are prescribed as sedatives; they are among the most widely prescribed medications and include valium and librium.
Bradycardia:
Slowed heartbeat.
Bruxism:
The habitual, involuntary grinding of teeth, usually during sleep.
Cachexia:
Weight loss, wasting of muscle, and debility.
Central nervous system (CNS):
The brain and spinal cord.
Cerebellum:
A brain structure that controls coordination and regulation of complex voluntary muscular movements, posture, and balance.
Choreoathetoid:
Involuntary movement.
Convulsion:
An abnormal, uncontrollably violent involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the muscles; spasm or series of jerkings of the face, trunk, or limbs.
Craving:
A powerful, often uncontrollable desire for drugs.
Dendrites:
Thin, branched extensions of a neuron that extend from the cell in branched tendrils to receive information from adjacent neurons; they conduct electrical impulses inward toward the cell body.
Dermatitis:
Inflammation of the skin.
Designer drug:
A synthetic analog of a restricted drug that has psychoactive properties.
Detoxification:
A process of allowing the body to rid itself of a drug while managing the symptoms of withdrawal; often the first step in a drug treatment program.
Diaphoresis:
Profuse sweating, often with chills.
Diastolic blood pressure:
The pressure exerted by the blood on the cavities of the heart at the moment when they fill with blood.
Dopamine:
A neurotransmitter present in several brain regions involved in movement, emotion, motivation, reinforcement, and feelings of pleasure.
Dopaminergic:
Dopamine-mediated.
Dysphoria:
A mood of general dissatisfaction, restlessness, and anxiety.
Glucose utilization:
A general indicator of physiological activity; in the brain, an indicator of neurological activity presumed to be information processing.
Hypertension:
Elevated blood pressure.
Hyperthermia:
Elevated body temperature.
Limbic system:
A group of subcortical brain structures that are especially concerned with emotion and motivation.
Narcolepsy:
A disorder characterized by uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep.
Neuron:
The morphological and functional unit of the nervous system, consisting of the cell body, dendrites, and axon.
Neurotransmitters:
Chemical substances that transmit signals between neurons and that modulate neuronal activity.
Nucleus accumbens:
A discrete brain area that is part of the limbic system, has a large number of dopamine-containing neurons, and plays a role in the learning and performing of certain behaviors in response to incentive stimuli (i.e., motivation and reinforcement).
Paranoia:
A mental disorder characterized by the presence of systematized delusions, often of a persecutory character, involving being followed, poisoned, or harmed by other means, in an otherwise intact personality.
Physical dependence:
An adaptive physiological state that occurs with regular drug use and results in a withdrawal syndrome when drug use stops.
Psychosis:
A mental and behavioral disorder characterized by symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations that indicate an impaired conception of reality.
Psychosocial intervention:
An individual or group interaction that examines both psychological and social aspects of a person's life (e.g., age, education, marital, and related aspects of a person's life history).
Rhabdomyolysis:
An acute, potentially fatal disease of skeletal muscle characterized by muscle pain, weakness, and the production of red-brown urine.
Rush:
A surge of euphoric pleasure that rapidly follows administration of a drug.
Seizure:
Manifestation of a sudden onset of an abnormal mental or physical state, often characterized by complex behaviors, impaired consciousness, and convulsions.
Serotonin:
A neurotransmitter that has been implicated in states of consciousness, mood, depression, and anxiety.
Serotonergic:
Serotonin-mediated.
Stereotyped behaviors:
Frequent, almost mechanical repetition of the same posture, meaningless gestures or movement, or form of speech (as in schizophrenia).
Substantia nigra:
A discrete brain area that is part of the nigrostriatal system, interacts with the limbic system, has a large number of dopamine-containing cells, and is involved in learning to automatically execute complex movements triggered by a voluntary command; degenerative impairments in this area cause motor disturbances that occur in Parkinson's disease.
Synapse:
A microscopic gap, cleft, or junction between neurons across which chemical signals (neurotransmitters) are transmitted.
Systolic blood pressure.
The pressure exerted by the blood on the cavities of the heart at the moment when they contract.
Tachycardia:
Rapid heartbeat, with or without arrhythmia and chest pain.
Tolerance:
A condition in which higher doses of a drug are required to produce the same effect as experienced initially; often leads to physical dependence.
Toxic:
Temporary or permanent drug effects that are detrimental to the function or structure of a cell, organ, or organ system.
Urticaria:
An eruption of itching wheals, usually of systemic origin, which may be due to a state of hypersensitivity to food, drugs, or physical agents, such as heat or cold.
Ventral tegmental area:
A discrete brain area that is part of the mesocortical system, interacts with the limbic system, has a large number of dopamine-containing neurons, and is involved in attention span and short-term memory.
Withdrawal:
A psychological and/or physical syndrome caused by the abrupt cessation of the use of a drug in an habituated individual.
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