Sunday, November 1, 2020 APA STYLE
Annierossi
CocaineandBrainFunction2.docxRunning head: NEUROBIOLOGY 1
Running head: NEUROBIOLOGY 10
Neurobiology
Alberto Companioni
Carlos Albizu University
Cocaine and Brain Function
Introduction
Cocaine is a stimulant that is derived initially from a coca plant (Siegrist & Wiegand, 2014). It is a psychoactive and an addictive drug that is known to modern science. It has been seen that cocaine is a dangerous drug. However, some pleasurable aspects can be obtained from the use of cocaine, but its use is harmful to a human mind and body. Cocaine is made from Erythroxylum coca plant that is mostly found in the Andes Mountains of South America. Cocaine has seen to deliver an intensity of despair and pleasure beyond the bounds of typical human experience.
Additionally, cocaine is a drug that affects the central nervous systems in humans, causing feelings of euphoria, alertness, pleasure, and increased energy (Volkow et al., 2006). It has also been seen that people under the influence of cocaine do not have the interest in food or sleep. They feel energetic and usually talk a lot.
Moreover, depending on the manner with which the drug is taken, it can cause adverse effects such as erratic behaviour, paranoia, convulsions, and heart failures. Long term cocaine effects include seizures, heart attacks, memory loss, and reduced learning capacity.
Cocaine produces its psychoactive and addictive effects that primarily affect the brain’s limbic system. The limbic system of the brain is a set of interconnected areas that regulate motivation and pleasure. When cocaine is taken, it causes a short term effect which sees the build-up of neurochemical dopamine. The dopamine results in euphoria and a desire to take the drug once again.
Body
As earlier seen, cocaine is derived from the leaves of Erythroxylon coca and causes human addiction. Additionally, cocaine acts as an anaesthetic and also has vasoconstriction properties. It has been seen that cocaine blocks the action of dopamine systems and other cells related to brain operations (Volkow et al., 2006). The frequent cocaine abuse by individuals is based on the increased tolerance to the euphoric effects. In society today, it is evident that cocaine addiction is uncontrollable and has been a significant factor for the development of the drug taking disorders that we experience today.
The manifestation of behaviour associated with cocaine addiction is seen to be mediated by various adaptations that the severe administration of cocaine abuse elicits at the individual brain level at the central nervous system. Additionally, these adaptations have been seen to alter the neuron’s functional property, which therefore changes the features of the functioning of neural circuits that are located in the brain. However, it is evident that the chance that an individual will become a cocaine addict is dependent on the methods, duration, and the frequency of an individual’s cocaine intake.
Cocaine can be snorted, injected, or smoked. It then enters the bloodstream rapidly and after that penetrates the brain cells. In the brain, cocaine leads to a various process that develops a chemical substance known as neurochemical dopamine.
It has been seen that the neurochemical dopamine acts as a pacesetter in the brain. This is because the dopamine serves various nerve cells that are located in the brain area. Additionally, the neurochemical dopamine works by keeping the nerve cells in continuous operation at an appropriate level of brain activity (Nestler, 2005). In human, whenever our mind and muscles need to be mobilized to work faster or harder, it is the neurochemical dopamine that works to drive the brain cells to conduct these functions.
Dopamine making cells are the cells responsible for the production of neurochemical dopamine. The molecules of dopamine come into contact with receptors and electrical properties of the receiving cells are altered. It has been seen that cocaine interferes with the brain control mechanism in that it tends to prevent the action of the dopamine transporter, which is protein used by the dopamine-producing cells to get back the dopamine molecules from the neighbouring environment. As a result of the cocaine causing various reactions in the brain, the dopamine molecules causes the neurochemical dopamine to build up, and the receiving cells are hence over activated (Horseman & Meyer, 2019).
However, it has also been seen that the cocaine in the brain inhibits the action of the neurotransmitter chemicals such as serotonin, but its activities on the dopamine molecules are perceived to be of much significance.
Research has it that the dopamine pathways in the brain are an analogue aspect, thus accelerates the action of cocaine once it enters the bloodstream straight to the brain. Therefore, cocaine interfered with the neural circuit located in mind.
Once the neural circuit in the brain is interfered with, it causes significant damage to the brain. This is because the neural circuitry is the foundation of the brain’s survival. This alteration done by cocaine affects an individual’s brain in a way that can even make them lose their memory. The effects are still under study as there is still numerous researches that is being conducted to determine the various causes of brain damage as a result of cocaine action (Pickens et al., 2011).
Additionally, it has been seen that whenever the brain has integrated the dopamine transporters, cocaine, therefore, produces some build ups that involve many dopamine molecules. On the other hand, cocaine’s ability to produce euphoria, loss of control, compulsive responses, and pleasure can be seen to have come from its direct impact on the regions located in front of the brain.
This region thus makes up what is called the limbic system. Additionally, a memory from the brain is seen to be linked with dopamine responsive cells which are concentrated in the limbic system. Therefore, emotional responses that cause mind are controlled by the dopamine-sensitive cells in the brain.
When there is high cocaine concentration in the bloodstream and the brain, the nucleus accumbens, which a section of the limbic system is the site where the high cocaine concentration is located, when the limbic system is stimulated by dopamine, the nucleus accumbens cells produce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure, a cocaine effect (Dackis & O’brien, 2016).
Additionally, cocaine that has found its way into the brain via the bloodstream causes the enormous feelings of pleasure it has led to the significant dopamine build up in the nucleus accumbens cells. Consequently, after a dose of cocaine in the body, the dopamine amount that connects the receptors in the nucleus accumbens cells is seen to surpass the amounts that are associated with the natural activities.
In the long run, these activities, therefore, lead to the overproduction of pleasure. This has led to the scenario where we see the cocaine addicts preferring not to take food but can use cocaine until they starve. This is a significant effect of the cocaine in the brain cells, which causes these events that an individual no longer feels the need to eat. Thus it may cause considerable death to the individual.
The memory centers in the limbic system help an individual to remember what they did, how they did, why they did it, and who they did it with. When an individual experiences cocaine high, the amygdala and hippocampus regions located in the limbic system leads to the situation where memory is imprinted in the brain which causes intense pleasure that is associated with the drug.
Once an individual develops these series of intense pleasures associated with cocaine, they usually continue seeing images related to cocaine paraphernalia. In the long run, this triggers an emotionally stuffed memory and the desire to redo the experience (Condon & Balmer, 2007). Different researchers argue that the repeated exposure to cocaine alters the cells in a way that it diverts the conscious memory and the hope of retaking the drug.
In the frontal cortex, a section in the limbic region is a place where the brain works to integrate various information and determines the course of action. It has been seen that the frontal cortex functions as a stopper mechanism on other sections of the limbic system. Research has it that the activities that occur in the frontal cortex can be important to a non-cocaine addict. This is because, the individuals who are not cocaine addicts tend to prevent the drug from taking desires that have been coming from the nucleus accumbens cells, amygdala, and the hippocampus. However, when an individual becomes addicted to cocaine, the frontal cortex in the brain is damaged and impaired.
Consequently, the intake of cocaine into the bloodstream by addicts causes the several types of alternation that occur brain cells hence compromising its function. When an individual is exposed to cocaine, it tends to alter the dopamine receptors or transporters on the nerve cell surface. Also, the frequent use of the cocaine drug affects on the genetic makeup of an individual. The changes in the genetic composition are actually significant. Genes are the aspects of an individual that determines the shape and function of every cell located in the human body.
Additionally, every individual is conceived with a certain amount of genes. There are 30,000 genes in a human genome, and every cell contains all the 30,000 genes. However, these cells differ from one another both in function and in shape. Therefore, as we use the brain cells, these cells respond to gene expression. For instance, our brain registers and store information as a result gene expression that is altered in the amygdala and hippocampus cells. Cocaine, therefore, affects gene expression within the nucleus accumbens cells (Minozzi et al., 2015).
A highly stable protein in the brain called the protein fosB does not give a clear explanation of why former cocaine addicts continue experiencing relapses after months of cocaine abstinence. This can be viewed as there is an acute persistence of the addiction features. This indicates that there is a long-lasting neuro-biological effect of cocaine in that former addicts keep on experiences cravings of cocaine.
The researcher has found out that chronic exposure to cocaine causes the nerves cells in the nucleus accumbens to extend and develop new offshoot on their dendrites. These dendrites grow and develop out of the body of the nerve cells. The dendrites additionally are seen to collect the signals from other nerve cells that are located in different regions.
Therefore, it is clear that there are long term cocaine effects which tend to affect the brain. This leads to brain damage. Prolonged use of the illegal drug makes people perceive things and images in a different way that they are not supposed to. This leads to sleep deprivation and loss of appetite as earlier discussed. In the long run, an individual may become psychotic and begin experiencing hallucinations.
It has been seen the brain damage as a result of prolonged intake of cocaine by addicts interferes with the processes that tend to occur within the brain, and therefore an addict may have a feeling to take more of the cocaine to feel “normal.” It is evident that today, individuals who are cocaine addicts lose interest in life and are seen as a burden to society.
As it affects the brain, the drug causes depression so intense that an individual may do virtually anything to get the drug. The cocaine addict may even murder to access these illegal drugs. And the individual does not get the cocaine; they might feel suicidal. Hence, it is clear that cocaine is a drug that should not be sold and if any, criminal charges should be taken against the perpetrators.
Once the brain of individual damage, other illness may, therefore, come to place since the brain cannot recognise these illnesses and stopping them in time. It has been seen that brain damage among cocaine addicts leads to persistent headaches with mild fever. Additionally, an individual may experience mental and physical fatigue, which is extreme. Paralysis is also another illness that may affect the individual, leaving them paralyzed for the rest of their lives.
Conclusion
Cocaine is a stimulant that is derived initially from a coca plant. It is a psychoactive and an addictive drug that is known to modern science. It has been seen that cocaine is a dangerous drug. However, some pleasurable aspects can be obtained from the use of cocaine, but its use is harmful to a human mind and body.
Moreover, depending on the manner with which the drug is taken, it can cause adverse effects such as erratic behaviour, paranoia, convulsions, and heart failures. Long term cocaine effects include seizures, heart attacks, memory loss, and reduced learning capacity.
In recent years, several researchers have been able to determine the effects of cocaine that leads to the production of intoxication through its early influences on the limbic system of the brain. This has led to a clear understanding of the neurobiological processes that underly the cocaine’s later development and its powerful effects of relapse and craving risks.
Cocaine produces its psychoactive and addictive effects that primarily affect the brain’s limbic system. The limbic system of the brain is a set of interconnected areas that regulate motivation and pleasure.
References
Condon, T. P., & Balmer, C. W. (2007). Neurobiology of drug addiction. In Neurobiology of Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012088592-3/50073-6
Dackis, C. A., & O’brien, C. P. (2016). The neurobiology of drug addition. In Diseases of the Nervous System. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781316134993.031
Minozzi, S., Amato, L., Pani, P. P., Solimini, R., Vecchi, S., De Crescenzo, F., … Davoli, M. (2015). Dopamine agonists for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003352.pub4
Nestler, E. J. (2005). The neurobiology of cocaine addiction. Science & Practice Perspectives.
Pickens, C. L., Airavaara, M., Theberge, F., Fanous, S., Hope, B. T., & Shaham, Y. (2011). Neurobiology of the incubation of drug craving. Trends in Neurosciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2011.06.001
Siegrist, M., & Wiegand, T. J. (2014). Cocaine. In Encyclopedia of Toxicology: Third Edition. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-386454-3.00715-6
Volkow, N. D., Wang, G.-J., Telang, F., Fowler, J. S., Logan, J., Childress, A.-R., … Wong, C. (2006). Cocaine Cues and Dopamine in Dorsal Striatum: Mechanism of Craving in Cocaine Addiction. Journal of Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1544-06.2006
