AO1

• Who is medication typically given to?

  People with a substance use if addiction.
• What level of drugs work at?

  At the level of the Synapse.
• Agonist

  Mimics the effects of the substance.
• Antagonist 


  Blocks the effects of the substance.
• What is the Agonist drug?

  Methadone?
• What kind of addiction is methadone aimed to combat?

  Opioid- mainly heroine.
• What does Heroin cause?

  An excess of dopamine.
• What happens to receptors when taking heroin?

  They become less sensitive which dulls the amount of dopamine sent to the brain.
• Why does the addict then become dependant on heroin?

  To avoid withdrawal effects.
• What is methadone?

  A synthetic (man-made) replacement for heroin.
• What does methadone do?

  Limits withdrawal symptom and therefore dependency on heroi.
• How does it do this?

  Occupies and activates the dopamine receptors in the brain so mimicing the biological effect of heroin but not the “high”.
• What is the Antagonist treatment of opioid addiction?

  Naltrexone
• Why is this different to methadone?

  It is used for addicts in recovery to prevent relapse
• What types of drugs are Naltrexone and Methadone?

  Substitution Drugs
• What does Naltrexone do?

  Occupies dopamine receptor molecules but doesn’t activate the receptors.
• What does this prevent?

  Dopamine from attaching to receptors and activating them.
• If someone took Naltrexone and an Opioid, what would happen?

  They wouldn’t experience a high as the receptors are blocked.