CAADE Pharmacology of Substances 2

Question 1

Which neurotransmitter system is primarily affected by opioids to produce analgesia and euphoria?

Accepted Answer

Endogenous opioid (mu-receptor) system

Answer

Opioids bind primarily to mu-opioid receptors, activating the endogenous opioid system to produce analgesia, euphoria, and respiratory depression.

Question 2

A client reports using alcohol daily and wants to stop abruptly. Which withdrawal symptom indicates a medical emergency?

Accepted Answer

Tonic-clonic seizures

Answer

Tonic-clonic seizures during alcohol withdrawal are a medical emergency and can be life-threatening if untreated.

Question 3

What pharmacological mechanism explains why benzodiazepines are effective in treating acute alcohol withdrawal?

Accepted Answer

They enhance GABA-A receptor activity, substituting for alcohol's CNS depression

Answer

Benzodiazepines enhance GABA-A activity, mimicking alcohol's CNS depressant effects and preventing dangerous hyperexcitability during withdrawal.

Question 4

Which property of methamphetamine distinguishes its duration of action from cocaine?

Accepted Answer

Methamphetamine has a longer half-life, producing effects lasting 8-12 hours

Answer

Methamphetamine has a half-life of approximately 10-12 hours, much longer than cocaine's 1-hour half-life, resulting in prolonged stimulant effects.

Question 5

Cannabis produces its psychoactive effects primarily by binding to which receptors?

Accepted Answer

CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain

Answer

THC binds to CB1 cannabinoid receptors concentrated in the brain's limbic system, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, producing psychoactive effects.

(CAADE) California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators Certification Practice Test