Wednesday 23 April 2008

Psychoactive Drugs: From Absorption to Elimination

We look at factors that can influence indirectly the way that psychoactive drugs impact on the brain and influence behaviour. This Briefing describes examples of individual differences in drug response that can arise from these factors.

‘These differences in absorption of cocaine (and other drugs) impact at a behavioural level in several ways, one of which concerns long-term behavioural change. The learning of a habit – which is the psychological process underlying dependence – is influenced by the time interval between the act of drug-taking and the drug’s rewarding impact on the brain. The shorter the interval, the greater the likelihood of the drug-taking habit developing.’

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