Witch Drugs Directly Effect the “Pleasure Center” of the Brain?

Question by uberdaiblo111: Witch drugs Directly effect the “pleasure center” of the brain?
To my understanding Drugs like alcohol/marijuna/nicotine don’t directly effect the pleasure center of the brain like cocaine/amphetmines/opiates.

First off is this correct? And if so is the pleasure one gets from alcohol an indirect effect of the system? For instance marijuna may make you laugh and laughing regardless of if its drug induced or not would create pleasure so marjijuana wouldent actully make anyone feel good its just the laughing CAUSED by the marijuana? Or is it pleasure caused by somthing else?

Could somone break down this a little bit for me i really dont understand this aspect of it.

Please dont go into the actual brain chemistry part of that i know most of that, the parts i am still sketchy on is witch drugs do what differently or don’t they, dopamine wise.

Best answer:

Answer by John R
I actually think laughing from marijuana is a form of stress relief like regular laughing in ordinary situations. Marijuana is a mind altering drug which distorts perception and people naturally react by laughing to relieve the mild discomfort caused by this sensation.

I don’t think those drugs effect the pleasure center like dopamine and cocaine. The pleasurable effects from alcohol is due to suppression of the central nervous system which also has an effect of reducing stress and inhibition.

Answer by kittenwhiskers456
Wow, big question! I’m a bit rusty, but I’ll try and answer as best as poss!!!

Ok, drugs of abuse all have an effect on dopamine. This is, contrary to popular opinion, not a pleasure centre, but more of a reward centre. Particularly in the meso-limbic system (try google to see where it is). Drugs of abuse work by either increasing dopamine release or inhibiting it’s uptake and varies depending on which drug. It also varies in terms of where it takes place within this system. This is why we often get addicted and originally was assumed to be pleasure orientated. Further research shows that actually it’s more to do with reward.

Alcohol and cannabis’s effects are so so so varied. Both effect many transmitters so it’s hard to say exactly what makes it enjoyable. Again, research indicates that alcohol’s effects are more to do with what we EXPECT to happen, which explains the vast amounts of individual differences, e.g. aggression, crying, laughing and so on. Cannabis works by attaching to endogenous cannabinoid receptors which have loactions through out the body. In the brain specifically there are lots in the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for higher executive functioning and mood regualtion, as well as the amygdala (fear response) therefore accounting for the paranioa.

MDMA (ecstasy) works on serotonin, which is more closely associated with pleasure, speed and coke on dopamine and serotonin and I think glutamate. Again, mechanisms of actions are all slightly different. I don’t know anything about opiates really.

I’ve rambled a bit, but essentially what I’m saying is that the pleasure centre, to my understanding, isn’t really what we think it is, it’s more of a reward system and is implicated in addiction. The pleasure comes from the euphoric feelings created by the drug in a variety of different ways and depending on our subjective interpretation.

Hope that helps!

What do you think? Answer below!