Date post: | 11-May-2015 |
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Health & Medicine |
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Marijuana and the Teen Brain
Explaining the impact of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use on brain chemistry, brain function, and behavior. Health Education Content Standard 1.2 N Grades 9-12
Adult Vs. Teen Brain
Most of the activity in the adult brain is in the frontal lobe Thinking, reasoning,
planning
Most of the activity in the teen brain is focused in the center Pleasure reward
center
Teen Brain Under Construction
Mylenation: Thickening of myelin sheath around neural connections increases the efficiency of those connections
Pruning: Removing unneeded connections the brain has formed
Use it or loose it: The connections that are most frequently used become more efficient, the connections that are not get removed
Cannabinoid Receptor Sites in the Brain
Nucleus Accumbens Pleasure reward center,
laughter, addiction and fear
Hippocampus Memory, navigation and
spatial orientation
Cerebellum Coordination, fine
movement and balance
Amygdala Fear, emotions and novelty
Cerebellum
Internal and external coordination is slowed down by marijuana use
Hippocampus
On Marijuana : Brain does not
distinguish between important and unimportant information
Not pulling up old references makes the common seem new
Does not store or connect new information into memory
Amygdala
Sense of novelty heightened during marijuana high
After marijuana use sensitivity to novelty dulled
Not excited by new ideas and everything seems boring
Dopamine
Gets our attention and tells us that something feels good
Marijuana tricks the brain into releasing large amounts of dopamine
Brain becomes tricked into believing that drugs are the only way to release dopamine (feel good)
How’s your memory?
Explain to your elbow partner how marijuana effects the function of the cerebellum, hippocampus, and Amygdala.
Aftermath of THC
Calming followed by irritability
Fascination followed by boredom
Sensory enhancement followed by feeling flat
Loss of short term memory
Lingering lack of clarity
Lack of integrative experience
Sense of awe followed by spiritual depletion
From First Use to Dependence
1. First use is to feel “good”
2. Other users and media reinforce continued use
3. Continued use to feel “normal”
4. Changes in pleasure reward system promote continued use
5. Brain becomes hard wired for use
Concerns with Teen Marijuana Use
Upsets the balance of brain chemistry
Learning and emotional growth impaired
Ultimately it produces opposite results
Developing teen brain easily wired for dependency & addiction
Not developing other interests and coping skills
For More Information
• http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/drugs/mouse.htmlTake a look inside the brain to see how drugs work
• http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/drugs/abuse.htmlShort videos on how various substances impact the brain and behavior
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Teen Site