PSY-365 Exam # QUESTION AND CORRECT ANSWER

PSY-365 Exam # QUESTION AND CORRECT ANSWER What are some potential causes of a hangover following too much alcohol ingestion? - CORRECT ANSWER-Symptoms (headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, thirst) *When your body has a lot of alcohol, can't keep up with the acetaldehyde, high levels of acetaldehyde cause hangover symptoms* *Stomach irritation* Low blood sugar *Dehydration* *Congeners (products in alcohol for color, taste)* Prescription drugs can cause further irritation to the stomach, might have a hard time stopping bleeding because both thin the blood Increased likelihood of cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal/inconsistent heart rate) What percentage of alcohol is metabolized in one hour? (hint: take a look at the blood alcohol concentration chart in your book). - CORRECT ANSWER-.015% is metabolized every hour! each hour you need to multiply by .015 .015 x hour(s) = metabolized rate BAC - metabolized rate = actual BAC What is first pass metabolism? - CORRECT ANSWER-When a drug is broken down by the body before it ever hits the bloodstream First pass metabolism - amount of alcohol metabolized before entering the blood stream 15%-20% never reaches blood stream because it is metabolized For alcohol, first-pass metabolism occurs in the stomach Longer alcohol stays in stomach, more metabolization occurs How is first pass metabolism affected by drinking on an empty stomach? - CORRECT ANSWER-For alcohol, first-pass metabolism occurs in the stomach Longer alcohol stays in stomach, more metabolization occurs Empty stomach = content of stomach gets emptied quickly into small intestines Thus: when drinking on an empty stomach, alcohol doesn't sit in the stomach for a long time, quickly passed into small intestine where it gets absorbed into the bloodstream 15%-20% more alcohol gets absorbed With an empty stomach first pass metabolism is lowered and alcohol goes directly into blood stream First-pass metabolism gets bypassed, therefore you get more of what you drink into the blood stream On a full stomach = alcohol stays in stomach longer, more exposure to alcohol dehydrogenase, more gets metabolized, 15-20% never makes it to small intestine and gets broken down What is the primary mechanism of action in the brain for alcohol? - CORRECT ANSWER-Dual model = alcohol is going to facilitate (increase) inhibitory neurotransmitters, and decrease excitatory neurotransmitters Non-specific model of action = decreases neurotransmitter release all of the brain, resulting in central nervous system depression (thought to make membranes of the neurons swell up, tightening the membranes to the point where they can't release neurotransmitters) -------------------- A drugs such as alcohol blocks the release of glutamate causing the terminal buttons to swell by reducing the excitation of the brain Alcohol can pass through membranes and neurons in your brain, can lead to the swelling of the terminal buttons If they swell, it might reduce the number of transmitters being released from the terminal buttons Might suppress release of neurotransmitters and function as a central nervous system depressant Review the basics of the fermentation process. - CORRECT ANSWER-Converting sugars to alcohol using yeast The process of making wine, converting natural sugars into ethyl alcohol by the action of yeasts Natural sugars = honey, berries, corn, rye, apple, rice, etc. When it's all mixed together, the yeast consumes (breaks down) the sugar Every molecule of sugar that gets consumed turns into two molecules of alcohol and one carbon dioxide molecule As the yeast consumes the sugar, produces a fermented product with 12-14% alcohol Doesn't get stronger because once the alcohol gets concentrated enough, it kills the yeast No more yeast = no more fermentation Review the basics of the distillation process. - CORRECT ANSWER-The process of making liquor, by boiling a fermented liquid then cooling it, to produce a higher alcohol content Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water Alcohol will boil but not the water, forms steam/mist, travels through tube and cools, turns into liquid on the other side Basically removing water from the alcohol, creating a highly concentrated product Wind up with a very concentrated level of alcohol because all of the water is left behind What is the drug Antabuse used for and how does it work? - CORRECT ANSWERInhibits (blocks) acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme If taken, not going to be able to metabolize acetaldehyde into acetic acid very efficiently So acetaldehyde build up in the body = makes them sick, red, nauseous, hot after drinking Theory = make the person think drinking is not good because of side effects Supposed to be a deterrent Not the case! Works for some people, doesn't work for others People that are prescribed this often do not take it Can't use other products that contain alcohol (mouth wash, cough medicine, etc.) What effects does alcohol have on the kidneys and what is antidiuretic hormone? - CORRECT ANSWER-Antidiuretic hormone = produced in hypothalamus and released by the pituitary glands, helps keep water in the body Has effects on the kidneys Alcohol blocks the antidiuretic hormone, making kidneys release more water Alcohol increases urination, water gets flushed out Antidiuretic hormone is produced by hypothalamus and released by pituitary gland, it tells the kidneys how much water to conserve, alcohol blocks this hormone Increases blood pressure Swollen fingers and limbs What effect does alcohol have on body temperature? - CORRECT ANSWER-MYTH: alcohol warms you up in a cold environment... not true! Alcohol makes blood vessels bigger and closer to the skin Since it is closer to skin, blood gets cooled down more than when it is not close to the skin Increased heat loss in cold weather, cools body temperature When people are in a cold environment, the body tends to lose heat when drinking because it dilates blood vessels in the body How do you calculate how much alcohol is in a particular beverage (e.g. a glass of wine vs. a can of beer)? - CORRECT ANSWER-ounces in the beverage x percentage of alcohol = alcohol in a particular beverage A 5 oz glass of wine with 12% alcohol 5 x .12 = .6 oz A 12 oz can of beer with 5% alcohol 12 x .05 = .6 oz A 1.5 oz shot of liquor with 40% alcohol 1.5 x .40 = .6 oz What are some potential positive health benefits of drinking small quantities of alcohol? - CORRECT ANSWER-Increase HDL (good cholesterol) and reduces LDL (bad cholesterol), reducing risk of heart disease Reduces risk of stroke (anticoagulant - thins the blood, platelets) Reduces risk of diabetes mellitus Reduces risk of dementia *Because alcohol thins the blood, it decreases the risk of stroke, heart attack and one type of dementia that is related to blood vessel problems in the brain* Note: benefits are associated with moderate levels of alcohol consumption only (maybe one glass of wine a day) What are some differences between Type I and Type II alcoholism? - CORRECT ANSWER-*Type I* ∙Developed drinking problem later in life (25+) ∙Generally function well in society (maintaining a job, etc.) ∙Strong environmental factor (possible event that caused them to turn to alcohol) ∙Abstinence and binging *Type II* ∙Developed problem drinking before age 25 ∙Generally function poorly in society (getting into fights, getting arrested, losing their job, getting divorced) ∙Strong genetic factor ∙Binges rare (they drink more consistently and less likely to abstain and then binge) Are there any differences in alcoholism rates based on gender? - CORRECT ANSWERMales are more likely to become alcoholics Type 2 more common in men, more related to heritability Type 1 more common in women, less genetic influence Which two enzymes are involved in metabolizing alcohol into acetaldehyde and then acetic acid? - CORRECT ANSWER-*Alcohol dehydrogenase* = breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde (nasty chemical) *Aldehyde dehydrogenase* = breaks down acetaldehyde into acetic acid