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# Psychostimulants ## Caffeine * Adenosine Antagonist * Increases/releases 5HT, NE, and NO * Increases alertness, energy, and arousal * Brain cortex + general neurons ## Cocaine * Reuptake blocker for 5HT, DA, NE (SNDRIs) * Increases DA level in nucleus accumbens + highly addictive * Nucleus Acc...

# Psychostimulants ## Caffeine * Adenosine Antagonist * Increases/releases 5HT, NE, and NO * Increases alertness, energy, and arousal * Brain cortex + general neurons ## Cocaine * Reuptake blocker for 5HT, DA, NE (SNDRIs) * Increases DA level in nucleus accumbens + highly addictive * Nucleus Accumbens ## Amphetamine * Displaces DA + NE from vesicles by reverse VMAT * Reuptake blocker * Increase DA + NE in synapse * Highly addictive * Nucleus Accumbens * Synaptic cleft ## Nicotine * Agonist at nACh receptors * Activates both sympathetic AND parasympathetic * Stimulates DA release in nucleus accumbens * Reward pathway activation * VTA (ventral tegmental area) # Location of Action ## Nucleus Accumbens * Tiny gap between pre and post synaptic neurons * Neurotransmitters (DA) are released to bind receptors * Reward pathway activation * Effects: influence motivation, goal-directed actions, and behavior ## VTA - Ventral Tegmental Area * Region in midbrain, responsible for producing dopamine * Effects: reward processing, learning, memory, drug addiction ## VMAT - Vesicular Monoamine Transporter * Proteins embedded in synaptic vesicles within neurons * Package neurotransmitters (monoamines) into vesicles → release in synaptic cleft * Effects: ensures proper storage for MOA neurotransmitters