Absorption : |
The process the body uses to move elements from the outside world into the blood and other tissues. Food is absorbed through the stomach and intestines. Nicotine is absorbed through the lungs. |
Abstinence : |
"The conscious choice not to use drugs. The term ""abstinence"" usually refers to the decision to end the use of a drug as part of the process of recovery from addiction. " |
Abuser: |
A person who uses drugs in ways that threaten his health or impair his social or economic functioning. |
Accuracy: |
Ability to get the correct or true drug testing result. |
Acetaldehyde : |
The metabolite that results when alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down alcohol in the body. |
Acetylcholine : |
A neurotransmitter. Acetylcholine is used by spinal cord neurons to control muscles and by many other neurons in the brain as well. Nicotine binds to one type of acetylcholine receptor. |
Action potential: |
"The electrical part of a neuron's two-part, electrical-chemical message. An action potential consists of a brief pulse of electrical current that travels along the axon to relay messages over long distances. " |
Acute effects: |
"The short-term effects of a drug. Acute effects are those that people feel shortly after they ingest a drug and are under its influence (e.g., while they are intoxicated). " |
Adaptive behaviors: |
Useful behaviors we acquire as we respond to the world around us. Adaptive behaviors help us get the things we want and need for life. |
Addiction : |
"A brain disorder characterized by the loss of control of drug-taking behavior, despite adverse health, social, or legal consequences to continued drug use. Addiction tends to be chronic and to be characterized by relapses during recovery. " |
Addictive drugs: |
"Drugs that change the brain, change behavior, and lead to the loss of control of drug-taking behavior. " |
Adenosine : |
A neurotransmitter that binds to the adenosine receptor. Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist and prevents adenosine from binding with its receptor. |
Adrenal gland: |
" A small gland in the body that releases a variety of hormones that help us deal with stress. Two of these hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine, are also part of the flight-or-fight response. Cocaine sharply increases the levels of these hormones in the body. " |
Agonist : |
"A chemically simple, but psychoactively complex drug commonly used in many beverages. Alcohol is a depressant drug with significant liability for abuse and addiction. " |
Alcohol: |
Refers to ethyl alcohol or ethanol. |
Alcohol dehydrogenase: |
The enzyme found mainly in the liver and stomach that breaks down (metabolizes) alcohol. |
Alcoholics Anonymous: |
"One of the earliest forms of addiction treatment in the United States, AA developed the 12-step approach to assisting recovery from alcohol addiction (alcoholism). Several other anonymous groups have adapted the 12-step approach to help people recover from addiction to other drugs (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Pot Smokers Anonymous)." |
Alcoholism: |
"A treatable illness brought on by harmful dependence upon alcohol, which is physically and psychologically addictive. As a disease, alcoholism is primary, chronic, progressive and fatal." |
Aliquot: |
A portion of a specimen used for testing. |
Alveoli : |
"Tiny, balloon-like air sacks in the lungs. Alveoli are designed to allow oxygen to pass rapidly into the blood and are also efficient at absorbing inhaled drugs. " |
Alzheimer's disease: |
"A degenerative disease in which neurons of the brain die, leading to the loss of the ability to think, learn and remember (dementia). " |
Amino acids: |
Small chemical compounds that are the building blocks of proteins. |
Amphetamines: |
Synthetic amines (uppers) that act with a pronounced stimulant effect on the central nervous system whose effects are very similar to cocaine. |
Analgesics : |
Drugs that relieve pain. |
Analogs : |
Drugs whose chemical structures have been slightly modified from a parent compound. There are many analogs to morphine or to LSD. See Designer drug. |
Anandamide : |
The endogenous neurotransmitter that binds to the cannabinoid receptor. |
Anesthesia : |
"The loss of sensation, primarily to pain, often accompanied by the loss of consciousness. " |
Anesthetic gases: |
Gaseous drugs that produce loss of sensation and consciousness. |
Antagonist : |
"A chemical that binds to a receptor and blocks it, producing no response, and preventing agonists from binding, or attaching, to the receptor. Antagonists include caffeine and naloxone." |
Aprazalom (Xanax): |
A depressant drug of the benzodiazepine family that relieves anxiety. |
Assay: |
The measurement of the quantity of a chemical component. |
Assessment : |
"The diagnostic process in which a professional examines a drug user to determine the extent of the person's drug use, whether he or she is addicted, and what type of treatment might be most effective. " |
Auditory cortex: |
That part of the cerebral cortex that processes sounds and produces our awareness of them. |
Axon : |
The cable-like structure neurons used to send messages to other neurons. It carries the neuron's electrical message. |
Axon terminal: |
The structure at the end of an axon that produces and releases chemicals (neurotransmitters) to transmit the neuron's message across the synapse to another neuron. |
BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration): |
"he amount of alcohol in the bloodstream measured in percentages. A BAC of 0.10 percent means that a person has 1 part alcohol per 1,000 parts blood in the body." |
Barbiturates: |
A class of drugs used in medicine as hypnotic agents to promote sleep or sedation. Some are also useful in the control of epilepsy. All are central nervous system depressants and are subject to abuse. Depending upon their potency they are classified as Schedule I or Schedule II drugs. |
Basal ganglia: |
"The large, complex set of brain structures involved in generating movements, in some cognitive functions, and in some emotional and motivational activities. The basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex work together to refine movements, thoughts, and feelings. " |
Batch Reporting: |
"Urine specimens for drug testing are frequently sent to the laboratory in groups or ""batches."" Test results are generally reported on all specimens in a batch simultaneously, rather than reporting the negative first then, after a delay while they are confirmed, reporting the positive results. Batch reporting improves confidentiality by helping to avoid identifying those individuals whose test must be confirmed." |
Behavior : |
The observable activity of humans and animals. |
Behaviorism : |
"The study of behavior, especially using operant conditioning." |
Benzodiazepines : |
"The so-called ""minor"" tranquilizers, depressants, which relieve anxiety and produce sleep. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) and sleeping pills such as flurazepam (Dalmane) and triazolam (Halcion). They are central nervous system depressants and are subject to abuse." |
Bernard, Claude: |
"The physiologist who coined the term ""homeostasis."" " |
Bind : |
"What occurs when a neurotransmitter attaches itself to a receptor. The neurotransmitter is said to ""bind"" to the receptor. " |
Binge : |
Uninterrupted consumption of a drug for several hours or days. |
Binge Drinking: |
The consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in a row on at least one occasion. |
Blank: |
"Biological specimen with no detectable drugs added, routinely analyzed to ensure that no false-positive results are obtained." |
Blind Sample: |
"A specimen submitted to a laboratory for quality control testing purposes, with a fictitious identifier, so that the laboratory cannot distinguish it from employee specimens, and which is spiked with known quantities of specific drugs or which is blank, containing no drugs." |
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC): |
"The amount of alcohol in the bloodstream measured in percentages. A BAC of 0.10 percent means that a person has 1 part alcohol per 1,000 parts blood in the body." |
Bolus : |
"A concentrated amount of drug; a dose injected rapidly into a vein, a rounded mass of matter. " |
Brain : |
"That part of the central nervous system inside our heads. Our brain is the seat of all our perceptions, thoughts, feelings and voluntary movements. " |
Brain reward system: |
"A brain circuit that, when activated, reinforces behaviors. The circuit includes the dopamine-containing neurons of the ventral tegmental area, the nucleus accumbens, and part of the prefrontal cortex. We perceive the activation of this circuit as pleasure. " |
Brain stem: |
The relatively primitive brain structure that starts where our spinal cord enters our head. Neurons within the brain stem control basic functions such as heart rate and breathing. |
Broca, Paul: |
"The scientist who identified the area in the brain responsible for producing speech, now called Broca's area. " |
Buprenorphine : |
A long-lasting opiate analgesic that has both opiate agonist and antagonist properties. Buprenorphine shows promise for treating heroin addiction. |
Caffeine : |
"A mild stimulant, the most widely used drug in the world." |
Cannabinoid receptor: |
"The receptor in the brain that recognizes THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Marijuana exerts its psychoactive effects via this receptor." |
Cannabinoids: |
"The psychoactive substances found in the common hemp plant, or Cannabis Sativa. Most of the psychological effects are produced by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol." |
Cannabis : |
The botanical name for the plant from which marijuana comes. |
Capillaries : |
The smallest blood vessels. Oxygen and nutrients leave the bloodstream through capillaries to get into the body. Gases from the alveoli enter the bloodstream through capillaries in the lungs. |
Cell body: |
"The central structure of a neuron, which contains all of the molecular parts that keep the cell alive, generate new parts, and repair or destroy existing parts." |
Cell membrane: |
"The outside covering, or ""skin"" or a cell. Receptors and ion channels are embedded in it." |
Cellular metabolism: |
The production of energy and new materials in a cell. |
Central nervous system: |
The brain and spinal cord. |
Cerebral cortex: |
"The large, deeply folded outer layers of the brain that make our heads so big. The cortex carries out complex perceptual, cognitive, and motor tasks." |
Certified Laboratory: |
"A laboratory which has met certain minimum performance standards set by an accrediting agency, and has received a certificate to verify this fact." |
Chain-of-Custody: |
"Procedures to account for the integrity of each urine specimen by tracking its handling and storage from point of specimen collection to final disposition of the specimen. Documentation of this process must include the date and purpose each time a specimen is handled or transferred, and identification of each individual in the chain-of-custody." |
Chantix: |
A medication used for smoking cessation. Click here for more information. |
Chemical Dependency: |
A harmful dependence on mood-changing chemicals. |
China white: |
"A designer drug"" that was an opiate derivative. Some batches contained a neurotoxin called MPTP, which killed neurons that make dopamine, producing symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease." |
Cholinergic : |
The adjective derived from acetylcholine. A neuron that contains acetylcholine is a cholinergic neuron. |
Chromatography: |
"Any of a variety of techniques used to separate mixtures of drugs and their metabolites and other chemicals into individual components based on differences in their relative affinities for two different media: a mobile phase and a stationary phase. In gas chromatography, the mobile phase is inert gas such as nitrogen or helium and the stationary phase is a high-boiling liquid bound to fine particles packed in a glass column, or bound to the inner surface of a glass capillary column." |
Circuits : |
"A group of cortical fields or nuclei that are linked together by their axons to perform a specific brain function. Core components or circuits are constantly in touch with each other, whereas other components can be brought in as the need arises." |
Classical conditioning: |
"The form of implicit, unconscious learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a significant stimulus through repeated pairing of the two. " |
Cocaine : |
A highly addictive stimulant drug derived from the cocoa plant that produces profound feelings of pleasure. abuse and dependence constitute a major drug problem. See Crack. |
Codeine : |
"A natural opioid compound that is a relatively weak, but still effective, opiate analgesic. It has also been used to treat other problems (e.g., to relieve coughing)." |
Cognitive functions: |
"Higher brain functions involving the manipulation of information from the senses and from memory. They often require awareness and judgment, and they enable us to know and to analyze problems and plan solutions -- in short, to think." |
Collection Site: |
A place designated where individuals present themselves for the purpose of providing a specimen of their urine to be analyzed for the presence of drugs. |
Concentration: |
"Amount of drug in a unit volume of biological fluid expressed as weight/volume. Urine concentrations are expressed in nanogram/milliliter, as micrograms/milliliter or milligrams/liter. " |
Confirmatory Test: |
A second analytical procedure to identify the presence of a specific drug which is independent of the initial drug test and which uses a different technique and chemical principle in order to ensure reliability and accuracy. |
Consciousness : |
Our own awareness of ourselves and the world; the mental processes that we can perceive; our thoughts and feelings. |
Cortical field: |
"A large aggregation of millions of nerve cells in a circumscribed region of the cerebral cortex, which together carry out a specific function, receive connections from the same places, and have a common structural arrangement. There are many dozens of such fields in the cerebral cortex. Elsewhere in the brain such groups are called nuclei." |
Crack : |
A chemically altered form of cocaine that is smoked. |
Craving : |
Hunger for drugs. It is caused by drug-induced changes that occur in the brain with the development of addiction and arises from a need of the brain to maintain a state of homeostasis that includes the presence of the drug. |
Cues : |
Formerly neutral stimuli that acquire the ability to elicit drug-craving through classical condition. Cues are also called triggers. |
Cutoff Level (Threshold): |
The defined concentration of an analyte in a specimen at or above which the test is called positive and below which it is called negative. This concentration is usually significantly greater than the sensitivity of the assay. |
Decondition : |
The unlearning of classically conditioned responses. Helping addicts identify and neutralize the cues of triggers they developed while they were addicted. |
Dendrites : |
The branches that reach out from a neuron's cell body to receive messages from the axon terminals of other neurons. |
Denial : |
Unconsciously refusing to admit that someone is addicted. Denial occurs among addicts themselves and among those who are close to them. |
Dentate gyrus: |
A key part of the hippocampus that contains one of the highest concentrations of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. |
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): |
The chemical compound that makes up genes. |
Depressants : |
"Drugs that relieve anxiety, produce sleep and reduce the activity of the nervous system (alcohol, downers, and narcotics)." |
Designer drug: |
"An illegally manufactured chemical whose molecular structure is altered slightly from a parent compound to enhance specific effects. Many of the so- called designer drugs are related to amphetamines and have mild stimulant properties but are mostly euphoric.Examples include DMT, DMA, DOM, MDA and MDMA (ecstasy). They can produce severe neurochemical damage to the brain." |
Detection Limit: |
Lowest concentration of a drug that can be reliably detected. |
Detoxification : |
"The process of removing a drug from the body. This is the initial period addicts must go through to become drug-free. Withdrawal symptoms appear early during this process. Depending on the drug, detoxification lasts for a few days to a week or more." |
Diversion : |
"Taking legally prescribed medications (e.g., methadone, tranquilizers) and selling them illegally." |
DMA : |
"A hallucinogenic ""designer drug"" with psychedelic properties." |
DMT : |
"A hallucinogenic ""designer drug"" with psychedelic properties." |
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid): |
The chemical compound that makes up genes. |
DOM : |
"A hallucinogenic ""designer drug"" with psychedelic properties." |
Dopamine : |
The neurotransmitter that produces feelings of pleasure when released by the brain reward system. |
Dopamine transporter: |
