DRUGS AND THE BRAIN SERIES (5 Program
"This is your brain on drugs" may be an effective sound bite, but the reality of drug use and abuse is more complicated. As this five-part series shows, the brain can be affected by drugs and alcohol in many different ways, depending on the substance consumed. The effects of stimulants, painkillers, tobacco and alcohol, cannabis, and hallucinogens are analyzed in detail, using the latest research and computer graphics. Each program demonstrates the elaborate and frequently dangerous ways in which various drugs alter brain chemistry. Scientific histories and case studies are clearly illustrated in each program.
Five 51-minute programs:
STIMULANTS: The Mechanics of Pleasure
Like an avenue filled with neon signs, the brain’s so-called pleasure pathway can light up or go dark, depending on what sort of stimulation it receives. This program explores the workings of the human nerve center under the influence of cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants, and shows how our understanding of brain disorders and drug addiction has increased by studying these drugs. Profiling the pioneering work of Bruno Giros, Gaetano Di Chiara, Nora Volkow, Wolfram Schultz, Barry Everitt, Trevor Robbins, and others, the program provides viewers with a detailed history of the discovery and development of euphoria-inducing substances.
PAINKILLERS: Numbing the Mind
The human body manufactures its own painkillers to ensure survival when injured. This program shows how opium and its derivatives, heroin and morphine, hijack that natural pain-numbing ability. Illustrating the brain’s ability to alter its own chemistry when attacked by drugs, the program depicts the process by which brain receptors become desensitized and thus addicted. Tranquilizers - and the potentially lifelong physical dependency and psychological problems they can cause - are also studied. The findings of Brigitte Keiffer, Marc Valleur, Martine Cador, Emiliana Borelli, Alain Ehrenberg, and the Strasbourg Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics are featured.
LEGAL DRUGS: Still Addictive, Still Deadly
The vast majority of drug addicts are not criminals; tobacco and alcohol, both perfectly legal in most societies, are used and abused in staggering abundance. This program details the ways smoking and drinking chemically take hold of the brain. Explaining the many reasons - besides nicotine - for tobacco’s stealthy effects, the program describes the existence of thousands of other addictive chemicals in the plant. It also studies properties in alcohol, which some scientists have nicknamed the "dirty drug", that short-circuit the brain and cause considerable damage. Research by Philip Gorwood, Alain Ehrenberg, Martine Cador, Philippe Batel, and Michel Hamon is documented.
CANNABIS: Satanic Herb or Healing Potion?
As has occurred with most drugs, the neurological effects of cannabis have only recently been fully identified and understood. This program presents many of the latest findings, including new investigations into the clinical applications of the drug. Focusing on studies of the nerve-related mechanisms triggered by the action of cannabis, the program highlights potential changes in the social perceptions and medical uses of the substance. New approaches in the treatment of pain, obesity, anxiety, and even multiple sclerosis are suggested. The scientific contributions of Jean-Pol Tassin, Dieter Kleiber, Rafael Maldonado, and others are explored.
DESIGNER DRUGS: Uncertain Borders
Hallucinogenic plants may be the oldest drugs in the world, and were probably used in rituals during prehistoric times. In the 20th century, LSD and ecstasy became the hallucinogens of choice. This program recounts how science has gradually become aware of the properties of hallucinogens, both natural and synthetic. It also provides a detailed look at the effects of such substances on the brain. Peyote, mushrooms, ahuyasca vine, iboga and yohimbe bark, belladonna flower, and even animal-produced chemicals like bufotenin - secreted from toad skin - are explored in detail. The findings of Albert Hofmann, Alexander Schulgin, George Ricaurte, and others are conveyed.
*All programs are Sub-titled
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