Anesthesia and Critical Care Reviews and Commentary (ACCRAC) Podcast Episode 13: Opioids part 1
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Aug 13, 2016 AI Snips
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Opioid Classification and Receptors
- Opioids are classified into naturally occurring, semi-synthetic, and synthetic categories with examples like morphine, heroin, and fentanyl respectively.
- They act primarily on three opioid receptors: mu, delta, and kappa, found throughout the body and central nervous system.
Dual Mechanisms of Pain Relief
- Opioids activate mu, kappa, and delta receptors leading to reduced neuronal excitability and pain transmission.
- They inhibit ascending pain signals and activate descending pain-modulating circuits, effectively reducing pain sensation.
Opioids and Euphoria Mechanisms
- Opioids cause dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens producing euphoria and inhibit anxiety pathways in the locus ceruleus.
- These effects contribute to their abuse potential by inducing feelings of reward and reducing fear and panic.