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PSY219 > 15: Drug Addiction and the Brain's Reward Circuits > Flashcards

15: Drug Addiction and the Brain's Reward Circuits Flashcards

1
Q

Psychoactive drugs…

A

Drugs that influence subjective experience via influencing the nervous system.

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2
Q

Drug metabolism…

A

Process that terminates effects of drugs, whereby liver enzymes convert active drugs into nonactive forms so that they cannot enter the blood-brain barrier.

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3
Q

Drug tolerance…

A

Decreased sensitivity to effects of drugs. Sometimes to particular effects of a drug, sometimes to all effects.

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4
Q

Cross tolerance…

A

When one drug reduces not just its own effects, but effects of others that influence via the same mechanisms.

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5
Q

Drug sensitisation…

A

Increased sensitivity to some effects of a drug.

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6
Q

Metabolic tolerance…

A

Drug tolerance whereby the amount of drug getting to target sites is reduced.

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7
Q

Functional tolerance…

A

Drug tolerance whereby the reactivity of the target sites to the drug is reduced. The more common type of tolerance.

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8
Q

3 types of adaptive neural changes in functional tolerance…

A
  • Reduction in number of receptors for drug.
  • Decreased binding efficiency with existing receptors.
  • Reduced impact of drug once binded to receptor.
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9
Q

Withdrawal Syndrome…

A

Its effects are opposite to initial effects of drug-taking, suggesting the same neural mechanisms involved as for drug tolerance.
This occurs when individuals are physically dependent on the drug.

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10
Q

Addicts…

A

Habitual drug users who continue to use a drug despite its adverse effects on their health and social life, and despite their repeated efforts to stop using it.

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11
Q

Contingent drug tolerance…

A

Tolerance only to drug effects actually experienced.

Studies done on this employ before-and-after design.

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12
Q

Conditioned drug tolerance…

A

Tolerance that is activated when drug is taken in similar situation as before.

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13
Q

Conditioned compensatory responses…

A

Stimuli associated with drug effects begin to produce counteractive responses to the effects, thus producing situationally specific tolerance.
Homeostasis-based adaptation.

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14
Q

Exteroceptive stimuli…

A

Type of conditional stimuli. External, pubic stimuli, e.g. environment of drug administration.

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15
Q

Interoceptive stimuli…

A

Type of conditional stimuli. Internal, private stimuli, e.g. mood during administration.

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16
Q

Much of the confusion surrounding conditioned drug effects stems from…

A

A misunderstanding of Pavlovian conditioning.

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17
Q

Chemical constituents of a cigarette…

A
  • Nicotine: main psychoactive drug

- Tar - collective name for other 4,000-odd chemicals

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18
Q

Nicotine acts on…

A

Nicotinic cholinergic receptors in brain.

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19
Q

Which substance is the leading cause for preventative deaths in West?

A

Tobacco. 1 in 5 deaths in the US.

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20
Q

Compulsive drug craving is…

A

The defining feature of addiction.

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21
Q

Heritability estimate for nicotine addiction…

A

Around 65% in MZ twins.

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22
Q

Smoker’s syndrome…

A

Symptoms of chest pain, wheezing, cough, and lowered protection against infections in respiratory tract.

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23
Q

Chronic smokers are prone to lethal lung disorders such as (4)…

A

Pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.

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24
Q

Buerger’s disease…

A

When the blood vessels, particularly in the legs become constricted. This causes the onset of gangrene, which, as the smoking continues, progressively works its way from toe to groin, destroying the legs.

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25
Q

Nicotine is a teratogen…

A

Can disrupt foetal development.

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26
Q

Smoking during pregnancy increase likelihood of…

A

Miscarriage, stillbirths, and early death of infant.

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27
Q

Alcohol is a depressant when…

A

High doses of it are taken - depresses neural firing.

But at low doses it is stimulating and facilitates social interaction. MAKES SENSE.

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28
Q

Heritability estimates for alcoholism…

A

55%, with several associative genes identified.

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29
Q

The red facial flush of alcoholic intoxication…

A

Produced by dilation of skin blood vessels, increasing bodily heat loss and decreasing body temperature.

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30
Q

‘Hangover’…

A

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome!

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31
Q

Delirium tremens (DTs)…

A
  • 3rd phase of full-blown alcohol withdrawal.

- Symptoms of creepy hallucinations, delusions, agitation, hyperthermia, tach cardia.

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32
Q

Alcohol indirectly induces Korsakoff’s Syndrome…

A
  • Induce thiamine deficiency. Serious!

- Brain damage via increased susceptibility to stroke.

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33
Q

Thiamine…

A
  • Vitamin B1.

- Role in biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - so big deal!

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34
Q

Chronic alcoholism also cause cirrhosis..

A
  • Major scarring of liver tissue.

- Most common cause of death by alcoholism.

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35
Q

Disulfiram…

A
  • A treatment drug for alcoholism.
  • Disrupts alcoholic metablism by producing more acetaldehyde, which breaks down alcohol molecules.
  • But only works if people commit to taking it…
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36
Q

The misconception that moderate drinking reduces risk of heart disease…

A

Is an illusory causation from the mere correlation that, in UK, incidence of heart disease is lower in drinkers than in abstainers.
But drinking is norm, so abstainers usually abstain for illness-related reasons.

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37
Q

Marijuana is name for dried leaves and flowers of…

A

Cannabis sativa. Sweet MJ.

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38
Q

MJ is ingested orally in an oil-rich substrate because…

A

This increases likelihood of its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract.

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39
Q

Psychoactive constituent in MJ…

A

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

80 other types of cannabinoids in MJ.

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40
Q

Hashish…

A

The dark, corklike material that is the resin extracted from MJ.
Hashish oil - potent as hell.

41
Q

Marijuana bears no resemblance to…

A

Opiate narcotics.

42
Q

MJ studies are mostly correlational…

A
  • Correlation between heavy use and schizophrenia
43
Q

MJ can produce…

A

Respiratory problems, tach cardia, bronchitis, asthma. Similar to nicotine, probably because of its common intake via smoking.

44
Q

THC has therapeutic uses, such as…

A
  • Curtailing nausea and vomiting in cancer patients.
  • Stimulating appetite of AIDS patients.
  • Block seizures.
  • Reduce anxiety and pain.
45
Q

Cocaine and its derivatives are…

A

The most commonly abused substances.

46
Q

Cocaine is the powdered form of…

A

The coca bush, extracted from coca paste. It’s proper name is cocaine hydrochloride.

47
Q

Crack..

A

The impure residue of cocaine hydrochloride obtained through boiling in baking soda solution.

48
Q

2 common synthetic analogues of cocaine…

A

Lidocaine and procaine.

49
Q

Cocaine spree…

A

1-2 days binges of cocaine-taking. Intake in this time increases as the tolerance levels do.

50
Q

Cocaine psychosis…

A

One of the more severe effects of cocaine sprees.

51
Q

Common cocaine withdrawal symptoms…

A

Mild - a come-down and insomnia.

52
Q

Amphetamine…

A

A.K.A speed, MDMA, etc. NOT a derivative of cocaine.

53
Q

Usual derivative of amphetamine consumed…

A

d-amphetamine (dextroamphetamine).

54
Q

Amphetamine psychosis…

A

Similarly induced as cocaine psychosis, but from amphetamine.

55
Q

Two other commonly used derivatives of amphetamines…

A
  • Methamphetamine

- 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)

56
Q

Dopamine transporters…

A

Main mechanism by which cocaine and co.’s effects are distributed.

57
Q

Long-term effects of stimulants…

A
  • Reduction in cortical volume (if long-term user).
  • Deficits in various neuropsychological tests, involving decision making and inhibitory control.
  • Deficiencies in serotonin and dopaminergic levels (effects mood regulation).
58
Q

Opium…

A

Dried form of the sap extracted from the seeds of the opium poppy.

59
Q

2 notable weaker forms of opium, known as opiates…

A

Morphine and codeine.

60
Q

Opiates generate influence by…

A

Binding to receptors that bind to endogenous opiates.

61
Q

Two classes of endogenous opiate neurotransmitters…

A

Endorphins and enkephalins.

62
Q

Harrison Narcotics Act…

A

Passed in 1914, making usage and sale of opium, morphine, and cocaine illegal in US.

63
Q

Heroin is a synthetic of…

A

2 acetyl groups to the morphine molecule, making it more penetrable to the blood-brain barrier.

64
Q

Heroin rush…

A

Basically a really good orgasm. But a reallllly good one, otherwise people would just masturbate? Or perhaps social norms at time prevented that.

65
Q

Symptoms of opium withdrawal…

A
  • Cold turkey - gooseflesh skin, chills, shivering, profuse sweating.
  • Kicking the habit - Leg spasms and muscle pains.
  • By 7 days, all withdrawal symptoms have disappeared. Similar to bad case of flu.
66
Q

Effects of opiates are surprisingly minor…

A

Short-term risks are constipation, reduced libido, menstrual irregularity.

67
Q

Death by heroin overdose has been questioned because…

A
  • May be death of drug interaction (e.g. with alcohol or other depressants)
  • Death via its legal status - dodgy market, cut product, impurities.
  • Dirty needles - AIDS.
68
Q

Methadone…

A

Main form of treatment against heroin addicition.

Is still an opiate! But used to curb withdrawal symptoms of heroin, and to wean people off heroin.

69
Q

Buprenorphine…

A

Another treament for heroin addiction. Works by blocking effects of other opiates on brain, thus preventing the addictive euphoria.

70
Q

2 methods for comparing overall effects of commonly used drugs…

A
  • Compare the prevalence of their widespread use.
  • Look at the death rates.
    But too individualistic. Not all drug users and addicts!
71
Q

Physical-dependence theories of drug addiction…

A
  • Drug-taking continues due to unpleasant effects of withdrawal symptoms.
72
Q

Detoxified addicts…

A
  • Addicts with no drugs in their bodies and are free of all withdrawal symptoms.
  • Attempted as a means of treatment. But is evidently not always successful. So must be another factor…
73
Q

Positive-incentive theories of addiction…

A
  • Addiction is driven by the need to sustain the positive (hedonic) effects of drugs.
  • Believed to be the primary motivator for drug addiction.
74
Q

Positive-incentive value…

A
  • The specific anticipated pleasure associated with an action, such as drug-taking.
  • Addicts report large discrepancy between p-i and hedonic values. Shows how some people aren’t addicts despite enjoying hedonic value of drug.
75
Q

Hedonic value…

A
  • The amount of pleasure actually experienced.
  • Addicts report large discrepancy between p-i and hedonic values. Shows how some people aren’t addicts despite enjoying hedonic value of drug.
76
Q

Incentive-Sensitisation theory of drug addiction…

A

The positive-incentive value of drugs increases. Have higher expectations. Not about the actual pleasure, but about the expectation of pleasure.

77
Q

Three main causes of relapse…

A
  • Stress
  • Drug priming: single exposure to formerly abused drug.
  • Exposure to environmental cues, e.g. hanging around with people who smoke.
78
Q

Intercranial self-stimulation (ICSS)

A

Brief and weak electrical stimulations to the brain.

79
Q

Pleasure centres…

A

The name for the brain areas responsible for mediating ICSS phenomenon.

80
Q

Most early studies of ICSS involve stimulating the…

A

Septum and hypothalamus, as rates are very high in these areas.

81
Q

In order to be re-stimulated for ICSS, the rats had to be…

A

Primed.

82
Q

The neural circuits mediating ICSS are…

A

Natural reward circuits.

83
Q

Stimulation through electrodes responsible for ICSS often elicits…

A

Natural motivated behaviours such as eating, drinking, copulation.

84
Q

Increases in natural motivation (e.g. food/water deprivation) causes increase in…

A

Self-stimulation rates.

85
Q

Mesotelencephalic dopamine system (MDS) …

A

System of dopaminergic neurons projecting from the mesencephalon to various regions of the telencephalon.

86
Q

The cell bodies of the dopaminergic neurons making up the MDS are located in (2 places)…

A

Substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area.

87
Q

The axons of the dopaminergic neurons making up the MDS particularly project to the…

A

Nucleus accumbens.

88
Q

Nigrostriatal pathway…

A

Part of the MDS. Its degradation is associated with Parkinson’s disease.

89
Q

Mesocorticolimbic pathway…

A

Part of the MDS. May have a role in mediation of ICSS, therefore in pleasurable effects of drugs.

90
Q

Main factor for understanding neural mechanism of addiction involves understanding of…

A

How addictive drugs distort and influence the brain’s natural motivational mechanisms.

91
Q

Drug self-adminstration paradigm…

A

Neuropsychological method for studying addiction whereby lab rats press levers to self-adminster drugs, and then are tested to see how quickly they learn to make that association.

92
Q

Conditioned place-preference paradigm…

A

Neuropsychological method for studying addiction whereby lab rats are repeatedly adminstered a drug in a certain compartment of their cage, and then tested to see how quickly they learn to make that association.

93
Q

Lab animals directly self-administered addictive drugs into the…

A

Nucleus accumbens.

94
Q

Microinjections into the nucleus accumbens produced a….

A

Conditioned place-preference effect.

95
Q

The intensity of the highs experienced by drug addicts taking cocaine is neurologically correlated with..

A

How much the cocaine binded to the dopamine receptors.

96
Q

Drug addicts have been found to… (3)

A
  • Bad decision-makers
  • Excessive risk-takers
  • Issues with self-control
97
Q

Relapse: the prefrontal cortex mediates…

A

Priming-induced relapse.

98
Q

Relapse: the amygdala mediates mediates…

A

Conditional cue-induced relapse.

99
Q

Relapse: the hypothalamus mediates…

A

Stress-induced relapse.

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