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1b Substance Use and Addiction Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by positive reinforcement?

A

Taking a substance to gain a positive state

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2
Q

What are some examples of reasons to take substances fot positive reinforcement?

A

Escapism
Get high
Like it
Stay Awake

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3
Q

What are some examples of reasons to take substances for negative reinforcement?

A

Boredrom
To get to sleep
Feel Better
Reduce Anxiety

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4
Q

What is negative reinforcement?

A

Taking substances in order to overcome an adverse state

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5
Q

Describe the course of alcohol/drug use which leads to addiction

A
  1. Experimental / recreational use which causes limited difficulties - “LIKE”
  2. Increasingly regular use - “WANT”
  3. Leads to harmful use as there is a shift in motivational desire
  4. Finally = spiralling dependance on the drug = “NEED”
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6
Q

What is the definition of a harmful substance?

A

A substance which when using it, places the mental and physical health of the user in danger

Hazardous = likely to cause harm if use continues at this level

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7
Q

What are the key diagnostic criteria of Dependance Syndrome?

A
  1. Strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the substance
  2. Difficulty controlling the substance in terms of termination of use - think who has control, you or the drug
  3. A physiological withdrawal state when the drug is stopped
  4. Tolerance = need to take more to get the same effect
  5. Neglect of alternative interests
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8
Q

What is the definition of Addiction?

A

Compulsive drug use despite harmful consequences, characterised by an inability to stop using the drug; failure to meet work, social and family obligation and depending on the drug, tolerance and withdrawal

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9
Q

What is the biological definition of dependance?

A

Refers to a physical adaptation to a substance = Patients can be depedant but not addicted

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10
Q

What are behavioural addictions?

A

Gambling disorder = similarities in neurobiology and treatment approaches therefore reclassified

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11
Q

How does entry of the drug impact addiction?

A

faster brain entry = more “rush” and more addiction

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12
Q

Describe the path from use to addiction?

A
  1. Pre existing vulnerability - family history and age play large roles
  2. Drug exposure = compensatory neuroadaptations to maintain brain functions
  3. Leads to cycles of remission and relapse, or sometimes recovery which can be sustained
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13
Q

What happens once someone is tolerant to a drug?

A

Once they become tolerant, they then begin to experience withdrawal once the drug is not there

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14
Q

How does alcohol affect the brain?

A

Alters the balance between the brains inhibitory and excitatory systems

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15
Q

What is excitatory system of the brain?

A

Glutamate system

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16
Q

Which receptor does the glutamate system work on?

A

NMDA receptor

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17
Q

What is the inhibitory system of the brain?

A

GABA-A system

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18
Q

What are two common reasons to drink alcohol?

A

To get to sleep
To reduce anxiety

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19
Q

Describe the effects of acute alcohol drinking on the excitatory system?

A

Blocks the excitatory system = results in impaired memory (leading to blackouts)

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20
Q

How does memory get impaired with drinking alcohol?

A

Changes to the NMDA receptor result in memory loss

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21
Q

How does the inhibitory system get affected when acutely drinking alcohol?

A

Boosts the inhibitory system
- Sedation
- Anxiolysis

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22
Q

What does chronic alcohol exposure lead to?

A

Results in neuroadaptations so GABA and glutamate remain in balance in the presence of alcohol

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23
Q

What happens to the excitatory and inhibitory systems in chronic alcohol use?

A

Upregulation of the excitatory system and reduced function in the inhibitory system = tolerance

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24
Q

How does the GABA-A receptor change in chronic alcohol drinking?

A

Switch in sub-units to make it less sensitive to alcohol

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25
Describe the withdrawal state of alcohol?
When the alcohol is taken away - there is still the large up-regulation of the excitatory system This imbalance is toxic and can lead to hyperexcitability (seizures) and cell death (atrophy)
26
How does the NMDA receptor change in the state of withdrawal?
Increase in Ca2+
27
How is alcohol withdrawal treated?
Treat with benzodiazepines to boost GABA function to restore the balance and counteract the glutaminergic hyperactivity
28
What is the medication which reduces NMDA function?
Acamprosate
29
What do natural rewards (food, sex) do?
They increase the levels of dopamine in a part of the brain called the ventral striatum
30
What is the dopamine pathway referred to as?
Pleasure-rewards-motivation system
31
What is a key regulator of the dopamine system?
Opioid system - Mu opioid which mediates pleasureable effects - endorphin rush
32
What is the reward-deficient state?
Addiction
33
How do cocaine and amphetamines interact with the dopamine system?
They block the reuptake of dopamine into the pre-synpatic neurone, meaning there is a lot more dopamine available in the synapse
34
How does amphetamine work? (2)
Amphetamine enhances the release of Dopamine, as well as blocking the reuptake
35
How do alcohol and nicotine affect the dopamine pathway?
They increase the dopamine neurone firing in the VTA (ventral tegmental area)
36
What is the relationship between "liking" psychostimulants and the levels of V2 receptors in the brain?
Pleasurable outcome = have fewer dopamine receptors - this might be due to the fact they started with less Non-pleasurable outcome = More dopamine = too much can lead to symptoms like schizophrenia and hallucinations and other negative effects - started with enough therefore too much is not enjoyable
37
How can the function of the reward pathway be assessed?
fMRI
38
What region of the brain is involved in the withdrawal / negative effect?
Amygdala and brainstem
39
What happens to the level of high as dependance and addiction develops?
The level of high decreases as the allostatic set point is lower than the homeostatic one, therefore the "high" felt is significantly less
40
Describe the change from positive to negative reinforcement as addiction develops?
Positive reinforcement drops, and and negative increases, with primary motivation being negative reinforcement
41
Describe the "stress" system?
The ‘stress’ system: increased activity in many including kappa opioid (dynorphin), noradrenaline (arousal system) CRF (stress) etc
42
Dysregulation in which key brain area is key for negative states during addiction?
Amygdala
43
Describe the changes in neurobiology when drug addiction changes from habits to compulsion?
Involves transition from Prefrontal to striatal control over drug taking And, ventral (limbic or emotional) to dorsal (habit) striatum The prefrontal "top-down" control is diminished with greater striatal reward drive
44
What is Naltrexone?
An opioid antagonist - used to block heroin use in opioid addicts and modulate the rewards system in alocholism
45
What is meant by harmful use?
A pattern of psychoactive substance use that is causing damage to health (physical or mental)
46
What is new that is included in the ICD 11?
Harm to the health of others - any form of physical hard including trauma or mental disorder
47
What are the three categories in the new ICD11 classification?
1. Impaired control over substance use 2. Increasing precedence of substance use over other aspects of life 3, Physiological features indicative of neuroadaption to the substance
48
What are the DSM5 Classification differences?
Opioid Use Disorder Alcohol Use Disorder
49
Which conditions are important to ask about in a past medical history when doing a history taking in addiction?
Cirrhosis (Alcohol) Endocarditis (IV) Abscesses (IV) BBV: Hepatitis B/C & HIV (IV) (ask about vaccinations)
50
Which patient population is most likely to develop an alcohol problem?
Younger men
51
After what time frame is the maximum alcohol concentration reached?
Alcohol is well absorbed from the mouth, stomach and small bowel and maximum blood concentration is reached within 60 minutes of ingestion.
52
What property of alcohol makes it well distributed in the body?
It is hydrophilic and therefore widely distributed in all bodily tissues
53
What does alcohol do to cause anxiolysis?
Alcohol enhances neurotransmission at GABA-A receptors
54
What part of the brain is responsible for the reward pathway after drinking alcohol?
It also stimulates dopamine release in the mesolimbic system
55
Describe the metabolism of alcohol?
Oxidised by alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde Acetaldehyde is then oxidised by ACETALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE to carbon dioxide and water
56
What is targeted commonly in drugs to treat alcohol addiction / dependance?
Drugs to stop alcohol dehydrogenase
57
What clinical features are looked on examination for when making an alcohol assessment?
It also stimulates dopamine release in the mesolimbic system
58
What are the neurological signs which might be found in patients with alcohol problems?
Consider Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome
59
What are the symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy?
Ataxia, confusion and opthalmoplegia
60
What is given to patients with Wernicke's encephalopathy?
Intramuscular, and then oral thiamine in order to reverse the effects seen in wernicke's encepthalopathy
61
what happens if thiamine is given to patients with Korsakoff's sign?
Nothing - damage is irreversible at this point
62
What must you do if a patient is CAGE positive?
Do a substance misuse history
63
Which is worse, alcohol or opiate withdrawal?
Alcohol - worsening pattern or symptoms which can lead to death hallucinations and delirium tremors
64
What is the difference between Opiates and Opioids?
OPIATES -  refer to natural opioids such as morphine and codeine and heroin to some extent OPIOIDS - refer to all natural, semisynthetic and synthetic opioids
65
What do Opioids do?
Relieve pain - analgesic effect Create a sense of Euphoria
66
What might patients who are going through a heroin withdrawal experience?
Diarrhoea
67
What are the three opioid receptors called?
mu, delta, kappa
68
What are examples of opioid agonists?
Heroin, methadone, fentanyl, codeine
69
What is buprenorphine used to do?
As a substitute for heroin
70
What might you see on examination in a patient for opiate assessment?
Collapsed veins / track marks Endocarditis Skin abscesses Hepatitis / HIV Pneumonia
71
What assessment is done to measure opiate withdrawal?
COWS - Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
72
What medication is given to people who have had a heroin overdose?
Naloxone (Narcan) - inject into upper arm / thigh , if no response in 3 minutes then repeat provide airway support, recovery position
73
How does Disulfiram work as an anti-alcohol medication?
Works by blocking the breakdown of alcohol in the body. This leads to buildup of a toxic alcohol-related compound that can cause people who drink alcohol while taking this medication to become very sick. This reaction helps encourage people to avoid alcohol while taking the medication.
74
Which antibiotic also inhibits acetaldehyde dehydrogenase?
Metronidazole
75
What treatment is given to promote Opioid Abstinence?
Methadone Buprenorphine Give them as a substitute for the opioid in a controlled manner, and in such a way that hey can slowly reduce their useage
76
What is a medical emergency which can occur due to alcohol withdrawal?
Delirium tremens / seizures
77
What medication is used for acute alcohol intoxification?
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) is the most commonly used medication for acute alcohol detoxification.
78
Which medication is used in both alcohol and opioid abstinence?
Naltrexone is used in both alcohol and opioid abstinence.

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