Addiction Flashcards
What pathway acts on pleasure/ motivation?
Mesolimbic pathway mediated by release of dopamine
Ventral tegmental area > Nucleus accumbens
what pathway acts on goal setting/ descicion making?
Prefrontal cortex
True/ False Prefrontal cortex can override the mesolimbic pathway
True- prefrontal cortex can override the mesolimbic pathway
-drugs can disrupt the frontal cortex
mesolimbic pathway- motivation and pleasure using dopamine
prefrontal cotex- descicion making and goal setting
what part of the brain is the creator of motivation to act?
orbitofrontal cortex
what part of the brain is overactive in cravings/ addicts?
Orbitofrontal fortex is overactive in cravings/ addicts
-it is the creator of motivation to act
role of hippocampus in addiction?
stores memory of pleasure and learned drug associations
what dopamine pathway do addictive drugs act on?
Addictive drugs act on the mesolimbic pathway
(pathway that controls pleasure/motivation)
VTA >NA (mediated by dopamine)
what can chronic drug use and overstimulation of the mesolimbic pathway lead to?
-reduces dopamine receptor expression and results in tolerance
-the body eventually depends on drug dopamine stimulation to feel normal (negative reinforcement)
recommended units a week- alcohol?
14 units/ week
what is classed a hazardous drinking?
> 14 units/ week
-increases risk of harm
what harm can hazardous drinking (>14 units a week) cause?
Cancer- breast, GI (oesophagus, bowel, oral), liver
Wernicke’s encephalopathy
Korsakoff syndrome
Cardiovascular problems
what cancer can hazardous drinking (>14 units a week) cause?
Breast, GI (oesophagus, bowel, oral) and liver
what is Wernickes encephalopathy
Acute thiamine (aka B1) deficiency caused by hazardous drinking (usually >14 units/week)
Alcoholic develops ataxia, nystagmus and confusion
-what?
Acute thiamine (B1) deficiency
-Wernicke’s encephalopathy
what is Korsakoffs syndrome?
Chronic thiamine (B1) deficiency caused by alcohol use