Addiction: Biological Explanation

Question 1

What are the two biological explanation of addiction?

Answer 1

Dopamine theory and Addiction genes

Question 2

What are the three parts of the dopamine theory?

Answer 2

Mesolimbic pathway
Tolerance and withdrawl
Maintaining addiction

Question 3

Describe the mesolimbic pathway

Answer 3

Composed Nac and VTA=VTA releases dopamine theory which is sent to the NaC where the jolt of pleasure is received

Question 4

How does the mesolimbic pathway explain explain relapse?

Answer 4

Dopamine reaches the prefrontal coretx~Involved in maintenace
Relapse=remebers the substance/behaviour which is responsible for the feelings~motivates them to repeat it

Question 5

What is the frontal cortex responsible for and how is it related to addiction?

Answer 5

Functions:Impulse control, problem solving and motivation
These are effected and impaired by high dopamine levels and addiction

Question 6

Relate it to the characteristics of additcion

What happens when an addict stops taking a drug?

Answer 6

When the drug is no longer taken, the negative effects of withdrawl and tolerance have dissapeared, relapse can still occur

Question 7

What studies are linked to the dopamine theory and addiction?

What does each study suggest

Answer 7

1. Abnormalities in frontal cortex showed in additcs
2. Increases activity in frontal corte when exposed to their addiction
   This shows a link between the maintenance of an addiction and the function and activity levels of the frontal cortex