Addiction: Biological Explanation Flashcards
1
Q
What are the Biological Explanations of Addiction?
A
- The Role of Dopamine
2. Genetic Factor
2
Q
Describe the Mesolmibic (Reward) Pathway.
A
- Evolved in humans to be adapted response to behaviors that are good for us e.g. eating
- Release of dopamine can be triggered by behavior (e.g. gambling) or a substance (e.g. alcohol)
Addictive Behavior/Substance
|
| Release of Dopamine
|
Vental Tegmental Area (VTA)
|
| Sense of Pleasure
|
Nucleus Accumbens (NAC)
3
Q
Why is Tolerance Experienced?
A
- Dopamine receptors become less sensitive
- Causes a decrease in D2 receptors = decrease in dopamine released
4
Q
Explain the Correlation Between Tolerance and Withdrawal
A
- Addict will need to engage in more addiction to experience same effects + avoid withdrawal symptoms
- Engaging in behavior becomes more about avoiding withdrawal symptoms rather than experiencing initial pleasure
5
Q
What Role does the Frontal Cortex Play in Maintaining the Addiction?
A
- Linked higher cognitive functions (e.g. decision making + memory)
- Addictive behavior changes brain circuits that decide what to pay attention to - too much importance (salience) to behaviors/cues associated with addiction.
- Dopamine system makes individual want to engage in behavior rather than like it - many addicts report that they no longer enjoy the experience but cannot overcome the cravings.
6
Q
What has Research Found Regarding to the Role of the Frontal Cortex and Maintaining the Addiction?
A
- Research evidence with cocaine addicts
- Volkow = abnormalities in frontal cortex
- Bolla = impaired performance frontal cortex task
- Wang = increase activity in frontal cortex when exposed to addictive behavior.
7
Q
The Role of Dopamine Evaluation
Not All Addictive Behaviors
A
- NEGATIVE
- Evidence to show that dopamine increase following drug consumption is not always the case
- Stokes (2009) = No significant increase in cannabis users
- Yoder (2007) = No consistent increase in dopamine when given alcohol
- Not appropriate to say that dopamine explains all addiction
8
Q
The Role of Dopamine Evaluation
The Complexity of the Role of Dopamine
A
- NEGATIVE
- Dopamine has a range of other functions
- Bell (2013) = dopamine is the Kim Kardasion of Neurotransmitters - fashionable to blame dopamine for causing a range of problems
- Dopamine levels increase in presence of aversive stimuli - helps us to avoid situations
Liberzon (1999) = increased activation in NAC in veterans suffering from PTSD when reminded of battles through combat sounds - Doesn’t match the idea of this area being simply about pleasure
9
Q
The Role of Dopamine Evaluation
Methodology Issues
A
- NEGATIVE
- Nutt (2015) = criticized the methodology used by researchers in this area
- Samples were small + participants given substance to measure its effects - often in a different form
- Given in a lab rather than usual environment
- measured effects are not always accurate
10
Q
The Role of Dopamine Evaluation
Use of Non-Human Animal Studies
A
- NEGATIVE
- Studies may not give true insight into how humans become addicted
- Misses social context in which addictions take place - cannot replicate same behaviors of addiction
- However, does allow researcher to study the effects of drugs in ways that aren’t possible with humans
11
Q
How is the Role of Dopamine Applied to modify addiction? (Using Varenicline)
A
- Addiction linked to the pleasure an individual feels as a result of dopamine being released
- By reducing the dopamine being released could hep to diminish cravings for the addictive behavior
- Varenicline (champix) is a prescribed drug to help people stop smoking
- Varenicline binds to nicotine receptors, tricking brain into thinking it’s had nicotine - leads to a small release of dopamine
- Also reduces rewarding effects of nicotine by blocking nicotine’s ability to access the receptor + activate release - if person smokes a cigarette person will get pleasure from it
- Drug has proved the be successful - provide extra support for the role of dopamine in addiction - However most effective when used alongside other methods.
12
Q
What Genes are Associated with Addictions?
A
- DRD2
2. ADH Gene
13
Q
What does DRD2 mean?
A
- D2 Dopamine Receptor Gene
14
Q
How is DRD2 Associated with Addictions?
A
- Individuals with A1 varient of gene have fewer dopamine receptors in the area of the brain which provides us with sense of pleasure to normal adaptive behavior (e.g. sex + food)
- lower numbers of dopamine receptors leads individual to compensate for this over stimulation through engaging in addictive behavior
- Comings (1996) = 48.7% smokers carried A1 variant compared with 25.9% of general population
- Gambling Addictions = 50.9% of addicts carried A1 variant compared with 25.9% of non-addicts.
15
Q
What does ADH and ALDH mean?
A
- ADH = Alcohol Dehydrogenase
- ALDH = Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase
