Addiction (Dopamine) Flashcards
What is a common historical trait across societies regarding addiction?
Most societies, contemporary or historical, have indulged in substances that can cause addiction.
What is the common characteristic of all addictive substances or behaviors?
They achieve a pleasurable effect by activating the brain’s reward centers.
What does the brain do when drugs disrupt its balance?
The brain adapts to restore balance, which can lead to tolerance and withdrawal.
What is the mesolimbic pathway’s role in addiction?
It is the reward pathway that creates pleasurable feelings, reinforcing addictive behaviors.
Which behaviors activate the mesolimbic pathway naturally?
Eating, drinking, and sex.
What did Jousta et al. (2012) find about gambling and dopamine?
Dopamine levels increased in participants during gambling, regardless of the outcome.
What did Boileau et al. (2003) find about alcohol?
Alcohol increases dopamine levels in the brain.
What causes withdrawal symptoms in addiction?
When drug use stops, the brain becomes out of balance due to previous adaptations.
What is tolerance in the context of addiction?
Needing more of a substance to achieve the same effect due to brain adaptations.
What did Volkow et al. (1997) discover about D2 receptors in cocaine users?
They had fewer D2 receptors and reduced dopamine release.
What did Olds and Milner (1954) discover about brain stimulation in rats?
Rats repeatedly returned to the area where their pleasure center was stimulated.
Why is the frontal cortex important in addiction?
It is involved in planning, reasoning, and memory, and its function is altered in addiction.
What happens to the frontal cortex in addicts, according to Volkow?
It alters attention, making addicts focus on addiction-related stimuli.
What did Robinson and Berridge (2003) argue about addiction?
Addicts are driven to want the addictive behavior rather than enjoy it.
What did Bolla et al. (2003) find in addicted individuals?
They performed worse on tasks involving the frontal cortex.
What did Wang et al. (1999) observe in addicts exposed to drug cues?
Increased activity in their frontal cortex.
What is a potential benefit of viewing addiction as a brain disorder?
It may lead to treatment instead of imprisonment for addicts.
What are some limitations of the dopamine explanation of addiction?
It doesn’t explain all addictions, is reductionist, and often uses animal studies.
What did Stokes et al. (2009) find regarding cannabis?
No significant increase in dopamine levels in volunteers taking cannabis.
What did Yoder et al. (2007) find regarding alcohol?
No consistent dopamine increase across participants given alcohol.
What are some criticisms of addiction neuroscience research?
It is reductionist, may ignore individual differences, and is often based on animal/lab studies.
What is an ethical concern of the brain disease model of addiction?
It may make addicts feel powerless to change their behavior.
