Addiction: Reducing Addiction Drug Therapy/Behavioural Interventions/CBT Flashcards
What is the name of the drug therapy for reducing nicotine addiction?
Nicotine replacement therapy (agonist substitution)
What is the aim of nicotine replacement therapy?
provide nicotine from a less harmful source e.g. patches, gum, nasal spray, rather than a cigarette.
How does NRT work?
stimulates nicotine receptors, activating rewards brain pathway which releases dopamine into the limbic system.
This stimulates the nucleus accumbens and creates the same pleasurable feeling as smoking a cigarette does.
What does NRT lead to a reduction in?
Withdrawal symptoms and stops the cravings.
Taking NRT leads to a reduction of withdrawal symptoms, what is this an example of? (HINT: Operant conditioning)
Reducing withdrawal symptoms by having NRT is an example of negative reinforcement, as NRT removes the unpleasant circumstances of quitting smoking.
What is the suggested drug therapy for reducing gambling addiction?
Opioid antagonist (Naltrexone)
What is the aim of drug therapy for reducing gambling addiction?
Reduce the pleasurable feeling associated with gambling
How do Opioid antagonists work to reduce gambling addiction?
They enhance the neurotransmitter GABA in the mesolimbic pathway. The increased GABA activity reduces the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, reducing the pleasurable feelings.
Stead et al (2012) reviewed 150 high quality research studies that compared NRT with a placebo. They found that all forms of NRT were significantly more effective in helping smokers quit than placebos and no treatment at all.
How can we use this research to evaluate NRT?
Research to support.
What is a limitation of drug therapy which may lead the individual to stop taking the drug?
Negative side effects such as nausea, headaches, dizziness.
In comparison to other treatments such as CBT, why might drug therapy be more appropriate?
It requires less motivation and commitment as you just need to remember to take the drug/put the patch on/chew the gum rather than commit to attending and engaging in therapy sessions.
What are the names of the behavioural interventions for reducing addiction?
aversion therapy and covert sensitization
Aversion therapy and covert sensitisation are both behavioural interventions. What principle do they focus on?
Classical conditioning
What is the aim of aversion therapy?
To use the principles of classical conditioning to change the pleasurable association with the addictive substance/behaviour and replace it with unpleasant association in a vivo experience.
What does a vivo experience mean?
In real life
What does a vitro experience mean?
Imagined experience (not real life)
What is the name of the aversion therapy technique for reducing nicotine addiction?
‘Rapid Smoking’
How does rapid smoking work as an aversion therapy technique?
Individuals will sit in a room taking a puff of a cigarette every 6 seconds. They will begin to feel nauseous and sick and start to associate this feeling to smoking. This is repeated until the individual develops an aversion to smoking - reducing their addiction.
Using classical conditioning principles in rapid smoking, what would the unconditioned stimulus be?
unpleasant stimulus (rapid smoking)