Adolescent Development, Drug-use and Addiction Flashcards
Define
Addiction
An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or another drug
Define
Cravings
a powerful desire for something
Define
Dependence
an issue with addiction that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions
Define
Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex
an area in the prefrontal cortex of the brain of humans and non-human primates. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adulthood and is involved in executive functions such as planning and inhibition
Define
Polygenic
one of a group of nonallelic genes that together control a quantitative characteristic in an organism
Define
Temperament
a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour
Define
Withdrawal
the unpleasant physical and mental effects that result when you stop doing or taking something, especially a drug, that has become a habit
Definition
An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or another drug
Addiction
Definition
a powerful desire for something
Cravings
Definition
an issue with addiction that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions
Dependence
Definition
an area in the prefrontal cortex of the brain of humans and non-human primates. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adulthood and is involved in executive functions such as planning and inhibition
Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex
Definition
one of a group of nonallelic genes that together control a quantitative characteristic in an organism
Polygenic
Definition
a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour
Temperament
Definition
the unpleasant physical and mental effects that result when you stop doing or taking something, especially a drug, that has become a habit
Withdrawal
What are the symptoms of addiction?
Withdrawal
Negative social effects
Cravings (pathological)
Which areas of the brain are progressively effected with increasing drug use?
Mesolimbic DA → Nucleus accumbens → Dorsal striatum → Prefrontal systems → Extended amygdala
Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with the greatest loss of control?
Extended amygdala
Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with reward motivation?
Mesolimbic DA
Nucleus accumbens
Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with habits?
Dorsal striatum
Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with control?
Prefrontal systems
Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with emotions?
Extended amygdala
What effects the prefrontal systems more: substance or gambling addiction?
Substance addiction
What personality traits are risk factors for substance addiction?
- Low extreversion
- High neuroticism
- Low consciensiousness
Why are introverts are a greater risk of substance addiction?
They have a higher reward threshold
Adolescents have larger brains than adults. Why is this not necessarily a good thing?
Adult brains are far more efficient due to pruning
What region of the brain is the last to mature? What is it responsible for?
Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex
Responsible for exectuive functions such as planning and inhibition
The back of the brain matures earlier than the front. What does this lead to in adolescents?
More emotional decisions
Less planning
More risky/impulsive behaviours
Less consideration of negative or long-term consequences
Why do many psychiatric disorders emerge during adolescence?
Due to pruning and maturation of PFC, adolescents are at high risk for psychiatric disorders at this time
What prevention strategies work for substance-use?
Delaying age of onset
Evidence-based prevention programs
What prevention strategies do not work for drug-use?
Stigmatising at-risk groups
Authoritarian style/paternalistic attitudes and campaigns
What four temperaments are important when studying substance use?
Effortful control (conscienciousness)
Surgency (high pleasure, low fear)
Negative affect (irritability)
Affilliativeness (social connections)
What happens to negative affectivity in females from age 13 to 16?
It slightly increases
What happens to effortful control from age 13 to 16?
It decreases
What happens to negative affectivity in males from 13 to 16?
It decreases
What element of effortful control decreases considerably from 13 to 16?
Inhibitory control
True or False:
People with low negative affectivity are more likely to abuse alcohol
True
True or False:
People with low negative affectivity are more likely to abuse canabis
False;
People with low consciensiousness are more likely to abuse canabis
What is the telescoping effect?
The phenomenon that females escalate faster into addiction than males do
What is the COMT gene? Which variation makes you more vulnerable to psychosis?
The COMT gene is an enzyme that degrades dopamine and other catecholamines. Homozygotes with COMT Val/Val alleles have an overactive enzyme causing dopamine deficiency. This puts them at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms and could eventually develop schizophrenic-type disorders.
What age are people at the most vulnerable to addiction?
15-20
What are the two major transitions in addiction?
- From reward-driven behaviour to negative-emotion-driven behaviour
- From top-down to bottom-up
