Bio Explanation 1- Dopamine

Question 1

What is the mesolimbic pathway?

Answer 1

An addictive substance triggers dopamine to be released from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This leads to feeling pleasure in the nucleus accumbens (Nac).

Question 2

Jousta et Al (2012) - mesolimbic pathway

Answer 2

Dopamine levels were raised in participants that were given a gambling task regardless of whether the outcome was a win or lose.

Question 3

Tolerance and withdrawal ( Volkow et Al 1997)

Answer 3

Overtime addictive behaviour causes a decrease in D2 receptors (dopamine) and therefore a decrease in dopamine.

If an addict stops they will experience withdrawal symptoms. Therefore engaging in the activity is more about avoiding withdrawal symptoms than experiencing the initial pleasure.

Question 4

Maintaining the addiction

Answer 4

When you’ve been taking lots of an addictive substance for a long period of time there is an increased amount of dopamine, this effects the frontal cortex.

Question 5

What does the frontal cortex do ?(maintaining addiction)

Answer 5

Decision making and memory

Addictive behaviour can change brain circuits.

Can impact the part of the brain the decides what we pay attention to - salience