Bio Explations Flashcards
What is dopamine often called?
The pleasure molecule or the happy chemical
Dopamine receptors exist in very high numbers in the neural circuits related to reward and reinforcement.
What did Olds and Milner (1954) do in their study?
Placed rats into a Skinner box with access to a lever and electrically stimulated different brain regions
This study was to see how stimulation affected the rats’ behavior.
How many times did rats press the lever when certain brain regions were stimulated?
Up to 2000 times per hour
This indicates a high concentration of dopamine receptors in these regions.
What did further studies show about rats and shocks?
Rats would tolerate shocks to get rewarded
This indicates a strong motivation for reward despite adverse conditions.
What did researchers note about dopamine levels before performing rewarded tasks?
Animals experience a high level of dopamine before performing tasks that have previously been rewarded.
What is the significance of the lever in the context of classical conditioning?
Seeing the lever is enough to experience a high level of dopamine
This is due to the association formed between the lever and the electrical stimulation.
What causes the feeling of euphoria biologically?
A release of dopamine.
What does reward deficiency syndrome explain about impulse control disorders?
May result from low levels of dopamine in brain regions like the striatum
This condition can lead to individuals finding little pleasure in everyday life.
What is the interaction that leads to reward deficiency syndrome?
An interaction between specific genes and environmental factors.
What percentage of the population carries the allele that affects D2 receptors?
25%
This allele is associated with having 36% fewer D2 receptors.
What happens to communication in central networks with fewer D2 receptors?
Communication is reduced, causing individuals to seek dopamine highs in other ways.
Fill in the blank: Impulse control disorders may result from low levels of dopamine in brain regions like the ______.
striatum.
True or False: Dopamine is only involved in pleasure and reward.
False
Dopamine also plays a role in various other functions, including movement and attention.
What behaviors might individuals engage in to seek dopamine highs?
Compulsive behaviors, fire starting, stealing.
What is the relationship between the D2 receptor allele and dopamine receptor sites?
Fewer receptor sites for dopamine to find
This results in reduced communication in the brain’s reward pathways.
