BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR ICD'S

Question 1

What is the striatum?

Answer 1

• Part of the basal ganglia.
• Involved in decision making, habit-formation and reward.

Question 2

What is reward defiency syndrome?

Answer 2

• Involved increased need for dopamine due to increased tolerance

Question 3

Explain dopamine’s role in Impulse Control Disorders?

Answer 3

1. Dopamine defiency: ICD individuals may have lower baseline dopamine levels- causing them to seek out risky behaviours for a dopamine surge.
2. During the act: their reward centers are simulated, releasing dopamine, and creating short-term reward.
3. Compulsive: However, when these behaviours become compulsive, dopamine levels in the striatum decreases (due to inc tolerance for dopamine). Resulting in the behaviour being performed compulsively to regain that same feeling.
4. Reward defiency: This cycle is linked to reward defiecency syndrome.

Question 4

Another biological explanation for ICDS are that ICDS are side effects?

Answer 4

• Kleptomania, gambling disorder, shopping addictions could be possible side-effects of using synthetic dopamine for treatment of disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (as similar symptoms emerge)
• Synthetic dopamine is used to treat Parkinson’s by increasing dopamine activity in the brain.
  (suggests link between dopamine and ICDS)

Question 5

Name 1 strength and 1 weakness of this expalantion?

Answer 5

• Strength= Biological basis- provides a scientific, neurological explanation for why some people develop ICDs, linking them to dopamine dysfunction rather than just personality or choice.
• Weakness= Reductionist- oversimplifies complex human behavior by focusing only on biology, ignoring psychological and social factors (e.g., upbringing, stress, peer influence).

Doesn’t Explain Why Some People Develop ICDs and Others Don’t – If RDS is purely biological, why do some people with low dopamine develop ICDs while others don’t?