Cognitive models of addiction Flashcards
What is the DSM-V section that covers addiction called?
Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
This section includes two subdivisions: substance-related disorders and non-substance-related disorders (behavioral addictions).
Define physical dependence.
Withdrawal symptoms in the absence of the drug and tolerance to its effects with repeated use.
What characterizes psychological dependence?
A relatively extreme, pathological state where obtaining, taking, and recovering from a drug represents a loss of behavioral control.
List three cognitive addiction characteristics.
- Attentional biases (SEN)
- Craving/rumination (Default Mode Network)
- Impaired top-down control (Executive Control Network)
What does goal choice depend on?
The value assigned to each alternative (incentive) and its perceived attainability.
What is positive reinforcement in the context of addiction?
Drugs produce pleasure (a ‘high’) and stimulate the brain’s reward circuits.
What is the role of dopamine in addiction according to Robinson & Berridge (1993)?
Dopamine is involved in reward pathways and becomes hypersensitive to substances and related stimuli.
Differentiate between ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ as per Robinson & Berridge (1993).
‘Liking’ refers to the initial enjoyment of a substance while ‘wanting’ relates to the motivational properties associated with repetitive use.
What is the Incentive-Sensitisation Model?
Addictive drugs produce long-lasting changes in brain organization, rendering systems hypersensitive to drugs and drug-associated stimuli.
Describe the relationship between chronic cocaine exposure and neuronal changes.
Chronic exposure produces extra dendrites in neurons, amplifying signaling and causing overreactions to substance-related cues.
What are the associations that develop for an alcohol abuser according to Tiffany (1990)?
- Pleasurable emotions (to celebrate)
- Everyday thoughts (to unwind)
- Aspects of routine (drink with dinner)
What is the significance of attentional biases in addiction?
Attentional biases distort perception and contribute to a state of addiction by reinforcing the salience of drug-related cues.
What did the findings on alcohol users’ attentional control reveal?
Alcohol users had higher ‘break frequency’ during alcohol trials, indicating an inhibitory control deficit.
What is psychomotor sensitization?
The lasting psychomotor-activating effects of drugs that persist after drug use is discontinued.
What does the network approach in addiction research emphasize?
Focus on large-scale networks working together rather than isolated brain regions.
Define the Default Mode Network (DMN).
A large network of brain regions active when not engaged in a task, associated with self-referential processing and emotional regulation.
What changes occur in the DMN during chronic drug use?
Decreased activity in the anterior DMN and increased activity in the posterior DMN, leading to rumination and negative emotions.
What is the role of the Executive Control Network (ECN)?
Crucial for focused attention, higher-order functions, and voluntary control of behavior.
How does addiction disrupt communication between brain networks?
It weakens connections between the DMN, SEN, and ECN, impairing attention control and increasing focus on drug cues.
What effect does the intoxication stage have on the DMN?
It activates the dopamine reward system and shifts attention to external drug stimuli.
What are the implications of decreased DMN activity for addiction diagnosis?
DMN activity may help predict an individual’s risk for addiction.
What is the role of the anterior DMN in addiction?
Increased self-referential processing and linked to dopamine availability in the striatum
The anterior DMN is associated with predicting addiction risk and activity that may indicate the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder.
What is the impact of rumination and negative emotions on addiction?
Increased activity in the amygdala and habenula, decreased VS dopamine
This leads to negative reinforcement for drug use.
What occurs during the preoccupation stage of addiction?
Lower baseline activity in anterior DMN, increased reactivity to drug cues, compromised cognitive control, increased craving and relapse
These changes contribute to the cycle of addiction.
