Dopamine Flashcards
Who founded the ‘reward centre’ of the brain? and how did they do it?
Olds and Milner 1954, played an electrode on rats brain and found the specific area stimulated every time the rat did something pleasurable.
How does the route of the mesolimbic pathway go?
Pleasurable behaviour triggers dopamine release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), dopamine passes to nucleus accumbens where the pleasure is felt. May also reach the frontal cortex after repeated use of the same pleasurable feeling.
How does reinforcement link to the reward pathways?
More likely to repeat the behaviour if reward or pleasure is being felt so therefore an addiction can be formed.
What does maladaptive mean?
Behaviours that stop you from adapting to new or difficult circumstances.
What is the route of the mesocortical pathway
Dopamine travels from VTA to cerebral cortex which releases pleasure
What is a study that links dopamine and addictive behaviour?
Jousta et al. 2012- dopamine was increased when participants were doing a gambling task.
How dopamine affects tolerance?
Dopamine receptors become less sensitive to effects the addictive behaviour over time so the addict builds a tolerance, therefore they are more likely to engage more in the addictive behaviour to feel the same sensations.
Study linking tolerance to dopamine
Volkow et al. (1997)- decrease in D2 receptors and dopamine release after prolonged use of addictive substances therefore suggesting you need more of the addictive substance to satisfy.
addiction and withdrawal symptoms
If the individual stops participating in addictive behaviour they will experience withdrawal symptoms so addiction become more about avoiding withdrawal symptoms that it does about enjoying the behaviour.
How does the role of the frontal cortex link to addiction?
Dopamine reward pathway is the starting point for addiction but its the changes in the frontal cortex that turn the behaviour into an addiction.
How does the frontal cortex change the brain so the person is more likely to become an addict?
Linked to higher cognitive functions e.g memory. Addictive behaviours can change the brain circuits and put too much salience to addictive behaviour
Study which supports role of frontal cortex in addiction
Volkow et l. (1992)- cocaine addicts showed abnormalities in frontal cortex and impaired performance in tasks that involve frontal cortex e.g decision making.
