drug addiction

Question 1

addiction

Answer 1

Addiction is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by repeated consumption of drug, natural or synthetic

Question 2

signs of addiction

Answer 2

Cravings
* Physical dependence
* Tolerance
* Withdrawal symptoms
* Poor judgement
* Financial trouble
* Neglect responsibilities
* Develop unhealthy friendships

Question 3

olds and Milner 1954

Answer 3

• Showed that there were probably pleasure centres in the brain which are part of our
  normal motivation system.
• Rats would press a lever to receive a reward of mild electrical stimulation to this part of
  the brain.
• They would continue to press the lever in preference to other possible rewards such as
  food, drink or sexual activity and would even cross a grid with a painful electric current
  passing through it to reach the lever and receive the pleasurable stimulation.

Question 4

desensitisation

Answer 4

If the receptor is constantly stimulated by extra neurotransmitter than it will have a diminished responsiveness (analogy: the radio volume turned up so you stopped listening) (caused by down-regulation). This means you end up having to take more drugs.

Question 5

withdrawal

Answer 5

the group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in intake of medications or recreational drugs. E.g. anxiety or jumpiness, shakiness or trembling, sweating, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, depression, irritability, fatigue or loss of appetite and headaches

Question 6

heroin

Answer 6

Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine
* When opioids bind to these opiate-specific receptors within the brain, they are able to
decrease the body’s perception of pain and elevate mood by increasing levels of
dopamine
* When the body is introduced to heroin, the body gets flooded with these opioids, leading
to enormously high levels of dopamine

Question 7

cocaine

Answer 7

blocking the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine,
norepinephrine, and serotonin.
* By binding to the transporters that normally remove the excess of these
neurotransmitters from the synaptic gap, cocaine prevents them from being reabsorbed
by the neurons that released them and thus increases their concentration in the
synapses.
* As a result, the natural effect of dopamine on the post-synaptic neurons is amplified.
* The group of neurons therefore produces much more dependency (from dopamine),
feelings of confidence (from serotonin), and

Question 8

nicotine

Answer 8

nicotine is shaped similarly to acetylcholine, it can fit in the same receptors and
act just like acetylcholine. After repeated use of nicotine, there is more activity at the
acetylcholine receptors than usual because the receptors are being activated by both
acetylcholine and nicotine.
* This change in balance causes the brain to “think” there is too much acetylcholine and
react by reducing the number of receptors and releasing less acetylcholine into the
synapse. The brain now needs nicotine to maintain normal functioning.
* Nicotine also causes an increase in the release of dopamine from neurons located in the limbic system

Question 9

alcohol

Answer 9

it is a depressant.
-Alcohol suppresses the release of glutamate,
resulting in a slowdown along your brain’s highways.
Drugs like Xanax and Valium (and other benzodiazopenes) increase GABA production in the brain, resulting in sedation. Alcohol does the same thing by increasing the effects of GABA.
* it suppresses the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and increases the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.
* Increases the release of dopamine