drug addiction study guide

Question 1

role of hypodermic syringe on drug addiction

Answer 1

• permitting the purified substances to be injected directly into the blood stream

Question 2

drug abuse

Question 3

drug dependence

Answer 3

state in which the use of a drug is necessary for either physical or psychological well-being

Question 4

early views on drug addiction (physical dependence)

Question 5

craving

Question 6

drug seeking

Question 7

relapse

Question 8

learning theory of addiction

Question 9

routes of administration

Question 10

physical dependence model

Answer 10

• once an individual has become physically dependent due to repeated drug use, attempts abstinence lead to highly unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
• relief from withdrawal symptoms promotes drug-seeking behavior through a process of negative reinforcement, thus leading ultimately to a continuous behavioral loop consisting of repeated abstinence attempts followed by relapses

initial drug use > repeated drug use > physical dependence > attempts at abstinence > withdrawal symptoms > relapse (leads back to attempts at abstinence

Question 11

positive reinforcement model

Answer 11

the model focuses on the ability of many drugs to serve as positive reinforcing stimuli. this means that consuming the drug strengthens whatever proceeding behavior was performed by organism

Question 12

incentive sensitization model

Answer 12

• a key feature of this model is the distinction between drug liking (that is, the high) and drug wanting (craving)
• over the course of developing addiction, there is a marked increase in wanting the drug even though there is no change or even small decrease in drug liking

Question 13

exposure model

Answer 13

chronic drug use leads to alterations in the brain responsible for loss of control and the other key features of addictive behavior

initial drug use > repeated drug use > altered brain function > loss of control

Question 14

susceptibility model

Answer 14

-addicts are born not made

Question 15

drug reinforcement views on addiction

Question 16

cue-induced craving

Question 17

limbic system (VTA-NAc)

Question 18

extended amygdala

Answer 18

• hippocampus and amygdala

- responsible for memories of pleasure - people places and activities associated with use

Question 19

positive reinforcers

Question 20

negative reienforcers

Question 21

role of stress on relapse

Question 22

role of stress on drug use

Question 23

role of DA receptors

Question 24

hypofrontality

Answer 24

• develops with chronic use
• reduced activity of frontal cortical structures
• normally, these structures control executive functions through glutamatergic projections back to the NAc and VTA
• brain of a cocaine user shows reduced metabolic activity of frontal lobe compared to that of a non-user

Question 25

metabolic activity

Question 26

electrical seld-stimulation

Question 27

drug self-administration

Answer 27

• drugs can serve as potent reinforcers, and they can be classically conditioned to various internal and external stimuli
• after drug self-administration is achieved, this behavior can be extinguished by withdrawing reinforcer (drug).

Question 28

loss of control

Question 29

heightened craving sensations

Answer 29

are transmitted from the frontal cortex through downstream nerve pathways that feed back onto the reward pathway

Question 30

transmitter glutamate released

Answer 30

nerve fibers that connect the frontal lobe structures with the downstream reward circuit are not primarily dopaminergic
** release the transmitter glutamate on the NAc and VTA

Question 31

hypersensitivity of the frontal cortex supports craving

Answer 31

• hypersensitivity of the frontal cortex to drugs or drug cues (learning) which develops in addiction is the basis of the phenomenon of craving
• craving is biologically mediated as increased glutamatergic reactivity within the reward circuit

Question 32

types of functional changes involved in the development of addiction

Answer 32

• alterations in dopaminergic reward systems (VTA): signal the significance or desirability of a stimulus
• the motivational circuits (the NAc, amygdala): provide incentive for obtaining the reward
• conditioning/learning pathways (hippocampus): strengthen the behaviors that obtain the reward
• the inhibitory processes (frontal lobe): normally exert control over inappropriate or destructive behavior

Question 33

agonist substitution treatment

Answer 33

prescribing a substitute drug for the abused agent

• opioid addiction
• methadone
• nicotine addiction
• nicotine lozenges, gum, patches
• alcohol addiction
• disulfiram (antabuse)

Question 34

Partial agonist substitution treatment:

buprenorphine

Answer 34

partial agonist for opiate addiction

Question 35

Partial agonist substitution treatment:

varenicline

Answer 35

α4 β2 partial nicotinic agonist for nicotine addiction

Question 36

Partial Agonist Substitution Treatment:

dopamine partial agonists

Answer 36

should provide enough DA activation to reduce the effects of withdrawal yet block the consequences of illicit stimulant use

Question 37

antagonist as treatment for addiction

Answer 37

antagonists directly block the reinforcing effect and eventually reduce the compulsive behavior

Question 38

opiate antagonists

Answer 38

naloxone
naltrexone
nalmefene

*no positive reinforcement makes adherence difficult and relapse likely

Question 39

relapse can be triggered by

Answer 39

reexperience with the drug
conditioned drug cues
stress (including withdrawal-induced reactions)