Explanations for nicotine addictions Flashcards
what are the 2 explanations to nicotine addictions
- brain neurochemsitry
- learning theory
what is the nicotine paradox
the fact that nicotine has both stimulant and relaxation effects
what is the relaxation from the nicotine paradox due to
smokers alleviating a state of mild nicotine withdrawal - allowing nicotine level to return to normal
what kind of general effects does nicotine have
tranquilisation, decreased irritability, increased alertness, better cognitive function
what is the brain reward pathway
heightened dopaminergic activity as a result of nicotine intake
what is dopamine and what effect does it have
neurotransmitter - feelings of pleasure
how long does nicotine take to reach peak levles in the bloodstream
10 second
why does nicotine become addictve
it activates areas of the brain that regulate feelings of pleasure
where does nicotine attach to neurons in the brain
ventral tegmental area (VTA)
where does dopamine get released from in the brian
nucleus accumbens (NAc)
what triggers the release of dopamine in the NAc
nicotine attaching to the neurons in the VTA
apart from dopamine, what other neurotransmitters are released when nicotine is taken in
- GABA
- glutamate
what is glutamate and what effect does it have
neurotransmitter, speeds up the activity of neurons (dopamine release) in the NAc
what is GABA and what effect does it have
neurotransmitter, its meant to inhibit dopamine by slowing down neural activity
what effect does nicotine have on glutamate
increases it
what effect does nicotine have on GABA
lowers it
what effect does the combination of the inhibition of GABA and increase in glutamate have
amplification of the rewarding properties of nicotine
what is monoamineoxidase (MAO) and what effect does it have
an enzyme, responsible for breaking down dopamine
how long does the effect of dopamine last
a few minutes
what inhibits MAO
something in the cig smoke
what effect does the inhibition of MAO have
higher dopamine levels, strengthening the addiction by maintaining the feelings of pleasure
summarise the brain neurochemistry explanation for nicotine addiction in 8 steps
1 - nicotine paradox exists
2 - brain reward pathway
3 - peak levels of nicotine
4 - VTA nicotine to neurons
5 - NAc dopamine release
6 - increase glutamate
7 - decrease GABA
8 - decrease MAO
how does learning theory explain nicotine addiction
characterises it into 3 steps
what are the three steps to nicotine addiction in learning theory
1 - initiation
2 - maintenance
3 - relapse
when does learning theory suggest nicotine addiction starts
when people first experiment with smoking
what does learning theory suggest makes young people expect positive impacts from smoking
observing role models (parents/siblings/friends) and the vicarious reinforcement they experience
what does operant conditioning say about rewarded behaviours
they will increase in frequency
why do individuals who smoke get reigforced by the behaviour of smoking
nicotine peaks in the bloodstream in less than 10 seconds
what is the intiation part of learning theory
addiction begins when first try smoking - rewarding experience so try again
what is the maintenance part of learning theory
smoking continues due to operate conditioning and the positive reinforcement
why do people experience positive reinforcement from smoking
it provides them with relief after mild withdrawal symptoms
why do most people maintain their smoking habit
to avoid negative symptoms from the mild withdrawal
what symptoms might people get from the mild withdrawal from smoking
anxiety, irritability, low modd
why do people crave another cigarette
for the relief of mild withdrawal symptoms
what is the cue reactivity in learning theory
smokers associating situations with the rewarding effects of nicotine which triggers a craving
how are associations made between smoking behav and situations
classical conditioning
give examples of situations that get associated with smoking behav
- meeting with friends
- being at a pub
if dopamine levels drop, what effect does the presence of cues have
means the individual feels more need to smoke
