Impulse Control Flashcards
What changes occurred in Phineas Gage after his accident?
He returned to full health apart from personality changes, including being fitful, irreverent, profane, and impatient of restraint or advice.
Who is credited with the birth of psychosurgery, and what was a common procedure?
Antonio Egas Moniz. Lobotomies were common but often had varied and crude outcomes.
What drug marked the end of lobotomies for mental illness treatment?
The antipsychotic Thorazine.
What is the role of the frontal cortex, according to Robert Sapolsky?
It helps choose the harder but better option when faced with a choice.
What is the Iowa Gambling Task?
A task where participants choose from four decks of cards, with two offering short-term gain and long-term loss (non-advantageous) and two offering short-term loss and long-term gain (advantageous).
What are the three characteristics of addiction?
- Compulsive drug seeking and taking.
- Inability to stop and high relapse rates after cessation.
- Drugs become more wanted but less liked over time
What percentage of people who try illicit drugs develop an addiction?
Approximately 5-10%.
What is the meso-limbic dopamine system?
A key brain system involved in reward and pleasure.
How does long-term drug use affect the brain?
It leads to structural changes in the brain, such as reduced cortical gray matter volume and changes in dendritic spines, which can increase impulsive behavior.
How does impulsivity relate to drug addiction?
Long-term drug use may increase impulsivity, and pre-existing impulsive traits may increase the risk of drug use.
What is the prefrontal model of addiction?
The prefrontal cortex is involved in impulsive decision-making and inhibitory control. Drugs cause long-lasting changes in brain regions, leading to increased impulsivity and risk-taking behavior.
What was observed in PET scans of cocaine users?
Reduced orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) function during protracted withdrawal compared to control subjects.
What is delay discounting, and how is it affected in methamphetamine users?
Delay discounting is the preference for smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards. Methamphetamine users more quickly choose the smaller-immediate reward.
How has the number of mental disorders in the DSM evolved over time?
From 108 in the first edition (1952) to 354 in DSM-IV (1994). The DSM-5 adjusted criteria rather than significantly changing the number of disorders.
What issue has arisen with the expansion of the DSM?
Diagnostic inflation, potentially increasing diagnoses by up to 28%.
