Intro to Addiction Flashcards

1
Q

terminology: drug, recreational drug use, drug misuse

A

drug = administered substance that alters physiological functioning
recreational drug use = drug used to experience its effects
drug misuse = drug that is not used as intended

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2
Q

drug classification (6)

A
  1. CNS depressants
  2. CNS stimulants
  3. opiates
  4. cannabinoids
  5. hallucinogens
  6. inhalants
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3
Q

CNS depressants (3)

A
  1. alcohol
  2. barbiturates
  3. sedatives
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4
Q

CNS stimulants (4)

A
  1. cocaine
  2. amphetamines
  3. caffeine
  4. nicotine
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5
Q

opiates (4)

A
  1. heroin
  2. oxycodone
  3. morphine
  4. methadone
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6
Q

hallucinogens (4)

A
  1. lsd (acid)
  2. mescaline
  3. psilocybin (mush)
  4. mdma
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7
Q

inhalants (4)

A
  1. aerosol sprays
  2. glues
  3. paint thinner
  4. gasoline
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8
Q

what is addiction (4)

A

chronic (1), relapsing (2) brain disorder characterized by a compulsive desire (3) to use a drug despite catastrophic consequences (4)

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9
Q

what does addiction involve (3)

A
  1. compulsive use in the face of consequences
  2. decreased pleasure from the drug
  3. loss of control over use
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10
Q

biological basis of addiction

A

disrupts the normal, healthy functioning of organ in the body (like diabetes and the pancreas) -> abnormalities in brain anatomy, function and chemistry

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11
Q

addiction cycle phases (3)

A
  1. binge/intoxication -> drug is being consumed
  2. withdrawal/negative affect -> drug is ceased
  3. preoccupation/anticipation -> drug-seeking behavior
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12
Q

brain regions associated with each phase in the addiction cycle (3)

A
  1. binge/intoxication -> basal ganglia (reward center)
  2. withdrawal/negative affect -> extended amygdala
  3. preoccupation/anticipation -> PFC
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13
Q

summary of binge/intoxication phase (4)

A
  1. DA released in reward centers (BG) of the brain
  2. brain becomes hypersensitive to drug cues -> strong feelings of craving
  3. increased craving for drug + decreased liking of drug
  4. cue-craving association stored in brain as enduring memory; relapse is possible even after long abstinence
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13
Q

role of DA in addiction (3)

A
  1. DA = motivation to repeat behaviors that help us survive (learn smth new -> DA release)
  2. drugs cause unnaturally large releases of DA in BG = creates motivation to consume the drug again
  3. assigns salience to drug and drug-related things (cues)
  4. DA facilitates consolidation of maladaptive memory traces connected to drug in the hippocampus
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13
Q

what brain pathway facilitates natural and drug rewards and reinforcement

A

mesolimbic pathway

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13
Q

activation of VTA neurons creates

A

increased levels of DA in NAc

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13
Q

what is the mesolimbic pathway

A

dopaminergic pathway connecting VTA to NAc

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14
Q

DA levels in reward centers when consuming high vs low fat diet

A

greater DA release when consuming high fat diet

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15
Q

graphical elements that show level of addiction severeness

A
  1. peak of DA
  2. how fast it reaches the peak and how fast it drops
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16
Q

what is the capture rate

A

% of people who became addicted after trying drug / % of people who tried the drug (likelihood of becoming dependent if use drug)

17
Q

drug with the highest capture rate

A

tobacco

18
Q

influence of DA on salience (3)

A
  1. drug = high value
  2. drug-related things (people, places, contexts, etc.) = high value
  3. other aspects of life = lower value
19
Q

how do cues work (4)

A
  1. attention is automatically driven to cues
  2. brain is conditioned to expect reward after seeing cue
  3. leads to strong feeling of craving
  4. compulsion to satisfy craving at /any expense/
20
Q

results of testing brain hypersensitivity to drug cues (control vs CUD+ vs CUD-A)

A
  1. control = strong activity when pleasant and unpleasant images; no activity when cocaine-related
  2. CUD+ = weak activity when pleasant images; high activity when cocaine-related
  3. CUD-A = high activity when pleasant, unpleasant and cocaine-related images
21
Q

what explains that SUD people find natural rewards less important

A

less brain hypersensitivity to pleasant images

22
Q

what explains that abstinent SUD people can still relapse

A

high brain hypersensitivity to cocaine-related images (cues)

23
Q

what is tolerance

A

with repeated drug use over time, same amount of drug is not producing same effect (need higher dose to achieve same effect)

24
Q

molecular-level changes in brain due to drug use and consequence

A

DAr downregulation -> tolerance (too much DA release, brain wants to keep homeostasis so decreases # of DAr: high is not as high, start using more)

25
Q

over time, characteristics of addiction (2)

A
  1. increased wanting of drug
  2. decreased liking of drug
26
Q

relationship bw liking and wanting systems

A
  1. under normal circumstances, work in sync
  2. repeated drug use disturbs balance (separate psychological processes w/ independent mechanisms)
27
Q

events of withdrawal phase (3)

A
  1. “coming down” from high
  2. body feels (physiological) its absence
  3. withdrawal symptoms
27
Q

when do DA neurons become active in addiction

A

anticipation of reward leads to DA release; DA neurons in VTA activated when reward is expected (provides motivational drive)

28
Q

how can withdrawal symptoms vary (3)

A
  1. drug
  2. duration of use
  3. consumption pattern
29
Q

withdrawal symptom ex (12)

A
  1. sweating
  2. nausea
  3. trembling
  4. irregular sleep patterns
  5. irritability
  6. mood swings
  7. body aches
  8. chills
  9. cravings
  10. vomiting
  11. anxiety & depression
  12. seizures
30
Q

onset, peak and duration of withdrawal symptoms

A

usually between 4-12 hours after last use; peak 1-2 days later; last weeks to months

31
Q

why do withdrawal symptoms drive drug use

A

drug use relieves symptoms (back to homeostasis)

32
Q

role of the PFC (3)

A
  1. executive function
  2. performs reasoning
  3. weighs pros and cons
33
Q

PFC in addiction (3)

A
  1. reduced ability to inhibit impulsive behavior
  2. stop signals are very weak
  3. smaller PFC associated with greater lifetime drug use
34
Q

effect of weak stop signals from PFC

A

drive to use drug surpasses ability to inhibit drug use

35
Q

what is drug dependence

A

chronic drug use that results in physiological changes that will lead to the occurrence of negative symptoms (withdrawal) when drug is ceased

36
Q

physical vs psychological dependence

A

physical = tolerance; withdrawal symptoms when stop use
psychological = subjective feeling that need drug to maintain feeling of well-being

37
Q

what is SUD

A

problematic pattern of use that impairs functioning (>2 criteria must be met within 1 year)

38
Q

risk factors for problematic substance use (5)

A
  1. genetics/family history
  2. environment/stress -> early-life trauma (childhood experiences)
  3. personality -> impulsivity, novelty-seeking, risk-taking
  4. comorbidity
  5. age -> younger ~ greater risk
39
Q

why is drug use during adolescence riskier than in adulthood

A

brain doesn’t finish developing until 25 years old (last part of brain to develop is PFC)

40
Q

adolescent brain characterized by (2)

A
  1. high functioning reward system: GO signals (reward center sensitive to reward)
  2. underdeveloped PFC: STOP signals (less ability to inhibit risky behaviors)
41
Q

adolescent drug use may prime the brain for (3)

A
  1. cognitive problems (improper development of PFC)
  2. psychiatric disorders
  3. addiction
42
Q

treatments for addiction (3)

A
  1. pharmacological treatments
  2. psychosocial treatments (CBT, MI, etc.)
  3. neuromodulation (rTMS, TCDS)
43
Q

does the brain recover with abstinence (3)

A
  1. increased activity in reward brain regions
  2. increased GMV in PF brain regions
  3. connection with cues stays present