Lecture 10- Addiction

Question 1

Give me examples of Psychotropic Substances?

Answer 1

1) Alcohol
2) Cannabinoids
3) Sedatives
4) Cocaine
5) caffeine
6) Tobacco

Question 2

What are the effect of alcohol?

Answer 2

Increases
1) Sociability
2) Self-confidence
3) Mood
4) Relaxing

Decreases
1) distance to painful memories

Question 3

What are the effects of cannabinoids?

Answer 3

increases
1) Creativity
2) Well being
3) Calmness
4) Mood
5) Relaxation
6) Empathy

Question 4

What are the effect of tobacco?

Answer 4

Increases
1) Attention
2) Psychomotor performance
3) tolerance to stress
4) Mood
5) Relaxation

Decreases
1) Aggression
2) Nervousness
3) Fear
4) Depression

Question 5

What drives Psychoactive drug consumption?

Answer 5

1) Genetics
2) Impulsivity
3) Mental disorders
4) bad-decisions making
5) Environment

Question 6

What is the clinical definition of addiction?

Answer 6

A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to significant impairment or distress manifested by 3 or more symptoms within a 12 month period
1) Withdrawal symptoms
2) Tolerance
3) strong desire to take substance

Question 7

What is the hierarchy of substance use disorders?

Answer 7

1) Substance dependence
2) Harmful substance use
3) Hazardous use
4) Low-risk use
5) Non-user

Question 8

Name the theories of addiction?

Answer 8

opponent process theory of motivation

Incentive-sensitization model

Question 9

What is the opponent process theory of motivation?

Answer 9

Two opposing processes
1) A effect of substance building tolerance, tolerance increases, so need more to feel the effect
2) B= withdrawal, this increases as addiction develops
3) Repeated use changes allostatic state

Question 10

What does the Incentive-sensitization model suggest about addiction?

Answer 10

1) Wanting does not mean liking
2) wanting= process transforming perception by increasing attractiveness of substance
3) Liking decreases
4) Individuals becomes more hyper sensitise upon regular substance use

Question 11

What is the circuit of addiction?

Answer 11

1) Rewards-associated behaviour relies on the interplay between reward, motivation, and money-related networks
2) Non-addicted brain control is sufficient to inhibit certain behaviour
3) Addicted-brain enhances the value of the drug in regard, to memory, and motivation overcomes inhibitory control

Question 12

What is the Mesocorticolimbic pathway?

Answer 12

main circuit for reward and addiction

Question 13

What are the four main areas of the Mesocorticolimbic pathway?

Answer 13

1) Ventral tegmental area (VTA)- reward regulation
2) Nucleus accumbens: reward-action interface
3) Amygdala- emotional regulation
4) Prefrontal lobe- executive control

Question 14

What impact does substance abuse have on hormones?

Answer 14

1) substances change excitatory (Dopamine) & inhibitory (GABA neurones) activity in the VTA

Question 15

Name the three stages of the addiction cycle

Answer 15

1) Binge/ Intoxication
2) Withdrawal/ negative effect
3) Preoccupation/ anticipation

Question 16

Describe what happens in stage one of the addiction style

Answer 16

Binge
1) positive reinforcement by substance
2) Reward mediated dopamine
3) Associative learning of context cues

Question 17

Describe what happens during stage 2 of the addiction cycle

Answer 17

Withdrawal
1) Negative emotional state induces stress and anxiety
2) Decrease in endogenous opioids
3) Negative reinforcement- substance seeking to avoid withdrawal

Question 18

Describe what happens during stage three of the addiction cycle

Answer 18

Preoccupation
1) high vulnerability to relapse after prolonged abstinence ‘
2) Drug associated cues can elicit cravings
3) Disrupted PFC function (loos of control)

Question 19

What is the central neurotransmitter of addiction?

Answer 19

Dopamine

Question 20

How does addiction emerge?

Answer 20

Mesocorticolimbic circuit for reward

Question 21

How does substance use affect dopamine?

Answer 21

1) Causes slight increase in dopamine levels (measured with PET)

Question 22

What is the difference in dopamine release between biological stimuli and substances?

Answer 22

1) substances elicit stronger and longer dopamine release than natural rewards

Question 23

How is dopamine release measured?

Answer 23

availability of the dopamine receptors
lower availability = higher dopamine release

Question 24

How does chronic use of substances affect dopamine release?

Answer 24

dopamine receptors do not decrease in receptors so dopamine release decreases

Question 25

What is prediction error?

Answer 25

when individual is exposed to a stimulus but no reward occurs
DA neurones show inhibited activity

Question 26

What is the importance of prediction error?

Answer 26

1) crucial for learning and adaptation of behaviour
2) substance boost dopamine regardless of anticipation

Question 27

Describe the study for when addicts motivation when given a different award

Answer 27

1) ppts asked to indicate their motivation for a reward (Money vs Cigs)
2) occasional (OS) vs dependent smokers (DS)

OS shows more motivation for money while DS show no difference in motivation for either reward

Question 28

What structural changes does chronic addiction cause to the brain?

Answer 28

1) Brain atrophy- reduction of brain volume in PFC, Hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, only partly visible
2) heavy drinkers are more at risk of brain shrinkage

Question 29

What is delay discounting?

Answer 29

1) systematic decrease in subjective value of a reinforcer as a function of delay to delivery
2) choice between immediate vs larger delayed reward

Question 30

What is goal-directed control?

Answer 30

deliberate regulation of behaviour
- resisting to stay out late
- linked to compulsivity

Question 31

What does the incentive theory suggest about attentional bias?

Answer 31

1) drug related stimuli become salient
2) visual dot probe test found a slow reaction in smokers, as attention was drawn to the addiction related stimuli

Question 32

How is approach bias shown in alcoholics?

Answer 32

1)alcohol-dependent subjects show stronger approach tendencies to alcohol cues
2) approach tendency correlates with cravings

Question 33

What is aversive conditioning?

Answer 33

Unpleasant odours combined with cig odour vs clean air during sleep