Lecture 3- Exposure models Flashcards
What are 6 patterns of drug use?
-Drug use is relatively stable over time.
-Most illicit drug use isn’t daily. -Most drug use is by younger people. -Most drug use is by less affluent people. -Most drug use is by men. -Use patterns vary by drug and age.
What do exposure models suggest?
-Suggests that all people are at risk of addiction if given sufficient exposure.
Why do exposure models suggests all people are at risk of addiction?
This is because the drugs interact and change the brain, and these brain changes create continued motivation to use the drug.
How is withdrawal an exposure model?
Addicts continue to use drugs in order to avoid withdrawal
What is the definition of withdrawal and symptoms included?
“Withdrawal refers to the physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person reduces or stops intake of a substance, they are dependent on”.
Symptoms vary in severity and type incl craving, anxiety, distress.
Describe how Withdrawal affects drug use
-Withdrawal creates a barrier to quit due to being highly aversive.
-The initial high exhausts the reward/pleasure regions of the brain, and once the drug wears off the user goes into withdrawal so acts as form of neg reinforcement
What are 2 issues with the withdrawal model?
Relapse
Incentive models
What is relapse?
Stopping drugs under medical supervision does not always result in LT abstinence.
This means withdrawals may be triggered by external cues.
Describe how relapse affects drug use?
Environ stimuli eg corner store, bedroom are constantly paired w/ withdrawal so they become learned associations (conditioned withdrawal) that trigger withdrawal symptoms and may cause relapse.
How can removal from associated cues affect addiction?
removal from associated cues may help reduce addiction eg Vietnam war soldiers given drugs whilst away were not always addicted when came back to USA.
What is the trace phenomenon in terms of relapse?
After the drug is no longer there, they may still be thinking about the drug so may create different associations.
How do incentive models affect drug use?
-People may actually like the drug due to effects created
Describe the Incentive models
-Midbrain dopamine cells increase activity when humans or animals detect or consume both natural rewards and drugs.
-Suggests that drugs of abuse hijack the brain substrate for reward/pleasure and are consumed because drug taking is positively reinforcing through feeling of high
What is the opponent process model?
-Suggests there is a cycle of addiction
Describe the opponent process model
-The initial positive experience of drug use pos reinforces. -Subsequent neg experience in which body attempts to restore balance through withdrawal. -Repeated drug use means initial pos effects become weaker due to increased tolerance so neg effects become stronger.
What are the 2 types of tolerance?
Pharmacodynamic tolerance
Pharmacokinetic tolerance
Describe Pharmacodynamic tolerance
The drug’s effects at the cellular or receptor level become less pronounced as dopamine systems are less responsive.
Describe Pharmacokinetic tolerance
The body becomes more efficient at metabolising or eliminating the drug.
What is conditioned tolerance?
A specific location may mean you have higher tolerance eg higher in locations which you are more comfortable in.
