neurotransmitters

Question 1

dopamine

Answer 1

• release of DA leads 2 maintenance as it helps brain recognise incentive salience
• where brain’s association between substance & reward makes you fixated on aquiring it even if you don’t like it
• DA levels may be increased in anticipation of uncertain rewards eg: winning jackpot which may make person more susceptible to risky bev

Question 2

prefrontal cortex

Answer 2

(esp 4 making memories & habit creation)

• when person engages in add bev neural pathways that connect PC to reward circuit weaken
• makes it harder for people to tame their impulses & thus abstain from their addiction
• high levels of DA can also lead to synaptic pruning which causes an individual’s attention 2 be highly focused on cues related to target substance => increasing salience

Question 3

mesolimbic pathway

Answer 3

• when person engages in addiction, pathway is activated as DA released by ventral tegmental area
• triggers sense of pleasure in nucleus accumbens which is what makes addiction feel so rewarding
• when stimulated by drugs reward system releases x10 more than DA as usual
• linked 2 near miss bias as gamblers experience same surge of DA (pathway is activated) whether they win or experience uncomfortable ‘near miss’

Question 4

serotonin

Answer 4

• cocaine blocks serotonin transporters which leads 2 an increase in conc of serotonin
• as a result receptors become more sensitive to neurotransmitter & thus release less of it
• means that in withdrawal serototonin levels will be depleted - leading to depression & anxiety
• SO will further crave euphoria associated with cocaine use (causing them to take drug as means of self-medication) contributing towards maintenance

Question 5

determinstic

Answer 5

• add is predetermined by activity of neuros in our brain
• eg: dopamine contributes towards maintenance as it helps your brain recognise incentive salience
• implies we have no control of addiction (which could lead 2 a sense of learned helplessness)
• could result in individuals being more passive in treatment - decreasing the effectiveness of those which require active engagemnt or becoming overdependent on drug therapies
• heavily focuses on role of DA eventhough research has shown that substance use affects other neuros

Question 6

nature

Answer 6

• focuses on how neurotransmitters are involved in development addiction which is a biological factor
• reducing it 2 this factor means it ignores significance of others eg: media & individual diff
• bad as could provide more insight into why despite taking same drug & experiencing same change in neuro levels, only some develop an addiction but not others

Question 7

scientific

Answer 7

• volklow, fowler & swanson: using PET imagining techniques, found decreases in DA release & D2 receptors in brains of drug addicts which may be resp 4 their decreased sensitivity 2 non-drug related stimuli
• means exp is falsifiable as can conduct scientific research 2 disprove or support theories
• allows you to determine the accuracy of findings & thus be confident when developing apps
• BUT many use animal testing (eg: olds & milner) may not provide true insight into develops as it misses social context which may add take place in

Question 8

application

Answer 8

• agonist and antagonist substitution are used to manage the effects of dopamine to mimimise withdrawal symptoms & help users stay motivated in recovery
• NICE 2007 (meta analysis of 27 studies) found the fixed dose MMT led to lower rates of self-reported illict opiod use than placebo or no treatment
• good as allows to lead more stable lives & return work
• means gov won’t have to financially support them through benefits & instead can contribute to economy
• can also make positive changes like repairing damaged family relations