OCD, ADHD, Stress, Addiction

Question 1

What do we say the four groups of symptoms of OCD are?

Answer 1

Symmetry, cleaning, hoarding (letting go of possessions), forbidden thoughts

Question 2

Percentage of pop affected by OCD

Answer 2

2%

Question 3

Genetic/environmental factors in OCD

Answer 3

Combination of both, genetic accounts for 50%

Question 4

Treatments for OCD

Answer 4

Cognitive behavioral therapy (exposure and response prevention)

Antidepressants such as SSRIs

For severe cases: brain lesion (cingulotomy)

Question 5

Percentage affected by adhd + male/female ratio

Answer 5

Prevalence rate across different communities: from 1% to 10%
Percentage of kids treated in north america: 5%
Boys are diagnosed 3x more than girls

Question 6

Genetic/environmental factors adhd

Answer 6

Both. Estimated heritability of adhd ranges from 75% to 91%.

Question 7

Meds for adhd

Answer 7

Stimulants that raise dopamine levels by blocking or reversing the dopamine reuptake transporter (ritalin and adderall)

Antidepressants may also be helpful

Question 8

Body’s responses to stress

Answer 8

Activation of sympathetic branch of autonomic nervous system (ex. Increase heart rate)

Activation of adrenal glands to release hormones in the blood (ex. Norepinephrine or cortisol).

Making nutrients stored become available

Question 9

Glucocorticoids

Answer 9

group of hormones that are important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, secred especially in times of stress (ex. Cortisol)

Question 10

Cortisol

Answer 10

Specific glucocorticoid secreted by adrenal cortex in response to stress

Question 11

What does the hypothalamus releases in response to stress to start the chain of events leading to production of glucocorticoids

Answer 11

CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone)

Question 12

Chain of events when stress starting from hypothalamus

Answer 12

1- Hypothalamus releases CRH (corticoteopin-releasing hormone)
2- CRH stimulates pituitary gland to secrete ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
3- ACTH stimulates adrenal glands to produce glucocorticoids

Question 13

Effect of glucocorticoids on stress

Answer 13

Help break down and convert proteins into glucose, make fats available for energy, increase blood flow, suppress secretion of sex hormones (stop menstruating, no erections), stimulates behavioural responsiveness, immune system stops functioning

Short-term: good, essential for survival
Long-term: not good, can lead to infertility, suppression of immune system, inhibition of growth

Question 14

Impact of maltreatment during childhood on volume of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex

Answer 14

Small reduction (7%)

Question 15

True or false: people always develop ptsd after traumatic event

Answer 15

False, most people wont develop ptsd. 30% of variance in ptsd in caused by genetics alone

Question 16

Treatment for ptsd (apart from cognitive behavioural therapy & group therapy)

Answer 16

SSRIs: good results in 1/2 patients

Question 17

Alcohol consumption in the united states

Answer 17

Not distributed equallu: 10% of the people drink 50% of the alcohol.

Genetics is a big factor

Question 18

Whats addiction and how does it work

Answer 18

Drug that reinforces people’s behavior. All reinforcers, natural or otherwise, elicit dopamine release in the striatum, particularly in the nucleus accumbens. All addictive drugs rapidly increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens.

The speed by which the brain perceives reinforcement is thought to explain the relative addictive potential of different drugs, such as heroin versus morphine

Question 19

To keep in mind thinking of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens

Answer 19

Not simple. Aversive stimuli can also trigger release of dopamine (not only addictive substances). Areas of nucleus accumbens can also promote avoidance behaviors. Complicated

Question 20

True or false: withdrawal symtpoms are always the opposite effect of what the drug gives you

Answer 20

True

Question 21

What mechanisms give rise to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms in addiction

Answer 21

Compensatory mechanisms

Question 22

What principle suggests that individuals continue to use drugs, despite negative consequences, because it alleviates uncomfortable states or sensations such as those associated with negative mood states, tension, arousal, craving or withdrawal

Answer 22

Negative reinforcement

Question 23

What happens in prefrontal cortex in addicts?

Answer 23

Gets less activated compared to healthy control subjects, perform more poorly on tasks. More difficult to have self-control

In cocaine addicts, the more cocaine they took, the less brain activity in their PFC

Question 24

Comorbity of schizophrenia, ADHD and substance abuse

Answer 24

-70-90% of schizophrenics smoke cigarettes and almost 50% are addicted to other drugs

-1/3 of cigarettes smoked by people with mentam illness

-link with abnormalities in prefrontal cortex (less activation = less self-control). Controls striatum (basal ganglia-motor control) and dopamine system

Question 25

Therapy for drug abuse: Naltrexone

Answer 25

-Long-lasting, slow onset OPIOID RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST
-reduces the high produced by opiates

Question 26

Therapy for drug abuse: Naloxone

Answer 26

-Extremely rapid (and short-lived) OPIOD RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST that reverses the effects of an opiate overdose
-immediatelh reverse effects and even elicit withdrawal symptoms
-but gets cleared in 20-80 minutes

Question 27

Therapy for drug abuse: Methadone maintenance

Answer 27

Potent opiate, similar to morphine or heroin but with a SLOWER onset and offset

Can compare it to nicotine patches, gum, vaping etc

Question 28

Therapy for drug abuse: buprenorphine

Answer 28

-most popular
-High affinity PARTIAL OPIOID RECEPTOR AGONIST. Only half activates the receptors. Normal people might feel high but will help opioid addicts

Question 29

Therapy for drug abuse: Varenicline

Answer 29

Approved to treat nicotine addiction. PARTIAL AGONIST at nicotinic receptors

just as buprenorphine is a partial agonist at opioids receptors

Question 30

Therapy for drug abuse: cocaine vaccine

Answer 30

-Person’s own immune sustem creates antibodies against the drug
-when antibodies bind to the drug ut can no longer cross the blood brain barrier

Question 31

Therapy for drug abuse: brain stimulation

Answer 31

Being tested!