OCD, ADHD, Stress, Addiction Flashcards
What do we say the four groups of symptoms of OCD are?
Symmetry, cleaning, hoarding (letting go of possessions), forbidden thoughts
Percentage of pop affected by OCD
2%
Genetic/environmental factors in OCD
Combination of both, genetic accounts for 50%
Treatments for OCD
Cognitive behavioral therapy (exposure and response prevention)
Antidepressants such as SSRIs
For severe cases: brain lesion (cingulotomy)
Percentage affected by adhd + male/female ratio
Prevalence rate across different communities: from 1% to 10%
Percentage of kids treated in north america: 5%
Boys are diagnosed 3x more than girls
Genetic/environmental factors adhd
Both. Estimated heritability of adhd ranges from 75% to 91%.
Meds for adhd
Stimulants that raise dopamine levels by blocking or reversing the dopamine reuptake transporter (ritalin and adderall)
Antidepressants may also be helpful
Body’s responses to stress
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
Glucocorticoids
group of hormones that are important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, secred especially in times of stress (ex. Cortisol)
Cortisol
Specific glucocorticoid secreted by adrenal cortex in response to stress
What does the hypothalamus releases in response to stress to start the chain of events leading to production of glucocorticoids
CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone)
Chain of events when stress starting from hypothalamus
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
Effect of glucocorticoids on stress
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
Impact of maltreatment during childhood on volume of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex
Small reduction (7%)
True or false: people always develop ptsd after traumatic event
False, most people wont develop ptsd. 30% of variance in ptsd in caused by genetics alone
Treatment for ptsd (apart from cognitive behavioural therapy & group therapy)
SSRIs: good results in 1/2 patients
Alcohol consumption in the united states
Not distributed equallu: 10% of the people drink 50% of the alcohol.
Genetics is a big factor
Whats addiction and how does it work
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
To keep in mind thinking of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens
Not simple. Aversive stimuli can also trigger release of dopamine (not only addictive substances). Areas of nucleus accumbens can also promote avoidance behaviors. Complicated
True or false: withdrawal symtpoms are always the opposite effect of what the drug gives you
True
What mechanisms give rise to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms in addiction
Compensatory mechanisms
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
Negative reinforcement
What happens in prefrontal cortex in addicts?
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
Comorbity of schizophrenia, ADHD and substance abuse
-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
