Physiological Psychology Lecture #4 Flashcards
Positive Reinforcement
Add something to the environment.
Negative Reinforcement
Remove something form the environment.
The regions that substances effect
- Basal Ganglia
- Amygdala
- PFC
Basal Ganglia and Substance Exposure
Repeated exposure = decrease sensitivity = tolerance.
Amygdala and Substance Exposure
Withdrawal feelings = motivation to seek out substances.
PFC
Reduced impulse control.
Adolescence = 50% of substance abuse, increase severity and polysubstance use disorder.
What structures are involved in the reward system?
- Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
- Nucleus Accumbens
- Amygdala
- Hippocampus
- Prefrontal cortex
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
Dopamine rich nucleus that mediates reward system.
- Located in midbrain.
- Sends dopamine to the nucleus accumbens, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
Increases VTA pathways–implicated in OCD.
Nucleus Accumbens
Involved in all motivational-relevant stimuli = rewarding or aversive.
Amygdala
Happiness and enjoyment.
Anxiety, irritability, and unease-withdrawal feelings = motivation to seek out substances.
Hippocampus
Memory and learning.
Prefrontal Cortex
Reasoning, problem-solving, impulse control, creativity, perseverance.
Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway
Route between VTA, nucleus accumbens, and limbic system.
- Key pathway in pleasure and reward.
- Substance use.
Mesocortical Dopamine Pathway
Route between VTAA/nucleus accumbens, and PFC
Stress
Increase in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
- Strengthens the amygdala
- Weakens he hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
Results in:
- Negative emotional state
- Lack of executive control = increase in risk of relapse.
- Memory of relief/cravings.
Is stress a universal construct?
- East Asians: increase in interdependence which results in increase in psychosocial distress.
- Expressions of Stress:
Chinese, Japanese, Korean = emphasis in physical symptoms.
North Americans = emphasize psychological symptoms of stress.
Neural Effects
Cocaine, pathological gambling, nicotine = decrease in gray matter in PFC.
Hypofrontality
Decrease in PFC activity.
- Seen commonly in schizophrenia.
- High comorbidity with SUDs