reward and addiction in the brain Flashcards

1
Q

what 3 components compromised dependency syndrome(addiction)?

A

-tolerance
-dependence
-withdrawal

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2
Q

what are the 3 reward circuitry links in dopaminergic pathways linking?

A

1.ventral tegmental area
2.nucleus accumbens
3.cortical and limbic areas

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3
Q

what is dependency syndrome described as ?

A

relapsing-remitting disorder

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4
Q

what is relapsing-remitting disorder?

A

comprising behaviours that are performed in a compulsive manner, in spite of the potential for self-harm

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5
Q

Dependence

A

reliance on a substance or behaviour and many think that this is synonymous with addiction

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6
Q

what can 2 things can dependence be categorised by?

A

1.psychological dependence
2.physical dependence

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7
Q

tolerance(basic chemical approach)

A

describes the requirement for increasing amount of drug/behaviour to elicit the same level of positive reinforcement (‘high’) as that experience during previousexposures to the substance/behaviour

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8
Q

what happens during tolerance , the first time someone takes a drug?

A

1.firstly theres a positive effect of the drug when you take it the first time
2.then it will go down -where there could be a little negative effect as an individual comes of the drug
3.then it goes back to normal

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9
Q

what 3 forms does tolerance take?

A

1.acute
2.chronic
3.learned

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10
Q

Acute(or short-term

A

tolerance is usually caused by repeated exposure to a drug over a relatively short period of time, e.g. repeatedly using cocaine over a single night results in a rapid decrease in the ‘highs’ perceived

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11
Q

Chronic (or long-term

A

tolerance develops as a result of constant exposure to a substance over a prolonged period of time, e.g. prescription opioid use that over weeks or months can lead to increasing doses needed

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12
Q

Learned

A

results from frequent exposure to substances that become integrated into the normal behavioural routines, e.g. some people who abuse alcohol often seem unaffected by the substance (the so-called ‘high-functioning’ people in lay terms), learning to compensate for the effects of alcohol over time.

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13
Q

Withdrawal

A

describes the effects of removal of subject of dependence. It is different from the rebound dip in mood/behaviour often called the ‘crash’ that occurs immediately followingwear-off of the positive effects of the drug/behaviour

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14
Q

2 types of withdrawal linked to dependence?

A

1.physical
2.psychological

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15
Q

Drug-seeking/Craving behaviours

A

the anticipation of obtaining/taking a drug prior to its use.

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16
Q

Binging/intoxication behaviours

A

broadly covers taking the substance, the ‘highs’ and also includes issues of tolerance and dependence

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17
Q

Withdrawal behaviours

A

negative effects of removal of the dependent substance.

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18
Q

how does dependency develop ?

A

Intoxication activates the reward pathways:
Nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum

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19
Q

what are the activation of cognitive and emotional circuits of the forebrain?

A

pleasure centres

20
Q

binge circuitry

A

-basal ganglia(striatum and globus pallidus
-thalamus

21
Q

what does withdrawal lead to ?

A

Rapid decrease in mood and increase of negative effects - even though the plasma concentration relatively high.

22
Q

what are negative effects of withdrawal

A
23
Q

Preoccupation/anticipation

A

Activation of association areas lead to ‘remembering’ that the bad feeling are reversed by doing the behaviour.

24
Q

how does the cycle of dependency work?

A

repeating cycles of binge-withdrawal-craving associated with misuse of substances forms the basis of habit formation

25
Q

in the cycle of dependency what does plasticity alter?

A

neuronal composition at all levels of the system

26
Q

what 3 ways do changes in levels during cycle of dependency occur?

A

1.epigenetic
2.cellular
3.structural

27
Q

opioid receptors

A

shown to alter as a result of dependency, with more κ (kappa) receptors being made (associated with more psychological effects) compared to μ (mu) receptors.

28
Q

are addictive behaviours heritable ?

A

Most addictive behaviours are moderately to highly heritable

29
Q

what inheritance is dependency most likely through?

A

polygenic inheritance

30
Q

what does it mean when behaviours can be readily activated on relapse?

A

Most addictive behaviours are moderately to highly heritable

31
Q

what does the transtheoretical modal-stages of change describe ?

A

the processes that individuals go through whilst attempting to alter their behaviour. It is used as a framework to aid development of appropriate support mechanisms to enable achievement of the individuals goals.

32
Q

what 5 stages does the transtheoretical modal have?

A

1.Pre-contemplation
2.Contemplation
3.Preparation
4.Action
5.Maintenance

33
Q

what is the precontemplation stage include?

A

no recognition of need for or interest in change

34
Q

what is the contemplation stage ?

A

thinking about changing

35
Q

what is the action stage ?

A

adopting new habits

36
Q

what is the maintenance stage?

A

ongoing to practice of new, healthier behaviour

37
Q

what 3 approaches are used to reduce usage and harm for substances of misuse?

A

1.Detoxification (withdrawal)
2.Substitution
3.Harm-reduction

38
Q

what is detoxification(withdrawal), substitution and harm-reduction ?

A

aimed at changing behaviour patterns which reduce usage and impact of using on health

39
Q

Opioid dependency management- what is pharmacological intervention in help?

A

helping patients move away from dependency

40
Q

what opioids are useful in substitution therapy?

A

1.Beuperenorphine
2.methadone

41
Q

what antagonist can reduce relapse?

A

naltrexone

42
Q

Many mechanisms are employed to help improve compliance ?

A

1.Random urinalysis
2.Daily pick-up/Instalment prescriptions
3.Titrate doses against symptoms
4.Psychosocial support

43
Q

Reward

A

feeling (high) experienced after performing a specific behaviour

44
Q

Positive reinforcement

A

makes it more likely to be repeated and become a habit

45
Q

what happens in the tolerance stage when the individual repeatedly takes the drug?

A

1.the positive effect drops of overtime with repeated use
2. negative effects tend to get bigger

46
Q

detox

A

controlled withdrawal from a dependency

47
Q

why is there a crash after the high of taking a drug?

A

there are changes in the region of the brain that are controlling these types of behaviours
-this is due to neural circuitry which is underpinning these behaviours -this is the interplay between pre-frontal cortex and negative emotions e.g amagydala