substance abuse

Question 1

schedule I

Answer 1

no accepted medical use
- high potential for abuse

Question 2

schedule II

Answer 2

high potential for abuse which may lead to severe dependence

Question 3

schedule III

Answer 3

less potential for abuse
- may lead to moderate/ low physical or high psychological dependence

Question 4

schedule IV

Answer 4

low potential for abuse
- relative to substances in schedule III

Question 5

schedule V

Answer 5

low potential for abuse
- relative schedule IV
- contains limited quantities of certain opiates

Question 6

what makes substances addictive?

Answer 6

• positive reinforcers: euphoria
• negative reinforcers: avoiding aversive symptoms

Question 7

positive reinforcers

Answer 7

• strong reinforcement increases “work” threshold and likelihood of continued use

Question 8

breaking point

Answer 8

point at which the work is too much for a given reward

Question 9

negative reinforcement

Answer 9

• primary motivation is to alleviate the negative affect of withdrawal
• cycle is just as powerful as seeking out drugs for their rewards

Question 10

impulsive stage

Answer 10

binge intoxication -> pleasurable effects -> abstinence -> reward craving

Question 11

compulsive stage

Answer 11

prolonged intoxication -> relief -> protracted abstinence -> relief craving

Question 12

cycles of addiction

Answer 12

1. binge intoxication - characterized by impulsivity
2. withdrawal/ negative affect
3. preoccupation/ anticipation

Question 13

mesocorticolimbic dopamine

Answer 13

• dopaminergic system plays a central role in reward and reinforcement
• amygdala: emotional factors of drug use
• hippocampus : CPP, anticipation, relapse and memory
  PFC region CA1: plans use, inhibits counteractive efforts

Question 14

medial forebrain bundle

Answer 14

a collection of ascending and descending pathways that carries info from the VTA to the NAc and back

Question 15

nucleus accumbens

Answer 15

responsible for pleasure/ euphoria and critical to the development of addiction

Question 16

major NAc inputs

Answer 16

• prefrontal association areas
• basolateral amygdala
• ventral tegmental area
• CA1 region of hippocampus

Question 17

major NAc outputs

Answer 17

• basal ganglia, ventral globus
• VTA, substantia nigra, reticular formation

Question 18

NAc shell

Answer 18

• extended amygdala
• inputs from BLA and ventral subiculum

Question 19

NAc core

Answer 19

inputs from BLA and para-hippocampal regions

Question 20

prefrontal cortex

Answer 20

• synthesizes and coordinates information as it relates to drug use
• involved in planning for drug use
• involved in inhibiting behaviors that counteract drug
  use

Question 21

neuroadaptation example

Answer 21

decreased activity of reward circuit occurs during the transition from binge/intoxication to negative affect/withdrawal

Question 22

within- systems adaptions

Answer 22

• direct attempt by the brain to counteract the repeated
  drug-induced activation of that circuit
• cells will start pulling receptors from the membrane,
  releasing retroactive transmitters to slow neurotransmitter
  release

Question 23

between systems adaptations

Answer 23

• gradual recruitment of the anti-reward system
• neuroanatomical make up of the anti-reward system is the
  extended amygdala (i.e. bed nucleus of the stria terminalis,
  central nucleus of the amygdala, nucleus accumbens shell)
• norepinephrine, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and
  dynorphin are the main transmitters involved in this
  system;
• this system is in place to inhibit the reward
  system and mediate aversive effects of stress

Question 24

opponent process model

Answer 24

• any stimulus that provokes a
  strong affective reaction
  (pleasure or discomfort),
  automatically sets in motion
  an opposing affective
  response that is experienced
  after the initial stimulus
  ends
• allostatic changes gradually
  shift the hedonic setpoint

Question 25

preoccupation/ anticipation

Answer 25

dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex
Process:
- thalamus relays drug-induced stimuli to the insula (interoceptive & external stimuli)
- insula mediates the conscious awareness of these
stimuli
- projections from insula to ventro-medial prefrontal
cortex and amygdala (modulated by dopamine from
VTA), transform the interoceptive information into
feelings of pleasure and desire for the drug