neurochemistry & physiology of addiction

when the human body is continually changed by the use of drugs that alter the body's natural balance, a "new normal" is created, known as

allostasis

the emotional center of the brain that is activated when a person with an addiction sees a person, place or thing that reminds him of their addiction (e.g., needle, slot machine, white powder) is called the

amygdala

functions of the old brain

basic emotion, imprinting of survival memories, regulating respiration, heartbeat and body temperature

The most crucial neurotransmitter involved in behavioral addictions, drug use, and drug abuse is

dopamine

the more rapidly a psychoactive drug reaches its CNS target, the less the reward and the lower the reinforcing effect

false

synaptic plasticity in response to psychoactive drugs can result in

increase and decrease in the # of available neurotransmitters, increase in # of receptors and receptor sites, the ability of the synapse to change in strength & function when the pathway is overused or underused

ROA from fastest to slowest for getting drugs to the brain

inhaling, injecting (IV), mucous membrane absorption (nasal passage), oral ingestion

pharmacodynamic tolerance includes

nerve cells become less sensitive to the effects of the drugs and produce an antidote or antagonist to the drug

a person's level of emotional and physical stress can increase the ability of psychoactive drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier

true

down regulation of a brain cells receptors occurs when a person uses drugs and

the cell retracts receptor sites to slow down message transmission because there are too many neurotransmitters

the physical, mental, & emotional effects a person experiences from taking psychoactive drugs are caused by the modification or mimicking of the neurotransmitter's function

true

the historical & moral conflict between doing what an individual wants to do (primal urges) vs what he should do (common sense, reason) is mirrored in the conflict that arises between the old brain and the new brain when addictive drugs and behaviors are involved

true

cross-tolerance

when a person develops tolerance to other, similar drugs in the same category (e.g., two or more depressants such as heroin and morphine)