Knowledge Check #2

sensation seeking is described as being driven towards novelty and reward.

And specifically involves straddle ventral striatum brain regions.

impulsivity is described as a lack of inhibition or planning.

And specifically involves the dorsal lateral PFC brain regions. Among the two characteristics above, impulsivity is thought to confer a stronger predisposition EG, via genetic factors. Too risky behaviors such as substance abuse.

stress, trauma, and substances

Stress and trauma are implicated in addiction in multiple ways, e.g. bodily sensations that can occur in association with both are found to overlap. Similarly, the brain systems involved in both are found to overlap. Additionally, stress acts as a risk factor, including how acute stress can increase likelihood of drug relapse. For people who have struggled with addiction. Furthermore, previous or recent trauma, abuse or neglect can act as a risk factor that increases the likelihood of developing substance use problems in people who are not already struggling with addiction. Finally, heavy drug use can alter the normal functioning of the stress response.

The insula is a brain region primarily involved in this role in addiction. Of cues, syncing body related to cravings, urges, drug use and withdrawal. Salience, impulsivity to a lesser degree.

The dorsal ACC/cingulate is a brain region primarily involved in this role in addiction. Conflict, motivation, salience, and cravings, drug seeking behaviors.

The ventromedial PFC, Oh, I've seen, is that brain region primarily involved in this role and addiction, processing values, risk, stress, cravings, emotional or risky decision-making.

The dorsal lateral PFC is a brain region primarily involved in this role in addiction. Impulsivity, impaired executive functioning, lack of inhibition or planning.

Biological model suggests the vulnerability is due to an imbalance between the executive brain regions, such as the PFC and the reward brain regions. Since among them, among these two types of brain regions, the reward regions, mature faster than the Executive Regions during adolescence.

The evolutionary model is called the lifespan wisdom model. Conceptualizes the increase in risky, sensation seeking and impulsive behaviors as exploration that is developmentally appropriate to gain independence. And that the individual accumulates experiences. As the individual accumulate experiences, they're growing. Insight and executive functions help to guide better decision-making.

Cocaine, meth, amphetamine, methylphenidate, all have major impacts on which two neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine

While cocaine blocks the transporter. Meth can be particularly dangerous in some ways because it reverses or inverts the nerve. The dopamine transporter. Methamphetamines, is more social with toxicity. And dopamine cell death. Why are amphetamine methylphenidate safer than math or cocaine for treating ADHD. In terms of what happens with neurotransmitters in the brain. After taking them? The answer is, they're safer because not as much or as long as the high.

Due to dependence requiring longer term use and higher levels of use. Usually the development of tolerance precedes dependence.

Withdrawal happens once the body and the brain become dependent on the drug. Drug use is suddenly stopped, which throws the homeostasis or equilibrium in the body and brain out of whack. Symptoms usually present as the opposite of the high or main effect of the drug. E.g. stimulants will have the withdrawal symptoms that looked like the effects of taking depressants. Whereas the presence will have the withdrawal symptoms that looked like the effects of taking stimulants

amygdala brain region primarily involved in this role in addiction. Links pleasure role pleasurable aversive experiences to cues, emotional conditioning, negative affect.

hippocampus is a brain region primarily involved in this rolling addiction. Learning and memory about what cues are, drug CUE associations and conditioning.

Psychosocial programs

is likely the most important for dealing with learned and persistent queue associations and triggers.

phases of substance use disorder

preoccupation, anticipation, craving; binge intoxication phase; and also the withdrawal negative effect phase

DSM substance use disorder

risky or dangerous use. Another is impaired control or using more or for longer than intended. And the other is functional, such as work or social impairments

Typically, in drug addiction, the high reward is due to the neurotransmitter dopamine being released in the nucleus accumbens, which is caused by the firing of cells originating in aka projecting from the ventral tegmental area. The ventral striatum is associated with sensation seeking and reward,

whereas the dorsal striatum is more associated with the habitual drug use. Once it becomes compulsive. Addiction sets in. Drug associations or cravings or seeking behaviors are maintained by glutamatergic modulation, a frontal and limbic regions.

Nicotine is considered a stimulant and depressant sedative type of drug. And is additionally unique because it binds to nicotinic cholinergic acetylcholine receptors in the mesolimbic pathway. Nicotine and alcohol appear to have secondary pleasure relaxation effects by causing additional release of endogenous opioid neurotransmitters, in addition to dopamine

Benzodiazepines were intended to primarily treat anxiety or insomnia symptoms. But alcohol impacts multiple neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol and benzodiazepines, barbiturates are similar in their major impact is on the gaba neurotransmitter system, which causes overall depression, suppression or inhibition of the central nervous system. The same neurotransmitter system also acts in the reward circuit. Similarly for both substances. Activity of this neurotransmitter system is reduced in the ventral tegmental area by the substance. This allows a release or increase in the firing of the dopamine neurons in this region, which then cause an increase in the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens

So tolerance involves me more of the drug or other substance to get the same high or effects. In the brain, tolerance involves a depression or suppression or inhibition of the main reward circuit and is associated with an increase in the transcription factor. Creb. Sensitization involves increased sensitivity to cues, drugs or drug use. Even after long periods of abstinence, which plays a major role in the high rates of relapse and the chronicity of addiction and is associated with an increase in the transcription factor delta phos B.

Dependence involves the body and the brain adopting or accommodating to the new internal environment created by chronic high levels of drug use. To do this, the body and the brain will change the amount of the neurotransmitter or receptors. Eg involving gaba to modify neurotransmission in order to function normally

Positive reinforcement is when a behavior causes something positive or good or pleasant to be added, which increases that behavior. An example is when rewarding or euphoric effects of taking drugs. The positive thing, increasing likelihood of future drug use

Negative reinforcement is when a behavior causes something negative or bad or unpleasant to be taken away, which increases that behavior. An example is when withdrawal symptoms or the negative thing and taking drugs or moves them, increasing likelihood of future drug use.