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)
