Addiction

Question 1

refers to a behavioral pattern of drug use, characterized by overwhelming involvement with the use of a drug (compulsive use), the securing of its supply and a high tendency to relapse after withdrawal

• chronic relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful or adverse consequences

Answer 1

addiction

Question 2

it’s considered a disease because drugs change the brain’s…

• the effects can be long lasting

Answer 2

structure + function

Question 3

drugs of abuse tap into the brain’s naturally existing reward pathway…

Answer 3

mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway

Question 4

many addictive drugs cause increased dopamine action in the…

Answer 4

nucleus accumbens (NAc)

Question 5

Many addictive drugs cause increased dopamine action in the nucleus accumbens from neurons that originate in the…

Answer 5

ventral tegmental area (VTA)

Question 6

the brain adjusts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producing less and less of it, reducing the # of receptors

Question 7

• biological factors, like sex
• social factors like the amount of support the person has, having good role models, knowing the dangers of drug use
• environment like availability of drug, its use being “normalized” etc
• personality like whether or not you have a highly impulsive, thrill seeking personality

Answer 7

number of factors that increase or decrease a person’s susceptibility for addiction

Question 8

one of the areas still developing into adulthood is the ___ the part of the brain that enables us to assess situations, make sound decisions, and keep our emotions and desires under control

Answer 8

prefrontal cortex