BIOLOGICAL KEY Q AND PRACTICAL Flashcards
What is the biological key question?
How effective is drug therapy for treating addictions?
How many opiate users were in the UK in 2013-2014?
293,879 (290,000)
How many opiate users were successfully treated using drug therapy?
29,150 (29,000)
How does successful drug treatment link to biological aggression?
Suggests their is a biological link between addiction and therefor behaviour is biological
How does heroin affect the brain?
Reduces GABA levels
Increases dopamine levels in return
Affects opiod receptors reducing physical pain
How can drug therapy be used to treat heroin addiction?
Substitute prescribing
Helps avoid withdrawal effects but provides a lower high reducing addiction
How does Buprenorphine work?
Binds to opiod receptors without a perfect fit so opiods cannot
The dose is gradually reduced until it can be stopped completely
Oultine 3 strengths of bupenorphine
Makes sense that changing back the chemical changes reduces the effects
Shown to be effective in treating against heroin (West 2000)
Has advantages over other drugs (eg methadone) as its less addictive
Cost of production outweighs risks of heroin addicts being aggressive
Outline 3 weaknesses of bupenorphine
More likely to be used illicitly than methadone (West 2000)
Ceiling effect (tolerant)
Has to be taken during withdrawal
Side effects
Doesn’t tackle root problem
Outline what Li (2013) discovered
Cures for heroin in specific brain areas suggest that cues themselves affect the brain functioning
Environmental factors play a part in addiction
Outline 2 other methods of treatment for addiction
Councelling; determines why drug abuse began
Addicts Anonymous groups; social groups in same situation reduces risk of returning
Group therapy; less isolated
Outline Rat Park (2000)
Rats were placed in a lush cage and offered drugs
They refused the drugs
Addicted rats reduced drug intake once moving to rat park
