Addiction theory Flashcards
What are the two types of theories on addiction?
Exposure and adaptive.
What do adaptive theories of addiction state?
That:
- Certain individuals are vulnerable to addiction - addictive personality.
- Vulnerability allows drugs to generate addictive behaviour more readily.
Of the 8.3% of the American population who uses drugs (2002), approximately what percentage confined their use to marijuana?
55% (20% marijuana+other, 25% other drugs).
At what age does the incidence of illicit drug use peak?
16-25 - declines slowly thereafter.
What did Anthony, Warner and Kessler (1994) find?
That transition to drug abuse is variable - users are only about 3-32% likely to become dependent.
What factors does the likelihood of a person becoming dependent on a substance depend on?
The drug and their history of dependence.
Of the major drug categories, which are the most and least addictive in terms of the percentage of ever-users who become dependent on them?
Most = tobacco and heroin (31.9 and 23.1%)
Least = inhalants and psychedelics (3.7 and 4.9%)
What are the demographic and psychosocial factors related to neighbourhood that affect drug use?
- Drug availability
- Prevalence of drug use
- Population density, permanence, crime rate
What are the demographic and psychosocial factors related to family that affect drug use?
- Parental socioeconomic status
- Criminality in family
- Broken home
- Parents’ mental health
- Attachment
- Family attitude to drug use
- Poor parenting style
What are the demographic and psychosocial factors related to peers and education that affect drug use?
- Peer group social norms
- Failure at school
What did Tarter et al (2003) investigate?
Psychosocial factors in drug use.
What did Tarter et al (2003) do?
- Prospective design - 12yo children of drug dependent parents had their personality, temperament and cognitive abilities measured.
- High and low risk children were compared to counterparts without drug dependent parents.
- Assessed for drug use at 16 and 19.
What did Tarter et al (2003) find?
That ‘neurobehavioural dysregulation’ was greater in the high risk group and predicted the magnitude of drug use.
What is ‘neurobehavioural dysregulation’?
A composite score of:
- Difficult temperament (inflexible, distractible)
- Conduct disorder; oppositional defiant disorder
- ADHD
- Depression
- Disruptive behaviour (teacher ratings)
- Impaired executive cognitive function.
What are the conclusions that can be drawn from Tarter et all (2003)’s findings?
Those at risk of drug use show disorganised behaviour, which may stem from an abnormality in the frontal cortex causing poor decision making.
What does Phineas Gage’s case show regarding the link between the frontal cortex and behavioural dysregulation?
After his severe frontal lesion, showed unreliability in work, callous disregard, hypersexuality and drank heavily. However had preserved intellectual function, WM and planning.
Suggests that the frontal region is involved in decision making.
What task do people with frontal impairment have difficulty with?
The Iowa gambling task.
What is the Iowa gambling task?
4 decks of cards are presented on a computer screen, the goal is to win money. The ‘good’ decks (C and D) have a lower reward ($50) but much lower penalty ($250), the ‘bad’ decks a $100 reward and $1250 penalty.
According to Bechara et al (2000), what do people with frontal lesions do on the Iowa gambling task?
Opt for high immediate gains in spite of higher future losses.
What did Deakin et al (2004) investigate find?
That risk-taking behaviour in adolescents and adults (as determined by an automated gambling task) decreases with age.
How is frontal cortex development in adolescence related to addiction?
That the brain is still developing during adolescence - grey matter decreases as connections are pruned - and is therefore more sensitive to drugs. By the age of 20 the changes drugs caused are more likely to become hardwired as addiction by adulthood.
What did Goudriaan et al (2007) find using the Iowa gambling task?
That binge drinkers are less likely to select advantageous cards the more they drink.
Is risky decision making in adolescence the cause or consequence of addiction?
Cause - it is seen before the onset of drug use and can predict onset and magnitude - it’s a vulnerability factor.
What is the vicious circle with regard to drug abuse and frontal cortex damage?
Drug abuse causes frontal cortex damage, producing decision making deficits and causing further drug abuse - existing frontal cortex damage is exacerbated.
