Adolescent Development, Drug-use and Addiction

Question 1

Define

Addiction

Answer 1

An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or another drug

Question 2

Define

Cravings

Answer 2

a powerful desire for something

Question 3

Define

Dependence

Answer 3

an issue with addiction that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions

Question 4

Define

Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex

Answer 4

an area in the prefrontal cortex of the brain of humans and non-human primates. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adulthood and is involved in executive functions such as planning and inhibition

Question 5

Define

Polygenic

Answer 5

one of a group of nonallelic genes that together control a quantitative characteristic in an organism

Question 6

Define

Temperament

Answer 6

a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour

Question 7

Define

Withdrawal

Answer 7

the unpleasant physical and mental effects that result when you stop doing or taking something, especially a drug, that has become a habit

Question 8

Definition

An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or another drug

Answer 8

Addiction

Question 9

Definition

a powerful desire for something

Answer 9

Cravings

Question 10

Definition

an issue with addiction that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions

Answer 10

Dependence

Question 11

Definition

an area in the prefrontal cortex of the brain of humans and non-human primates. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adulthood and is involved in executive functions such as planning and inhibition

Answer 11

Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex

Question 12

Definition

one of a group of nonallelic genes that together control a quantitative characteristic in an organism

Answer 12

Polygenic

Question 13

Definition

a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour

Answer 13

Temperament

Question 14

Definition

the unpleasant physical and mental effects that result when you stop doing or taking something, especially a drug, that has become a habit

Answer 14

Withdrawal

Question 15

What are the symptoms of addiction?

Answer 15

Withdrawal

Negative social effects

Cravings (pathological)

Question 16

Which areas of the brain are progressively effected with increasing drug use?

Answer 16

Mesolimbic DA → Nucleus accumbens → Dorsal striatum → Prefrontal systems → Extended amygdala

Question 17

Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with the greatest loss of control?

Answer 17

Extended amygdala

Question 18

Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with reward motivation?

Answer 18

Mesolimbic DA

Nucleus accumbens

Question 19

Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with habits?

Answer 19

Dorsal striatum

Question 20

Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with control?

Answer 20

Prefrontal systems

Question 21

Neuroplasticity in which region is associated with emotions?

Answer 21

Extended amygdala

Question 22

What effects the prefrontal systems more: substance or gambling addiction?

Answer 22

Substance addiction

Question 23

What personality traits are risk factors for substance addiction?

Answer 23

• Low extreversion
• High neuroticism
• Low consciensiousness

Question 24

Why are introverts are a greater risk of substance addiction?

Answer 24

They have a higher reward threshold

Question 25

Adolescents have larger brains than adults. Why is this not necessarily a good thing?

Answer 25

Adult brains are far more efficient due to pruning

Question 26

What region of the brain is the last to mature? What is it responsible for?

Answer 26

Dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex Responsible for exectuive functions such as planning and inhibition

Question 27

The back of the brain matures earlier than the front. What does this lead to in adolescents?

Answer 27

More emotional decisions Less planning More risky/impulsive behaviours Less consideration of negative or long-term consequences

Question 28

Why do many psychiatric disorders emerge during adolescence?

Answer 28

Due to pruning and maturation of PFC, adolescents are at high risk for psychiatric disorders at this time

Question 29

What prevention strategies work for substance-use?

Answer 29

Delaying age of onset Evidence-based prevention programs

Question 30

What prevention strategies do not work for drug-use?

Answer 30

Stigmatising at-risk groups Authoritarian style/paternalistic attitudes and campaigns

Question 31

What four temperaments are important when studying substance use?

Answer 31

Effortful control (conscienciousness) Surgency (high pleasure, low fear) Negative affect (irritability) Affilliativeness (social connections)

Question 32

What happens to negative affectivity in females from age 13 to 16?

Answer 32

It slightly increases

Question 33

What happens to effortful control from age 13 to 16?

Answer 33

It decreases

Question 34

What happens to negative affectivity in males from 13 to 16?

Answer 34

It decreases

Question 35

What element of effortful control decreases considerably from 13 to 16?

Answer 35

Inhibitory control

Question 36

True or False: People with low negative affectivity are more likely to abuse alcohol

Answer 36

True

Question 37

True or False: People with low negative affectivity are more likely to abuse canabis

Answer 37

False; People with low **consciensiousness** are more likely to abuse canabis

Question 38

What is the telescoping effect?

Answer 38

The phenomenon that females escalate faster into addiction than males do

Question 39

What is the COMT gene? Which variation makes you more vulnerable to psychosis?

Answer 39

The COMT gene is an enzyme that degrades dopamine and other catecholamines. Homozygotes with COMT Val/Val alleles have an overactive enzyme causing dopamine deficiency. This puts them at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms and could eventually develop schizophrenic-type disorders.

Question 40

What age are people at the most vulnerable to addiction?

Answer 40

15-20

Question 41

What are the two major transitions in addiction?

Answer 41

* From reward-driven behaviour to negative-emotion-driven behaviour * From top-down to bottom-up