Lecture 22 - The Cognitive Neuroscience of Addiction Flashcards
What are some common reasons people use psychoactive substances?
To relax, sleep, enhance social experiences, reduce anxiety or depression (e.g., alcohol)
To wake up (e.g., coffee)
For stimulation or social reasons (e.g., nicotine)
To improve social experiences (e.g., MDMA)
For confidence, focus, or to enhance social experiences (e.g., cocaine)
To relax or feel a sense of belonging (e.g., heroin)
What percentage of alcohol users meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder?
About 6%
Which drugs are commonly associated with addiction?
Nicotine, alcohol, amphetamine, caffeine, heroin, cocaine/crack, cannabis, prescription drugs (e.g., painkillers, benzodiazepines)
Which drugs are less associated with addiction?
MDMA, psychedelics
What behaviours are associated with addiction?
Gambling, gaming
What neurological consequences are associated with long-term drug use?
Reduced brain volume, brain hypoxia, cerebral edema, stroke, and damage to various brain regions
What are the brain changes associated with cocaine addiction?
Stroke, seizures, movement disorders, and reduced volume in the inferior portion of the frontal lobe
How does heroin use affect the brain?
Reduction in grey matter, brain hypoxia, cerebral edema, stroke, spongiform leukoencephalopathy, myelopathy
What brain regions are affected by long-term cannabis use?
Reduced brain volume in the hippocampus and amygdala
How does cannabis use impact the risk of psychosis?
Heavy cannabis use increases the risk of developing psychotic symptoms, with an odds ratio of 2.09 indicating a doubled risk
What factors contribute to the development of addiction?
Genetic factors, susceptibility, and inter-individual variability in drug use
What is cue reactivity in the context of addiction?
The influence of drug-related cues (e.g., social settings, friends) in triggering cravings and relapse in addicts
What is extinction in addiction therapy?
Reducing the strength of the association between drug-related cues and drug use by repeatedly exposing individuals to those cues without the drug
Why can relapse occur after a period of abstinence?
Exposure to old drug-related cues can trigger cravings and relapse, especially if the context changes
What is a conditioned compensatory response?
A learned physiological response that counteracts the effects of a drug, such as reduced heart rate after adrenaline injections
How does tolerance develop in addiction?
The body adapts to a drug’s effects, requiring larger doses to achieve the same effect, and this adaptation can lead to overdose in the absence of contextual cues
What is the role of dopamine in addiction?
Dopamine is involved in motivation (incentive salience) rather than pleasure, driving the desire to obtain the drug
What is the difference between ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ in addiction?
Long-term drug users report a decrease in pleasure (‘liking’) but an increase in desire (‘wanting’) for the drug, indicating a disconnect between these two processes
What is the incentive salience theory of addiction?
It suggests that dopaminergic circuits in the brain are responsible for the motivation to obtain drugs (wanting) rather than the pleasure from them (liking)
How do mental illnesses contribute to addiction?
Individuals with mental health issues may use drugs as a form of self-medication to alleviate symptoms, which can contribute to and maintain addiction
What is the connection between drug use and mental illness?
Drug use can cause mental illness (e.g., cannabis and psychosis), and mental illness can lead to drug use through self-medication
How does stress affect drug use and addiction?
Stress can decrease the delay to initiate drug use and increase the rewarding effects of the drug, reinforcing the addiction cycle
How can drug use lead to relapse in long-term users?
The repeated exposure to drug-related cues, changes in motivation, and avoidance of withdrawal symptoms all contribute to relapse
What factors complicate the understanding of addiction?
The interplay between cue reactivity, conditioned responses, and changes in motivation make it difficult to isolate a single cause for addiction
