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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Describe the reward circuit? Which brain regions are involved? What neurotransmitter is released? What impact does the activation of this system have on behaviour? |
VTA (ventral tegmental area) projects to the nucleus accumbens and the frontal lobe. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is released from the pre-synaptic cell. Dopamines elicits a pleasure/"feel good" response. |
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Compare and contrast dopamine release for food versus cocaine. What are the similarities? What are the differences? |
In both cases, dopamine gets released from the pre-synaptic cell onto the receptors on the post-synaptic cell, causing a pleasure experience. With cocaine, dopamine transporters get blocked, so the dopamine can not get recycled back into the pre-synaptic cell. |
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Applied: Drug A and B both block dopamine transporters. However, Drug A remains in the transporter for a longer duration. Which drug is more addictive and why? |
Drug A is more addictive because it elicits a longer pleasure response the drug B. |
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Why do dopamine receptors decrease with chronic drug use and what consequence does this have on drug addiction behaviour? |
The body adapts to the over stimulated reward system by decreasing the amount of dopamine receptors. A compromised reward system in the brain leads to a compulsion to use the drug, since other activities of daily living don't give as much pleasure anymore. |
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Applied: A new Drug R adds dopamine receptors to the nucleus accumbens. Could this drug be used in the treatment of addiction or obesity? Why or why not? |
It can reduce the compulsion to use the drug but it doesn't fix the problems that occur in the frontal lobe. Cravings for the drug will still occur and the ability to have self control is still affected. This could perhaps work for obese individuals. |
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Describe the frontal lobe? Which brain regions are located there? What neurotransmitter is released? What impact does the activation of this system have on behaviour? |
The frontal lobe is the area of the brain responsible for planning, judgement, and rational thinking. Dopamine is also the neurotransmitter released for this pathway. The activation of this system allows us to have cognitive control, motivation, and emotional responses. |
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Applied: Heath is addicted to heroin. How does this impact the activity and functioning of his prefrontal cortex? |
Reduced activity and functioning of the prefrontal cortex. |
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Who is Phineas Gage and why is his story famous? |
Some man who survived a crash but lost the functioning of his frontal lobe. He turned selfish, irritable, and irrational after the incident. Which brain region is the last to fully develop? At what age do they fully develop? What consequence does this have on behaviour? |
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Which brain region is the last to fully develop? At what age do they fully develop? What consequence does this have on behaviour? |
prefrontal cortex does not fully develop until mid 20s this makes adolescent individuals exhibit more risk-taking behavior, and it also makes them more suceptible to becoming addicted to drugs |
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What is pruning of grey matter? Why is this good? |
Similar to aging; synapse elimination makes the neural circuitry more efficient and functional; makes us more rational and better at cognitive processing |
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Which brain regions are involved in cue-based learning? How is this similar to and different from fear conditioning? |
The amygdala and ACC The ACC is not involved in fear conditioning For addiction, cue-based learned teaches us to have cravings for certain cues, while fear condition teaches us to be afraid of certain stimuli. |
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How does a rat learn to associate pressing a level with the administration of cocaine? |
The rat learns that he can press a level to administer himself the drug; he associated the lever with the reward of the drug and will eventually develop cravings for the drug |
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What happens to the anterior cingulate cortex of addicts and why? Describe the study by Wexler et al 2001. |
Addicts have increased ACC activity when they see drug related cues (e.g. a spoon), which causes cravings for the drug but also prepares the body for drug administration. 3 groups of rats control addicted rats taking a high drug dose in a familiar environment addicted rats taking a high drug dose in an unfamiliar environment In the control group, every rat had died from the high dosage. More rats had died from the unfamiliar environment condition versus the familiar environment condition. This shows that our bodies can prepare for the administration of the drug when we see familiar cues, which will help reduce the impacct of the negative effects of the drug on our bodies. |
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How do drug-related cues impact physiology? Why is this both good and bad? |
They cause cravings, which is bad. They can help prepare our bodies for the drug administration, helping to reduce the negative effects of the drugs on our bodies. |
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Why are drug addicts more likely to overdose in an unfamiliar environment? |
In an unfamiliar environment, there are no cues to signal the body to prepare for the drug. |
