Terminology Of Drugs Of Abuse

Front 1

Stimulus

Back 1

An environmental event that produces a change in the behaviour of an organism.

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Response

Back 2

The behavioural consequence of presenting a stimulus to an organism

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Positive Reinforcer

Back 3

Stimulus that increases the frequency of behaviour that leads to its presentation

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Negative Reinforcer

Back 4

Stimulus that increases frequency of behaviour that prevents or terminates its presentation

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Discriminative Stimulus

Back 5

Cueing stimulus, indicating occasions when a response will be reinforced.According to malott (2007) discriminative stimulus is 'a stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced'

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Aversive Stimulus

Back 6

A stimulus causing an organism to behave so as to minimize exposure to it (as in negative reinforcement or punishment procedures)

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Extinction

Back 7

Extinction is a form of inhibitory learning that suppresses a previously conditioned response. drug seeking is a conditioned response.

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Conditioned response

Back 8

Drug seeking is a conditioned response that can lead to maladaptive behaviour when expressed inappropriately, manifesting as addiction.

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Substance abuse

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Is characterized by recurrent and clinically significant adverse consequences related to the repeated use of substances, such as:Failing to fulfill major role obligationsUsing drugs in situations where it is physically hazardousOccurrence of substance related legal problemscontinued use despite legal, social or interpersonal issues problems

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Craving

Back 10

An intense desire to re-experience the effects of a psychoactive substance. craving is the cause of relapse after long periods of abstinence.

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Physiological/psychological dependence

Back 11

Outdated term referring to physical tolerance and withdrawal syndrome

Front 12

Relapse

Back 12

The resumption of drug seeking or drug taking behaviour after a period of abstinence. Priming, environmental cues can trigger the resumption of drug taking. stress is another major factor.Triggered by stress or being in a situation where there are environmental cues making you want to have that substance.

Front 13

Priming

Back 13

Refers to a new exposure to a formerly abused substance. This exposure can precipitate rapid resumption of abuse at previous levels of higher.

Front 14

Sensitisation

Back 14

Non associative learning process in which repeated administrations of a stimulus results in the progressive amplification of a response.usually characterised as an enhancement of a response to a whole class of stimuli in addition to the one that is repeated.Sensitisation also refers to persistent hypersensitivity to the effect of a drug in a person with a history of exposure to that drug.it is one of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in craving and relapse.