Nucleus accumbens

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States and it is known to be green and dried shredded plants called Cannabis sativa also known as a hemp plant (NIDA 2016). The most common user of Marijuana are young adults and adolescents typically in either middle or high school (NIDA 2016). Marijuana is known for many slang terms such as weed, pot, bud, ganja, Mary Jane and can be smoke by rolling it in a cigarette called a joint, smoked through a pipe, bongs, or smoke in a…

The evolution of amphetamines has seemed to produce a negative influence on current society and our world today. This occurred from the minor influence amphetamines began with as an ancient Chinese herbal remedy, but with the strong biological influence it produced and a change in chemical properties to a synthetic based drug amphetamines have produced more negative turmoil for users. The influence of amphetamines have in society can also be attributed to the natural greed of those producing it,…

The pathophysiology of methamphetamine abuse and addiction Introduction Addiction is a neurological disorder that impairs reward system in the brain (Peter and Charles, 2007). Methamphetamine is the second most illicitly abused drug after Cannabis in Australia (McKetin et al., 2009). It is one of the most powerful and addictive stimulant that causes brain dysfunctions. Methamphetamine increases release of neurotransmitter dopamine that is involved in reward and generation of pleasurable emotions…

Environmental Bridges and Nicotine Marissa L. Ciluffo University of North Alabama Abstract Nicotine is an addictive parasympathomimetic alkaloid that is found in products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and snuff. When someone consumes nicotine, either through smoking, inhaling, or chewing, specific neurotransmitter actions take place within the body and brain. Acetylcholine is replaced by nicotinic receptors, in the neurons, causing the membrane to become…

Introduction 1. Neuroplasticity in general Neuroplasticity is defined as changes in neuron circuits resulting from experience. The brain can be seen as a network of neurons as neurons are connected by thousands of synapses. Our brains make and break the connections between neurons in response to outside stimulation and this action gives us unlimited potential to change both structurally and functionally. For example, the size of the structure in our brains might change because of some outside…

Medicated Assisted Treatment: A Starting Phase to Recovery Between 26 and 36 million people abuse opioids in the world (Volkow 2014) and every nineteen minutes someone in the United States dies from an opioid overdose (CDC 2012). A person often continues their use of opioids despite negative consequences due to the fear of withdrawal and lack of coping skills. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction is an option which stops withdrawal symptoms, provides stability and…

one of the active compounds that produce the “high” for users, is quickly entered into the bloodstream through walls of the lungs and is then directed to the brain. After marijuana is consumed, it raises the dopamine levels in the brain’s Nucleus Accumbens (also referred to as the Reward Center) much like other addictive drugs such as: nicotine, alcohol, opiates, etc. In addition, it alters the rate at which nerve cells fire off (in the Reward Center) in a way that is similar to the other…

areas associated with the cause of depression. For comprehending how these depression related regions work, one should understand how one 's brain is mapped. The starting point would be considered one 's pleasure center, also known as one 's nucleus accumbens. This brain region actually allows one to react properly to stimulus stemming from one 's environment. To have this region activated, one must utilize movement. The most crucial form of this would be our hands because “they allow us to gain…

Developing Brain During Adolescence This paper will discuss the developing brain during adolescence. Surprisingly, an adolescent’s brain has ongoing development activity until their 20’s. Throughout this development, the brain, in fact, goes through physical change. The brain consists of several divisions and they each have their own function that all undergo this development process. This structural change occurs naturally but there are potential external influences and experiences that…

chemicals in the brain that help to regulate its activity. It is often called the feel good chemical, because it is directly responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine neurons are highly concentrated in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, which is sometimes referred to as the brain's reward center. The temporary rise in dopamine levels is responsible for the euphoria that users of marijuana and other substances experience. A 2012 study set out to investigate this and…