Drug Abuse and Addiction

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to drug abuse and addiction from the lecture notes.

Addiction

A chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

Compulsive seeking and use, particularly by individuals trying to quit, reveals that addicts have lost the ability to control their behavior

Substance Use Disorder

Repeated use of a substance leading to tolerance, craving, and continued use despite significant problems.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter crucial for the rewarding properties of addictive drugs, involved in motivation and habit learning.

Positive Reinforcement

The reinforcement of a behavior by rewarding the subject, commonly seen in drug use where the effects of the drug are pleasurable.

Negative Reinforcement

When behaviors increase because they remove unpleasant stimuli, such as using drugs to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

Tolerance

Decreased effectiveness of a drug due to compensatory physiological changes.

Dependence

A physiological state wherein an individual requires the presence of a drug to maintain normal functioning.

Withdrawal

A dysphoric state experienced when a dependent individual does not have access to their drug of choice.

Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)

A brain structure involved in the reward circuitry and the release of dopamine during drug use.

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

A group of neurons in the midbrain that regulates the release of dopamine and is involved in reward processing.

Habit Learning

A process through which behaviors become automatic and insensitive to outcomes, often associated with addiction.

Extinction Resistance

The persistence of a behavior despite the absence of reinforcement; often seen in habit learning.

Conditioned Compensatory Response (CCR)

A physiological response triggered by cues associated with drug use, aiming to counteract the drug's effects.

Animal Model of Addiction

Experimental setups, usually in rodents, that mimic human addiction to study drug-seeking behaviors and the neurobiological mechanisms involved.

Rapid Absorption

A characteristic of certain drugs that allows them to reach the brain quickly, increasing their potential for abuse.

Pharmacotherapy

The treatment of disease through the administration of drugs; limited options currently exist for certain addictions.

Craving

An intense desire for a substance, often a precursor to relapse in substance use disorders.

Prefrontal Cortex

A region of the brain involved in decision-making and impulse control, affected by addiction.