Drug Addiction Exam 2

A researcher trains a rat to respond on a lever to earn an infusion of cocaine. Each time the rat earns an infusion of cocaine, two lights turn on. After 2 weeks, the researcher stops reinforcing the rat when it responds on the lever. The lights never turn on at this point. After an additional 2 weeks, the researcher places the rat in the testing chamber and turns the lights on. The researcher notices that the rat starts pressing the lever even though it does not earn any cocaine for doing so. Which behavioral paradigm has the researcher just used to study addiction?

a. CPP

b. Incubation of craving

c. Reinstatement

d. Second-order schedule

c. Reinstatement

2. Out of the following regions, where do most dopaminergic cell bodies originate?

a. Dorsal striatum

b. Frontal cortex

c. NAc

d. VTA

d. VTA

3. Which brain region plays an important role in evaluating the current value of a stimulus?

a. Basolateral nucleus of the amygdala

b. Central nucleus of the amygdala

c. NAc shell

d. VTA

a. Basolateral nucleus of the amygdala

4. Which neurotransmitter is associated with MSNs?

a. Acetylcholine

b. Dopamine

c. GABA

d. Glutamate

c. GABA

1. Out of the following, which brain structure is most important for the initiation of drug use?

a. Amygdala

b. Dorsal striatum

c. NAc

d. Orbital frontal cortex

c. NAc

2. With continued drug use, individuals often develop __________ to the reinforcing effects of stimulants and develop __________ to the locomotor-stimulant effects of a drug.

a. sensitization/sensitization

b. sensitization/tolerance

c. tolerance/sensitization

d. tolerance/tolerance

c. tolerance/sensitization

3. Which of the following statements about the contribution of dopamine to addiction is true?

a. Only dopamine D 1 -like receptors are involved in relapse-like behavior.

b. Prolonged drug use leads to a hyperdopaminergic state in the brain.

c. Stimulating dopamine D 1 -like receptors decreases drug self-administration in animals.

d. The transition from occasional drug use to habitual drug use is largely mediated by the dorsal striatum.

d. The transition from occasional drug use to habitual drug use is largely mediated by the dorsal striatum.

4. What result is most likely to occur following damage to the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala?

a. Decreased drug relapse-like behavior

b. Decreased drug self-administration

c. Increased drug CPP

d. Increased drug-seeking behavior

d. Increased drug-seeking behavior

5. Why is the fi nding that both dopamine D 1 -like and D 2 -like antagonists decrease relapselike behavior paradoxical?

Because D 1 -like receptors are excitatory and D 2 -like receptors are inhibitory, the finding that blocking both receptor subtypes can decrease relapse-like behaviors suggests that increasing and decreasing dopaminergic activity can be effective in relapse prevention.

1. Which of the following results from administration of a Group I mGluR antagonist?

a. Decreased locomotor sensitization

b. Increased CPP

c. Increased drug self-administration

d. Increased reinstatement

a. Decreased locomotor sensitization

2. Which of the following drugs would be best for blocking relapse-like behavior?

a. Atropine (muscarinic M 1 and M 2 receptor antagonist)

b. Bicuculline (GABA A receptor antagonist)

c. Trazadone (serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor antagonist)

d. Yohimbine (noradrenergic ⍺ 2 antagonist)

b. Bicuculline (GABA A receptor antagonist)

3. Increasing __________ levels typically decreases addiction-like behaviors.

a. acetylcholine

b. endocannabinoid

c. norepinephrine

d. serotonin

d. serotonin

4. Where do noradrenergic cell bodies originate in the brain?

a. Interpeduncular nucleus

b. Locus coeruleus

c. Raphe nuclei

d. VTA

b. Locus coeruleus

5. How are noradrenergic ⍺ 1 receptor antagonists capable of reducing drug use?

Stimulation of ⍺ 1 receptors increases dopamine levels. By antagonizing these receptors, drugs cannot effectively increase dopamine levels, blunting their reinforcing effects.

1. Which gene encodes for alcohol dehydrogenase?

a. ADH1B

b. ALDH2

c. SLC6A3

d. SLC6A4

a. ADH1B

2. The heritability of cocaine use disorder is approximately 72%. What does this mean?

a. 72 out of 100 individuals will develop cocaine use disorder at some point in their life.

b. Genetic factors explain 72% of the variability in cocaine dependence across individuals.

c. Individuals have a 72% chance of inheriting cocaine use disorder if one of their parents has cocaine use disorder.

d. None of the above.

b. Genetic factors explain 72% of the variability in cocaine dependence across individuals.

3. Which of the following genes has NOT been consistently linked to SUDs?

a. ALDH2

b. CHRNA3

c. DRD1

d. DRD2

c. DRD1

1. Which of the following statements about drug-induced changes to dopamine receptors is true?

a. Acute psychostimulant treatment causes downregulation of D 1 -like receptors.

b. Chronic psychostimulant treatment downregulates D 1 -like receptor expression.

c. Intra-PFC dopamine receptors are unaffected by prolonged psychostimulant administration.

d. Withdrawal from psychostimulants upregulates D 1 -like and D 2 -like receptors.

d. Withdrawal from psychostimulants upregulates D 1 -like and D 2 -like receptors.

What effect does chemogenetic stimulation of glial cells have on addiction-like behaviors?

a. Decreased reinstatement of psychostimulant drug-seeking

b. Increased ethanol consumption

c. Increased relapse-like behavior

d. none of the above

a. Decreased reinstatement of psychostimulant drug-seeking

What does DAG stimulate?

a. Calcium

b. Phospholipase C

c. Protein kinase A

d. Protein kinase C

d. Protein kinase C

4. How do drugs alter dendritic spine density?

a. Both stimulants and depressants decrease dendritic spine density.

b. Both stimulants and depressants increase dendritic spine density.

c. Depressants tend to decrease the number of dendritic spines, whereas stimulants increase them.

d. Stimulants tend to decrease the number of dendritic spines, whereas depressants increase them.

c. Depressants tend to decrease the number of dendritic spines, whereas stimulants increase them.