The Cognitive Neuroscience of Addiction

what percentage of of alcohol users meet criteria for alcohol use disorder

about 6%

core signs of addiction

cravings, withdrawal, compulsive use, life disruption, harm

what life areas can addiction damage

family, work, education, health, and social life

do addiction severity and symptoms vary between people

yes

name common addictive drugs listed

nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, caffeine

which prescription drugs can be addictive

painkillers and benzos

which drug has more debated addictive potential

cannabis

which drugs are less associated with addiction

MDMA and psychedelics

what neurological risks are linked to cocaine use

stroke, seizures, lesions, frontal lobe reduction

what brain changes are linked to heroin use

grey matter loss, hypoxia, oedema, stroke, white matter damage

what syndrome is strongly linked to chronic alcohol misuse

Wenicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

what is Wernicke encephalopathy

general brain shrinkage/damage

what is Korsakoff syndrome

chronic memory disorder with anterograde amnesia

what brain areas may be reduced in heavy long-term cannabis users

hippocampus and amygdala

heavy cannabis use during adolescence may increase risk of what

psychosis

addiction usually involves which three major factors

biological, psychological, and social factors

what is cue reactivity

drug-related cues triggering craving and responses

how can learning explain addiction

drug use becomes associated with cues and reinforcement

what type of conditioning is involved when drugs act as rewards

instrumental conditioning

why can relapse happen after abstinence

old cues still trigger conditioned responses

why may rehab-only extinction be limited

real-world cues outside rehab may remain strong triggers

what is tolerance

needing more drug fro the same effect

what is withdrawal

distressing symptoms when drug use stops

what is a conditioned compensatory response (CCR)

body learns to oppose drug effects in drug-related contexts

what did dogs given repeated adrenaline injections show

reduced heart-rate response over time

what did placebo injections later cause in those dogs

heart0rate decrease form learned compensation

why can heroin overdose happen in a new environment

CCR is weaker or absent, so drug effect is stronger

why are many overdose victims not beginners

tolerance/context changes can increase overdose risk

how can tolerance increase addiction risk

users take larger doses

why does alcohol withdrawal cause agitation

reduced GABA balance causes excess excitation

which two brain areas are central in reinforcement

VTA and nucelus accumbens

what does VTA stand for

ventral tegmental area

what neurotransmitter is strongly linked to reinforcement

dopamine

what happened when rats got dopamine antagonist pimozide

lever pressing for food decreased

why was dopamine called the “pleasure chemical”

blocking it reduced reward-seeking behaviour

why is the “pleasure chemical” idea incomplete

dopamine may relate more to motivation than pleasure

what happens to liking vs wanting in long-term addiction

pleasure decreases while craving increases

what is incentive salience theory

dopamine drives wanting/motivation rather than pleasure

according to incentive salience theory, what goes wrong in addiction

the motivation system becomes dysregulated

what happened when rats had impaired dopamine in nucleus accumbent

they preferred easy boring food over working for sugar

what does this suggest dopamine helps with

effort and motivation to obtain rewards

how can enriched environments affect drug use in rats

they reduce drug use

why can paying people not to use substances help

it changes motivational incentives

why may some pregnant women stop smoking more easily

competing motivations become stronger

substance misuse is more common in people with fewer what

socioeconomic opportunities

how does severe mental illness relate to addiction risk

dependence risk increases

what is self-medication in addiction

using drugs to relieve psychological distress

can addiction both cause result from mental illness

yes, both pathways may interact