Substance Disorders and Addictive Behaviors

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering drug classifications, biological mechanisms, addiction potentials, behavioral patterns, gambling disorder, and treatment interventions from the Substance Disorders Part 2 lecture.

Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants

A class of substances that slow down the central nervous system, leading to feelings of relaxation and reduced interpersonal inhibitions; includes alcohol, opioids, sedatives, and hypnotics.

Central Nervous System (CNS) Stimulants

A category of substances that accelerate central nervous system activity, reduce appetite, prevent sleep, enhance physical and mental performance, and induce feelings of well-being or euphoria; examples include caffeine, amphetamines, and cocaine.

Adenosine

An organic compound in the brain that signals tiredness; blocked by caffeine to allow dopamine and norepinephrine activity to increase.

Methamphetamine

A synthetic amphetamine chemically modified with an extra methyl group, allowing it to penetrate the system faster and exhibit significantly greater potency than standard amphetamines.

Crack

A modified form of cocaine designed to produce an exceptionally rapid, intense, but even shorter-lived high.

Hallucinogens

A diverse group of natural (e.g., LSD, psilocybin) or synthetic (e.g., PCP, Ecstasy) substances that alter sensory perceptions, capable of causing enhanced visual perception, profound insights, or severe disorientation, fear, and depression.

Dissociative Anesthetics

Substances such as Ketamine and DXM that produce feelings of detachment, confusion, perceptual distortion, and potential enduring delusions that can persist after intoxication resolves.

Nicotine

A substance with mixed properties that acts as a stimulant in low doses and a relaxant in higher doses by stimulating the release of adrenaline and dopamine.

Addiction Potential

A classification based on a substance's physical pharmacological properties, determined by dopamine surges, speed of onset, clearance rate, and how rapidly tolerance and withdrawal develop.

Reward System

The biological brain network responsible for motivation, pleasure, and reward, primarily composed of the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway and the Mesocortical Dopamine Pathway.

Receptor Down-Regulation (in Addiction)

A neural defense mechanism wherein the brain decreases its dopamine reception sites to prevent overstimulation, resulting in lower baseline dopamine sensitivity and tolerance.

Prefrontal Cortex (Impact of Substance Use)

The brain region governing executive decision-making that can shrink or experience disrupted maturation from substance use before the age of $26$, leaving decisions heavily driven by emotion and impulse.

Behavioral Undercontrol

A personality trait characterized by novelty seeking, risk taking, rebelliousness, and impulsivity; identified in twin studies as a heritable endophenotype that increases substance use vulnerability.

Endophenotype

A measurable, heritable biological or behavioral marker (such as impulsivity or behavioral undercontrol) that links underlying genetic factors to the overt expression of a disorder.

Gambling Disorder

A non-substance addictive disorder marked by persistent problematic betting, chasing losses, lying, and risking important relationships or employment, carrying a global prevalence of around $1\%$ and an elevated suicide attempt rate of up to $\frac{1}{5}$.

Abstinence Model

A traditional recovery framework requiring complete cessation of all primary and secondary substances; accounts for approximately $54\%$ of individuals currently in recovery in the United States.

Moderation Model

A harm-reduction treatment framework where individuals manage and limit consumption of primary or secondary substances rather than discontinuing use entirely; represents up to $46\%$ of individuals in US recovery.

Agonist (Pharmacological Treatment)

A medication that activates targeted brain receptors to ease drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing intoxication; exemplified by methadone for opioid use disorder.

Antagonist (Pharmacological Treatment)

A pharmacological agent that blocks neuroreceptors to prevent a substance from exerting its pleasurable or rewarding effects; exemplified by naltrexone.

Aversive Agent

A pharmacological treatment, such as Antabuse, that induces unpleasant physical reactions if the target substance is consumed.