Brain: Drug Addiction & Cerebral Cortex

Drug Addiction and Pleasure Centers

  • Olds Studies Implications: Drug use is driven by positive, rewarding effects (pleasure), not escape from pain.
  • Cocaine: Users report heightened pleasure in various activities.
  • Ecstasy & Methamphetamine: Inactivate pleasure center receptors, leading to a compulsive search for the initial "high" which is never recaptured.

The Cerebral Cortex

  • Location: Part of the forebrain, the most recently developed brain area evolutionarily.
  • Definition: "Cortex" means "bark"; it's the brain's outer layer.
  • Function: Responsible for complex mental functions like thinking and planning.

The Neocortex

  • Location: Outermost part of the cerebral cortex, also known as "new bark."
  • Human Significance: Makes up 80%80\% of the human cortex (compared to 30−40%30-40\% in most other mammals).
  • Social Brain: Its size correlates with social group size; theorized to have evolved for social understanding.
  • Structure: Neural tissue covering lower brain portions like a sheet.