T3 L8: Neurobiology and Neurochemistry of Reward and Addictive Behaviours (NS)
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Questions and Answers

Which area of the brain is responsible for reward and reinforcement in addiction?

  • Amygdala
  • Hippocampus
  • Nucleus accumbens (correct)
  • Prefrontal cortex

    • What is the term used to describe the state of agitation and irritability experienced during withdrawal from opiates or alcohol?

  • Depression
  • Epileptic seizures
  • Agitation (correct)
  • Relaxation

    • What is the term used to describe the diminished response to the effect of a given amount of drug following repeated exposure to the drug?

  • Withdrawal
  • Compulsion
  • Tolerance (correct)
  • Addiction

    • Which two aspects of the brain are involved in addiction?

    <p>Prefrontal cortex and amygdala</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which system in the brain helps us identify stimuli in the environment that are good for us and orientate our behaviors towards getting more of those stimuli?

    <p>The reward system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do addictive drugs do to the natural reward system in the brain?

    <p>Hijack natural rewards</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the biological and psychological mechanisms behind addiction?

    <p>Changes in the nervous system and neurotransmitter pathways</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What will be discussed in the lecture on addiction?

    <p>The commonly abused drugs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of dopamine in the brain's reward system?

    <p>Dopamine codes for the prediction of a reward.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens in the brain when a reward is unexpectedly received?

    <p>The brain detects an error in its prediction through increased firing of dopamine neurons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the nucleus accumbens signal in the human brain?

    <p>The arrival of a predicted reward.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of the brain's reinforcement system?

    <p>To learn important information in the environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is involved in bringing in emotions, fear, anxiety, and the environmental cues and context of drug seeking and taking experience?

    <p>Amygdala</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of dopamine in the brain?

    <p>Dopamine is involved in learning and error correction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What brain region is responsible for releasing the dopamine signal in anticipation of a reward?

    <p>Nucleus accumbens</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main function of instrumental conditioning in non-human primates?

    <p>To train the animal to associate a stimulus with a reward</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which area of the brain shows shrinkage in dopaminergic neurons after chronic exposure to drugs of addiction?

    <p>VTA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the neurons in the nucleus accumbens during acute exposure to drugs of addiction?

    <p>They sprout extra dendrites and receptors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two categories of changes that contribute to addiction?

    <p>Homeostatic changes and synaptic plasticity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one symptom that can occur during withdrawal from drugs of addiction?

    <p>Anhedonia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain area is involved in reinforcing behaviors and is activated by both natural reinforcers and addictive drugs?

    <p>Basal ganglia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main effect of addictive drugs on natural reinforcers?

    <p>They make natural reinforcers weaker</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens when dopamine is blocked in the nucleus accumbens?

    <p>Reinforcing and rewarding effects of addictive drugs are attenuated</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines act on the dopaminergic system?

    <p>They directly act on dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitters do cocaine and amphetamine inhibit the reuptake transporters for?

    <p>Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between cocaine and amphetamine in terms of their effect on dopamine levels?

    <p>Cocaine blocks dopamine transporters, while amphetamine reverses the transporter actively increasing dopamine levels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the dopamine transporter in reinforcing effects?

    <p>The dopamine transporter is directly related to reinforcing effects</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What initial effect do cocaine and amphetamine have on the brain?

    <p>Feelings of euphoria</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitter's release is inhibited by cocaine?

    <p>Dopamine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is mentioned as having increased extracellular dopamine levels due to cocaine and amphetamine?

    <p>Nucleus accumbens</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is responsible for releasing dopamine in anticipation of a reward?

    <p>Ventral Tegmental Area</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main effect of addictive drugs on natural reinforcers?

    <p>They inhibit the effects of natural reinforcers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main function of instrumental conditioning in non-human primates?

    <p>To strengthen neural connections</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the neurons in the nucleus accumbens during acute exposure to drugs of addiction?

    <p>They undergo synaptic plasticity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between cocaine and amphetamine in terms of their effect on dopamine levels?

    <p>Cocaine blocks dopamine reuptake, while amphetamine increases dopamine release</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two categories of changes that contribute to addiction?

    <p>Homeostatic changes and associative learning processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the dopamine transporter in reinforcing effects?

    <p>To prolong the pool of extracellular dopamine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitter is responsible for the persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity, and is used to explain memory?

    <p>Glutamate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is involved in associative learning and becomes associated with taking drugs when there is coincident firing between sensory pathways and the mesocorticolimbic pathway?

    <p>Hippocampus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which receptor subtype is responsible for most of morphine's analgesic and rewarding properties?

    <p>m (mu) receptors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitter's release in the nucleus accumbens is increased by alcohol (EtOH)?

    <p>Dopamine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitter's release in the nucleus accumbens is increased by nicotine?

    <p>Dopamine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which receptor subtype is involved in both the rewarding effects of ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine?

    <p>nAChRs (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which drug can be used to reduce ethanol (EtOH) consumption, relapse, and craving in alcoholics?

    <p>Naltrexone</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a characteristic of addiction/substance dependence?

    <p>A persistent disorder of brain function</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are withdrawal symptoms?

    <p>Negative physiological and emotional features that occur when the drug is not taken</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is tolerance in the context of drug use?

    <p>A diminished response to the effects of a given amount of drug following repeated exposures to the drug</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain regions are involved in addiction?

    <p>Amygdala and Mesolimbic system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the nucleus accumbens in the brain's reward system?

    <p>It is responsible for the reinforcing effects of drugs of addiction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which neurotransmitters do cocaine and amphetamine inhibit the reuptake transporters for?

    <p>Dopamine and norepinephrine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main function of instrumental conditioning in addiction?

    <p>To reinforce drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is responsible for controlling attention, arousal, and vigilance, and is involved in eliciting 'fight or flight' autonomic responses?

    <p>Locus coeruleus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the compensatory mechanism that occurs in response to chronic activation of opiate receptors, leading to tolerance and physical dependence?

    <p>Homeostatic mechanism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the acute effect of morphine on the firing of Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons?

    <p>Inhibits firing of LC neurons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the intracellular mechanism in LC neurons that leads to compensation and tolerance to the analgesic effects of opiates?

    <p>Gs pathway upregulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the neurotransmitter receptor that is targeted by clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, to block the overactivation of the autonomic nervous system during opiate withdrawal?

    <p>Adrenergic receptor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the acute effect of alcohol on the firing of neurons in the brain?

    <p>Inhibits firing of neurons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main effect of chronic alcohol use on GABAA receptors in the brain?

    <p>Downregulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main effect of chronic alcohol use on NMDA receptors in the brain?

    <p>Upregulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the physical symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal?

    <p>Agitation, tremors, hypertension, seizures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Addiction and the Brain

    • The ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens are involved in addiction.
    • The ventral tegmental area is responsible for releasing the dopamine signal in anticipation of a reward.

    Reward System

    • The mesolimbic dopamine system helps identify stimuli in the environment that are good for us and orients our behavior towards getting more of those stimuli.
    • Dopamine is involved in the brain's reward system, and addictive drugs alter the natural reward system in the brain.
    • The nucleus accumbens signals the presence of a stimulus that is better than expected.

    Withdrawal and Tolerance

    • Withdrawal symptoms include agitation, irritability, and anxiety when stopping or reducing use of a drug.
    • Tolerance is the diminished response to the effect of a given amount of drug following repeated exposure to the drug.

    Brain Regions Involved in Addiction

    • The amygdala is involved in bringing in emotions, fear, anxiety, and the environmental cues and context of drug seeking and taking experience.

    Dopamine and Addiction

    • Dopamine is responsible for the persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity, and is used to explain memory.
    • Cocaine and amphetamines act on the dopaminergic system, inhibiting the reuptake transporters for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

    Other Neurotransmitters and Addiction

    • Opiates, such as morphine, act on the mu-opioid receptor, responsible for most of morphine's analgesic and rewarding properties.
    • Ethanol (alcohol) and nicotine increase the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.
    • The alpha-2 adrenergic receptor is targeted by clonidine to block the overactivation of the autonomic nervous system during opiate withdrawal.

    Instrumental Conditioning

    • Instrumental conditioning is involved in addiction, and in non-human primates, it involves the association between behavior and reward.

    Compensatory Mechanisms

    • Chronic activation of opiate receptors leads to tolerance and physical dependence through compensatory mechanisms.
    • Chronic alcohol use alters GABAA and NMDA receptors in the brain.

    Withdrawal Symptoms

    • Physical symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal include agitation, anxiety, and tremors.

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    Quiz: Test your knowledge of the effects of chronic drug exposure on dopaminergic neurons

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