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    PSYC 3030: Neurochemical Basis of Behaviour: University of Guelph Dr. Sarah Thackray

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    Sarah McCabe
    This document discusses the neurochemical basis of behaviour and addiction. It defines addiction and outlines risk factors for developing addiction, including genetic and environmental influences. It also describes the reward circuit and how repeated drug use leads to neuroadaptations that alter brain function and contribute to compulsive drug seeking behaviors.

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    PSYC 3030: Neurochemical Basis of Behaviour: University of Guelph Dr. Sarah Thackray

    Uploaded by

    Sarah McCabe
    58 views15 pages
    This document discusses the neurochemical basis of behaviour and addiction. It defines addiction and outlines risk factors for developing addiction, including genetic and environmental influences. It also describes the reward circuit and how repeated drug use leads to neuroadaptations that alter brain function and contribute to compulsive drug seeking behaviors.

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    1-Psyc 3030 - Intro

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    This document discusses the neurochemical basis of behaviour and addiction. It defines addiction and outlines risk factors for developing addiction, including genetic and environmental influences. It also describes the reward circuit and how repeated drug use leads to neuroadaptations that alter brain function and contribute to compulsive drug seeking behaviors.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    58 views15 pages

    PSYC 3030: Neurochemical Basis of Behaviour: University of Guelph Dr. Sarah Thackray

    Uploaded by

    Sarah McCabe
    This document discusses the neurochemical basis of behaviour and addiction. It defines addiction and outlines risk factors for developing addiction, including genetic and environmental influences. It also describes the reward circuit and how repeated drug use leads to neuroadaptations that alter brain function and contribute to compulsive drug seeking behaviors.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 15

    PSYC 3030:

    Neurochemical Basis
    of Behaviour
    University of Guelph
    Dr. Sarah Thackray

    This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY


    Introduction
    Lecture Objectives
    • By the end of this topic, you should be able to
    answer the following questions:
    • How do people progress into drug use?
    • What contributes to compulsive drug seeking and drug
    use?
    • Why do some people become addicted while others
    don t?
    • What is the neurobiology of addiction?
    What is addiction?

    defined as a chronically relapsing disorder,


    characterized by compulsion to seek and take the
    drug, loss of control in limiting intake, and
    emergence of a negative emotional state (e.g.,
    dysphoria, anxiety, irritability) when access to the
    drug is prevented
    Koob and Volkow, 2016, p. 760
    Addiction
    • Substance-related disorders
    • New DSM- category to replace drug addiction
    • Covers classes of drugs, all of which act on the reward
    circuit

    • Substance use disorders: cognitive, behavioural, and


    physiological symptoms indicating that the individual
    continues using the substance despite significant substance-
    related problems

    • Substance-induced disorders: reversible substance-specific


    syndromes caused by recent ingestion of a substance
    How do people progress into drug
    use?
    • Gateway theory
    • Progressing from legal substances to illegal substances

    • Changes in amount,
    pattern, and
    consequences of
    drug use
    What contributes to compulsive
    drug seeking and drug use?
    What contributes to compulsive
    drug seeking and drug use?
    • Positive reinforcement
    • Drug reward: the positive subjective experience

    • Repeated use leads to physical dependence


    • Withdrawal negative reinforcement
    What contributes to compulsive
    drug seeking and drug use?
    • Classical conditioning
    • Stimuli paired with the drug produce craving
    Why do some people become
    addicted hile others don t
    • Genetic factors
    • Pool of common genes that increase risk
    • Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) found in >1% of
    sample
    • Rare mutations or other genetic anomalies
    Why do some people become
    addicted hile others don t
    • Environmental factors
    • Risk factors
    • Sociodemographic variables: younger age, less education, lack
    of employment
    • Conduct problems, substance-using friends
    • Stress and inability to cope with stress
    • Personality traits
    • Familial and sociocultural factors
    • Protective factors
    • Personality
    • Social (including family) life
    • Environment
    Neurobiology of Addiction
    • Reward circuit
    • Mediates acute rewarding and reinforcing aspects of drugs

    • Antireward circuit
    • Puts the brakes on reward

    • Prefrontal cortex
    • Involved in executive functions

    • Corticostriatal circuit
    • Involved in habits
    Neurobiology of
    Addiction
    • Neuroadaptations:
    changes in brain function
    that attempt to
    compensate for the
    effects of repeated
    substance use
    • Different proteins respond
    in different ways
    Neurobiology of
    Addiction
    • Neuroadaptations:
    changes in brain function
    that attempt to
    compensate for the
    effects of repeated
    substance use
    • Can affect epigenetics
    Summary
    • There are 2 theories about how people progress into drug
    use; one is the gateway theory, the other involves cycles of
    preoccupation-anticipation, binge-intoxication, and
    withdrawal-negative affect.
    • Positive reinforcement is involved with initial drug taking.
    With repeated use, withdrawal can lead to drug use through
    negative reinforcement. Classical conditioning can also
    associate drug cues with drug craving.
    • Several risk factors, both genetic and environmental, have
    been shown to increase the chance of someone becoming
    addicted. Protective factors may reduce the likelihood of
    addiction.
    • There are several circuits involved in responses to drugs.
    Repeated use of a substance leads to neuroadaptations in
    these circuits that affects their normal function.

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