Addiction and the Brain

Addiction and the Brain

The ponderance that Brain = Behavior and the inherent ramifications of such proves no more fascinating than when addressed in the context of "Addiction and the Brain". Essential to consider is:

-what exactly is an addictive/abusive substance (drugs of abuse)

-what brain center(s)/chemical(s)are involved

-what does it mean to become physiologically dependent

-how should the concept of addiction be addressed

-how might we use animal models

-and what sort of treatment approaches should be pursued.

These questions will be elucidated briefly, while further information remains available at the web sources listed below.

A drug of abuse/addiction would be one which leads to "recurrent and significant adverse consequences related to repeated use of the drug...[involving] compulsive drug use, interference with normal activities and may include tolerance and physical dependence" (2). The tolerance and physical dependence which frequently occurs as a normal physiological adaptation to non-addictive prescription medications must be distinguished from tolerance and physical dependence experienced in the context of addiction, a "chronic, relapsing illness characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use" ( 5).

In general, drugs of abuse tend to provoke a fast and intense change in brain chemistry, resulting in an 'intensely rewarding' euphoric state ( 1). This pleasurable state results from increased levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA), a catecholamine. The elevated concentration, and increased synaptic presence of DA proves significant in the experience of pleasure, decrease of pain, and thus those components critical to the general mechanism of addiction ( 3). Those area...

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...lity of treatment success presented in the form of illness management ( 5).

WWW Sources

1) Chapter From The Selfish Brain

http://www.appi.org/books/dupont/rd04.html

2)Pharmacological Aspects of Drug Addiction

http://home.fuse.net/gelowitz/addiction.html

3) American Journal of Psychiatry, Editorial, "Progress in the Science of Addiction"

http://www.appi.org/ajp/sep97/edit.html

4) National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Fruit Flies May Shed Light on Cocaine Addiction

http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/releases/cocaine.html

5) National Institutes of Justice, Addiction Is a Brain Disease - and It Matters

http://ncjrs.org/txtfiles/jr000237.txt

6) Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, Classical conditioning and memory for drugs: Cortical and subcortical mechanisms

http://www.psychologie.hu-berlin.de/klieng/klifo510.htm