DANCE 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: How Do You Know, Nucleus Accumbens, Reward System
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What is addiction: compulsive use despite negative consequence, a perso(cid:374) (cid:449)ho (cid:271)e(cid:272)o(cid:373)es addi(cid:272)ted k(cid:374)o(cid:449) that (cid:449)hat they"re addi(cid:272)ted to is (cid:271)ad for the(cid:373), but they continue to use it. Reward system: drugs not the only problem, eating (eating disorders, gambling, nurturing, substance abuse. Illicit drug use changes your brain: normal neuron functioning, to send a message, a brain cell (neuron) releases a chemical (neurotransmitter) into the space (synapse) between it and the next cell. The neurotransmitter crosses the synapse and attaches to proteins (receptors) on the receiving brain cell. What stru(cid:272)tures i(cid:374) the (cid:271)rai(cid:374) e(cid:374)(cid:272)ode (cid:862)pleasure(cid:863): phineas gage case, damage to the frontal cortex -> entire change in behavior and personality. It is(cid:374)"t just dopa(cid:373)i(cid:374)e a(cid:374)d the (cid:374)u(cid:272)leus accumbens, but the location of dopamine. New user -> acute use ->addicted user -> withdrawal phase -> relapse into addicted user or prolonged abstinence (main cues (mood, stress, genes, peers) may result in relapse after weeks or years)
