The science of addiction: what brain research tells us about drug addiction.How serious is drug addiction drug addiction or chemical dependency Physical and/or psychological dependency on a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine), defined as continued use despite knowing that the substance causes harm. ? According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the National Institute on Drug Abuse The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal-government research institute whose mission is to "lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. (NIDA NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA National Institute of Dramatic Arts (Australia) NIDA Northern Ireland Development Agency (UK) NIDA Northern Ireland Dairy Association ), drug addiction is "a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical neu·ro·chem·is·try n. The study of the chemical composition and processes of the nervous system and the effects of chemicals on it. neu and molecular changes in the brain." Like other chronic diseases, drug addiction can seriously impair the functioning of the body's organs. It can also increase the risk of contracting other diseases, such as HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and viral hepatitis viral hepatitis n. Any of various forms of hepatitis caused by a virus. viral hepatitis, n an inflammatory condition of the liver, caused by the hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, delta, E, F, G, or H. , not just among those who inject drugs, but also through risky behaviors stemming from drug-impaired judgment. Drug addiction often results from drug abuse, which is the use of illegal drugs or the inappropriate use of legal drugs to produce pleasure, to alleviate stress, or to alter or avoid reality (or all three). Risk factors for addiction and protective factors against it (see table below) can be environmental as well as genetic. Scientists estimate that genetic factors, including environmental effects on these genes, account for between 40 and 60 percent of a person's vulnerability to addiction. Recent research has begun to uncover which genes make a person more vulnerable, which genes protect a person against addiction, and how one's genes and environment interact. There is also evidence that individuals with mental disorders mental disorders: see bipolar disorder; paranoia; psychiatry; psychosis; schizophrenia. have a much greater risk of drug abuse and addiction than the general population. What is addiction? * Addiction is a complex disease. No single factor can predict who will become addicted to drugs. Addiction is influenced by a tangle of factors involving one's genes, environment, and age of first use. * Addiction is a developmental disease. It usually begins in adolescence, even childhood, when the brain is continuing to undergo changes. The prefrontal prefrontal /pre·fron·tal/ (-fron´t'l) situated in the anterior part of the frontal lobe or region. pre·fron·tal adj. 1. cortex--located just behind the forehead--governs judgment and decision-making functions and is the last part of the brain to develop. This fact may help explain why teens are prone to risk-taking, and why they are also particularly vulnerable to drug abuse. It also explains why exposure to drugs during the teen years may affect the likelihood of someone becoming an addict in the future. * Prevention and early intervention ear·ly intervention n. Abbr. EI A process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. work best in the teen years. Because the teen brain is still developing, it may be more receptive to interventions to alter the course of addiction. Research has shown many risk factors that lead to drug abuse and addiction: mental illness, physical or sexual abuse, aggressive behavior, academic problems, poor social skills, and poor parent-child relations. This knowledge, combined with better understanding of how the teen brain works, can be applied to prevent drug abuse from starting or to intervene early to stop it when warning signs emerge. "In the past 30 years, advances in science have revolutionized our understanding of drug abuse and drug addiction. Drug addiction is a brain disease." Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse The impact of addiction can be far-reaching: * Cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease * Stroke * Cancer * HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome * Hepatitis C Hepatitis C Definition Hepatitis C is a form of liver inflammation that causes primarily a long-lasting (chronic) disease. Acute (newly developed) hepatitis C is rarely observed as the early disease is generally quite mild. * Lung disease lung disease Pulmonary disease Pulmonology Any condition causing or indicating impaired lung function Types of LD Obstructive lung disease–↓ in air flow caused by a narrowing or blockage of airways–eg, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis; Obesity * Mental disorders How drugs change a healthy brain Cocaine abuse can cause changes in the brain. The PET (positron emission tomography positron emission tomography: see PET scan. positron emission tomography (PET) Imaging technique used in diagnosis and biomedical research. ) scans above show a normal brain, the brain of an abuser who hasn't taken cocaine in 10 days, and the brain of an abuser who hasn't taken cocaine in 100 days. Even after 100 days without the drug, the activity (yellow) in the cocaine abusers' brains is still much less than in the normal brains. One-Time Drug Use Set Stage for Relapse In this experiment, rats pressed a lever in response to a cue (white noise) that had originally indicated access to cocaine even a year after the cue stopped being associated with drug availability. This is because there is a very strong association in the brain between the drug experience and the setting of the drug experience. Even a long-dormant craving may be triggered simply by encountering people, places, and things that were present during a previous drug usage--another reason never to use drugs of abuse even once. Prevention Resources * NIDA and other organizations have spearheaded a number of programs to help prevent addiction, including: --Family-based: Teaching parents better communication skills, appropriate discipline styles, and firm and consistent rule enforcement --School-based: Building young people's skills in the areas of peer relationships, self-control, coping, and drug-refusal --Community-based: Working with civic, religious, law enforcement, and government organizations to strengthen anti-drug norms and pro-social behaviors * For more information on effective prevention programs, visit: www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages/prevention.html * For help with a drug problem, call the National Addiction Treatment Hotline at 1-800-622-HELP or go to www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov * For more information on healthy effects of drugs and on effective prevention and treatment approaches based on addiction research, visit NIDA at www.drugabuse.gov and www.teens.drugabuse LATEST Research The Science of "Dread" New research shows that people who substantially dread an adverse experience have a different biology than those who better tolerate the experience. Dr. Gregory Berns of Emory University Emory University (ĕm`ərē), near Atlanta, Ga.; coeducational; United Methodist; chartered as Emory College 1836, opened 1837 at Oxford. It became Emory Univ. in 1915 and in 1919 moved to Atlanta. School of Medicine and his colleagues used MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. imaging to observe brain activity patterns in non-drug abusers who were awaiting brief electrical shocks (the adverse experience). The subjects were given the option of a larger shock to occur in a shorter period of time, or a smaller shock after a longer period of time. The scientists noted two groups: "extreme dreaders" who could not tolerate a delay and preferred an immediate (and stronger) painful stimulus; and "mild dreaders" who could tolerate a delay for a milder shock. The findings suggest that dread derives, in part, from attention--and is not simply a fear or anxiety reaction. Continuing to use drugs despite expecting a bad outcome is a hallmark of addiction. The results of this study form the foundation for future research to determine whether drug abusers exhibit disruption in the brain systems that process "dread"--the anticipation of unpleasant consequences. What Do You Know About the Science of Addiction? Answer the questions below to find out what you know about drugs and drug addiction. For multiple choice questions, there may be more than one answer. 1. Drug addiction can be defined as a. a bad habit bad habit Unhealthy habit Clinical medicine A patterned behavior regarded as detrimental to physical or mental health, which is often linked to a lack of self-control. Cf Good habit. . b. the use of illegal drugs. c. a chronic, relapsing d. a complex and developmental disease. 2. Which of the following are characteristics of the disease of drug addiction? a. compulsive drug seeking b. neurochemical changes ill the brain c. molecular changes in the brain d. all of the above 3. The brain recognizes the prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, OxyContin Ox·y·con·tin A trademark for the drug oxycodone. oxycodone hydrochloride ETH-Oxydose, OxyContin, OxyFast, Oxy-IR, Oxynorm (UK), Roxicodone, Supeudol (CA) Pharmacologic class: Opioid agonist in the same way that it recognizes a. caffeine. b. heroin. c. Vicodin. d. water. 4. The disease of drug addiction is associated with a. HIV/AIDS. b. viral hepatitis. c. mental disorders. d. none of the above. 5. The prefrontal cortex--located just behind the forehead-is the part of the brain that governs a. judgment and decision-making. b. speech. c. vision. d. movement. 6. The PET in "PET scans" stands for a. positron emission tomography. b. proton emulsion tomography. c. positron emission Positron emission is a type of beta decay, sometimes referred to as "beta plus" (β+). In beta plus decay, a proton is converted, via the weak force, to a neutron, a positron (also known as the "beta plus particle", the antimatter counterpart of an electron), temperature. d. proton-electron temperature. 7. Which of the following is a factor in whether someone becomes addicted to drugs? a. genes b. environment C. age of first use d. none of the above 8. Exposure to drugs during the teen years may affect the likelihood of someone becoming an addict in the future. a. true b. false 9. Anyone who sells medications prescribed to them could be called a drug dealer and is subject to criminal prosecution. a. true b. false 10. People, places, and things related to a particular drug experience can, at a later time, trigger another drug experience. a. true b. false
AN INDIVIDUAL'S RISK AND PROTECTIVE
FACTORS FOR DRUG ADDICTION
Protective
Risk Factors Influencers Factors
Early Aggressive Self Self-Control
Behavior
Lack of Parental Family Parental
Supervision Monitoring
Substance Abuse Peers Academic
Competence
Drug Availability School Anti-Drug Use
Policies
Poverty Community Strong Neighborhood
Attachment
|
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion