2022-2024 Year 13 A-Level Psychology - Addiction: Explanations of Nicotine Addiction - Brain Neurochemistry
Nicotine addiction can be explained through brain neurochemistry, particularly the role of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Key brain areas involved include the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex, which together form the brain’s reward pathway.
Name the neurotransmitter linked to addiction.
Dopamine
Key Terms
Name the neurotransmitter linked to addiction.
Dopamine
Name the brain areas linked to addiction.
Ventral Tegmental area
Nucleus accumbens
Pre- frontal cortex
Which receptors does nicotine attach to?
nACh
Or
nAChR
How long does nicotine take to activate the reward pathway?
Less than 10 seconds
What is nAChR?
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Which receptors of the nucleus accumbens do neurotransmitters attach to?
D2
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Name the neurotransmitter linked to addiction. | Dopamine |
Name the brain areas linked to addiction. | Ventral Tegmental area |
Which receptors does nicotine attach to? | nACh |
How long does nicotine take to activate the reward pathway? | Less than 10 seconds |
What is nAChR? | Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors |
Which receptors of the nucleus accumbens do neurotransmitters attach to? | D2 |
Which pathway is nucleus accumbens in? | Mesolimbic pathway |
What does VTA stand for? | Ventral tegmental area |
What does activation of the nucleus accumbens lead to? | Euphoria |
Activation of the nucleus accumbens reduces which emotion? | Anxiety |
What three things are increased by activating the nucleus accumbens? | Euphoria |
The nucleus accumbens is the …. Pathway the pre-frontal cortex is in the …. Pathway | Mesolimbic Mesocortical |
Which brain area is linked to decision making? | Pre-frontal cortex |
Which brain area is linked to motivation? | Nucleus accumbens |
Which brain area has a large concentration of dopamine neurons? | Ventral tegmental area |
The ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens are in which system in the brain? | Limbic system |
What is the addictive component in cigarettes? | Nicotine |
What if the missing word? Nicotine addiction is due to …. Activation of the brains reward pathway. | Repeated |
Why is motivation an important aspect of the nucleus accumbens? | It makes the person want to perform the smoking addiction again. |
What is the pre-frontal cortex responsible for? | Attention so we know how to repeat the behaviour |
How is the prefrontal cortex linked to addiction? | It results in the person making the decision to smoke again |
Research to support brain neurochemistry was by McEvoy, studying people with which disorder | Schizophrenia |
In McEvoy’s study, what drug were patients given? | Haloperidol |
In McEvoy’s study how does the drug haloperidol work? | Dopamine antagonist |
What does an antagonist drug do? | Lower neurotransmitter levels |
McEvoy found those patients given haloperidol smoked more, why is this? | They used nicotine to raise their dopamine levels after haloperidol had reduced these levels |
Why can we criticise McEvoy’s research | Participants had schizophrenia which already affects dopamine functioning. May be hard to generalise findings to non schizophrenic population |
State which AO3 points you could use for brain neurochemical explanation | Research to support - McEvoy |
What does the neurochemical explanation reduce nicotine addiction down to? | Dopamine levels in the brain |
What is the opposite side of reductionism? | Holism |
What does holism consider? | Cultural and social context |
What could be holistic explanation for smoking addiction | Peers pressure in adolescence Parental upbringing Cultures having more positive views of smoking |
What could be a practical application of the neurochemical explanation of smoking addiction? | Development of nicotine replacement therapy |
How does nicotine replacement therapy work? | Gives individuals nicotine in a less harmful way and over time thus dose gets reduced |
Nicotine replacement therapy gives people a safe way to have nicotine. What happens to this overtime? | Slowly reduce dosage, reducing tolerance |
By reducing the dosage of Nicotine replacement therapy over time. What does it reduce? | Tolerance |
One practical application of the neurochemical explanation of smoking is NRT. What does NRT stand for? | Nicotine replacement therapy |
How does NRT work? | Gives nicotine in a less harmful way Overtime this dose gets reduced Reducing tolerance |
What are two ways Nicotine replacement therapy can be given? | Gum Patches |
State two ways nicotine replacement therapy could be good for the economy. | 1) treating people reduced chance of smoking related illness do people can work longer 2) By treating people the NHS won’t have to spend as much on treatment for smoking related illnesses |
What is meant by upregulation? | Smoking causes an increase in the number of nicotine receptors in the brain |
Name the two cellular changes that smoking causes | Upregulation and downregulation |
As the person smokes more what happens to the nicotine receptors? | They increase in numbers |
Why does the increase in nicotine receptors lead to tolerance? | More nicotine receptors = more nicotine is needed to activate them so the person smokes more |
What happen to nicotine receptors when the person hasn't smoked for a few hours and what does this lead to? | They become available |
Explain down regulation | D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens become less sensitive and reduce in numbers |
What is the consequence of down regulation? | The person will now need to smoke more to increase dopamine to stimulate the receptors to feel a "buzz" |
What is the key term for the increase in the number of nicotine receptors as a result of smoking overtime? | Upregulation |
What is the key term for the decrease in the number of D2 receptors as a result of smoking overtime? | Down regulation |