Addiction- Biological Not Sociological

Addiction- Biological Not SociologicalMH

The study of human social life, groups and societiesDeals with your environment, friends, life issuesMore of the risk of taking drugs

Sociology

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitryChanges in the brain resulting in a compulsive need to use drugsDepends on two main biological factors:Effects of drugs on the individualBiological status of the individual (inherited characteristics)Addiction

Effects of Drugs on the Individual

Made up of billions of neuronsThey pass messages back and forth to different systems These networks regulate what we feel, think and doNeurotransmitters-chemicals that carry messages between neuronsReceptors-bind with certain neurotransmittersSending a message: Neurotransmitter releasedJumps synapseAttaches to receptorCauses changes in receiving brain cellMessage deliveredThe Brain

5When we participate in life-sustaining activities our brain treats it with a pleasurable rewardThe brain releases dopamine as a rewardDopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation and feelings of pleasureDrugs interfere the way nerve cells normally communicateDrugs can target the reward system with dopamineDrugs release 2-10 times more dopamine than natural rewards do and can last longer

The Brains Reward System

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The Brains Reward System

Drugs such as, heroin and marijuana, can activate neurons because their chemical structures mimic that of a natural neurotransmitterAttaches to receptor and activates nerve cell in an unnatural wayAbnormal messages are transmittedDrugs such as, cocaine and amphetamine, can cause nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal recycling of these chemicalsProduce a greatly amplified message Disrupts communication channelsHow Drugs Effect the Brain; Examples

Prefrontal Cortex a pleasure centreDevelops during adolescence While developing there is a chemical imbalanceSubstance use during this time can impair future decision making and other functionsA person who starts drinking at age 13 has a 43% chance of becoming an alcoholicA person who starts drinking at age 21 has a 10% chance of becoming an alcoholic

Development

Biological Status of the Individual (Inherited Characteristics)

Account for 40%-60% of the likelihood of developing an addictionThere are multiple genes that control various aspects of the biological response to drugs or the physiological predisposition to become an abuserGenetic factors dont ensure addiction, just as lack of them dont prevent addictionCertain genes make it harder for a user to stop using drugsDiversity of molecular components involved in addiction NeurotransmittersDesensitization of targets for many drugsGenetic Factors

How researchers proved that addiction is hereditaryConstructed from large families with addiction problemsShows recurring traitsPedigrees

Scientists have found more than 80 of these genesEach of these genes contain clustered single nucleotide polymorphisms that display significant allele frequency differences between abusers and non-abusersImplicated with many cellular functions, including adhesionEstablish and maintain neuronal connections of significance to addictions memory functionGenes Linked to Addiction

Genetic factors contribute to alcohol preferenceSmaller doses of alcohol affected mice with genetic factors more than ones withoutMaybe due to inherited differences in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system inherited increase response to this system (when exposed to alcohol)Different levels of activity in other neurotransmitter system that moderate activity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system When bred to lack a certain gene:Cannabinoid receptor gene-reduced reward response to morphineSerotonin receptor gene-more attracted to alcohol and cocaineB2 subunits nicotinic cholinergic receptors-reduced reward response to cocaineLower levels of neurpeptide Y-drink more alcohol Higher levels of neurpeptide-tend to abstain from alcoholCreb gene-less likely to develop morphine addictionDefective Per2 gen-drink 3X more alcoholMice Studies

Treatment of addiction genesModify activityTransform them-reduce likelihood of addictionSignals and pathways in the brain-returned to normalCreating tamper-resistant drugsWhen crushed, chewed or cut, release naltrexone which absorbs the morphineWhen dissolved-gel-like substance forms, which makes it impossible to injectTamper-resistant oxycontin is already being producedCreating a vaccinePrevents addictive substances from ever reaching the brainOpioid vaccine is being producedA vaccine for drugs such as heroin and cocaine is the targetFuture

Defining Sociology. (2005). In The British Sociological Association. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from www.sociology.org.uk/as4def.doc Definition of Addiction. (2011, April 19). In American Society of Addiction Medicine. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addictionDrugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. (2010, August). In National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/drugs-brainGenetic Science Learning Center. (2012). Genetics is an important factor in Addiction. In The University of Utah. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genetics/Grucza, R. J. (2006). Co-Occurring Risk Factors for Alcohol Dependence and Habitual Smoking. Alcohol Research & Health, 29(3), 172-178.Liu Q-R, Drgon T, Johnson C, Walther D, Hess J, Uhl GR. 2006. Addiction Molecular Genetics: 639,401 SNP Whole Genome Association Identifies Many Cell Adhesion Genes. Am J Med Genet Part B 141B:918925.Nestler, Eric J., and David Landsman. "Learning about addiction from the genome." Nature 2001. Web. 9 May 2012. . Nurnberger, J. (2007). SEEKING THE CONNECTIONS: ALCOHOLISM AND OUR GENES. Scientific American, 296(4), 46-53. The Pleasure Centers (n.d.). In The Brain From the Bottom to the Top. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_03/i_03_cr/i_03_cr_que/i_03_cr_que.html U.S. Congress, Mice of Technology Assessment, BioZogicaZ Components ofSubstance Abuse and Addiction, OTA-BP-BBS-1 17Woods, T. L. (2010). Opioid abuse and dependence: Treatment review and future options. (cover story). Formulary, 45(9), 284-291.

Work Cited

http://www.parentingclan.com/talking-teen-drugs-alcohol.htmlhttp://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/drugs-brainhttp://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genetics/http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_03/i_03_cr/i_03_cr_que/i_03_cr_que.html http://m.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/brain-actions-cocaine-opiates-marijuana/section-iii-introduction-to-drugs-abuse-cocaine-opiat-1

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