BBH 451 Exam 2 Preparation Questions
and Correct Answers
Why do certain things give us pleasure? ✅-natural rewards
-drive states (seeking out to reverse disequilibrium --> hunger, thirst, lust, well-studied
examples of motivation)
-thought that all drug use, if excessive, didn't want to stop to avoid unpleasantness of
withdrawal --> but really psychological feeling of reward
Goal of organisms ✅survive and reproduce (anything that promotes that level of
fitness provides that reward = food, sex)
ISS in rats ✅Olds and Milner
-rats press lever --> shock stimulate reward neurons in brain --> found that there were
areas that when activated made rat feel good (press lever repeatedly to provide
stimulation)
-for the first time recognized that there's something in brain that makes you feel good
Dopamine ✅-dopaminergic neurons are activated during intracranial self-stilmulation
-all reinforcing psychoactive drugs increase dopamine levels in the mesolimbic pathway,
esp. Nucleus accumbens
-not the "pleasure neurotrasmitter" (increases before they do drugs and also in
response to some sorts of pain --> associated with aversive and pleasurable)
Dopamine: salience ✅acting as a substance in the brain that reminded them of salient
things in the environment that brought them to pleasure = food/drug/etc.
-drugs, location where they did the drug (crack pipe --> dopamine release b/c reminded
brain how to get to the pleasure
Reward of drugs ✅-addictive drugs create positive emotional states and/or allow us to
escape negative emotional states
-humans are not the only ones who find this alluring (serves beneficial evolutionary
purpose --> that's what drugs act on now)
Norms of drug use ✅-"appropriate" drug use is determined by medical, social, and
cultural norms (not acceptable to have wine with breakfast, and if they did = viewed as
alcohol problem)
-drug use vs. Misuse
DSM-V criteris ✅-a maladaptive patten of substance use, leading to clinically
significant impairment or distress as manifested by a combination of a variety of
symptoms in a 12-month period
-meeting 2 means mild case, 3-5 = moderate, and more than 5 = severe
, Symptoms ✅1. Substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period
than was intended
2. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance
use
3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance, use the
substance, or recover from its effects
4. Cravings and urges to use the substance exist
5. There are problems meeting responsibilities at work, home, or school because of
substance use
6. There is continued use, even when it caused significant problems in relationships
7. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced
because of substance abuse
8. Use is continued in situations in which it is hazardous or dangerous
9. Use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or
psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the
substance (drink despite knowing about stomach ulcer)
10. Tolerance, as defined by
A) a need for increased amounts to achieve desired effects
B) diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of substance
11. Withdrawal, as manifested by withdrawal syndrome or the substance is taken to
relieve withdrawal symptoms
Tolerance ✅decreased responsiveness after repeated exposure
-at first more enzymes are present with excess drug
Pharmacokinetic vs pharmacodynamic tolerance ✅-cross-tolerance = tolerance to a
drug they may never had had before just because they have been exposed to
something similar
-brain gets rid of receptors acted upon by drug to decrease effects and replaces them
with others
Behavioral tolerance ✅-if you never drink, feel effect after 3 beers --> after that we get
used to the experience, compensate and it starts to have less of an effect
-some people begin to get used to contextual cues where they are using a drug (familiar
environment affects intoxication) --> risk of OD seems to be higher if they do it in
unfamiliar environment
Tolerance --> ✅dependence
-initial use creates positive effect
-tolerance to initial positive effect
-increased use alters homeostasis
-need for drug to function normally
-drug dependence
Historical view of addiction ✅-before 1800s, viewed as a choice
and Correct Answers
Why do certain things give us pleasure? ✅-natural rewards
-drive states (seeking out to reverse disequilibrium --> hunger, thirst, lust, well-studied
examples of motivation)
-thought that all drug use, if excessive, didn't want to stop to avoid unpleasantness of
withdrawal --> but really psychological feeling of reward
Goal of organisms ✅survive and reproduce (anything that promotes that level of
fitness provides that reward = food, sex)
ISS in rats ✅Olds and Milner
-rats press lever --> shock stimulate reward neurons in brain --> found that there were
areas that when activated made rat feel good (press lever repeatedly to provide
stimulation)
-for the first time recognized that there's something in brain that makes you feel good
Dopamine ✅-dopaminergic neurons are activated during intracranial self-stilmulation
-all reinforcing psychoactive drugs increase dopamine levels in the mesolimbic pathway,
esp. Nucleus accumbens
-not the "pleasure neurotrasmitter" (increases before they do drugs and also in
response to some sorts of pain --> associated with aversive and pleasurable)
Dopamine: salience ✅acting as a substance in the brain that reminded them of salient
things in the environment that brought them to pleasure = food/drug/etc.
-drugs, location where they did the drug (crack pipe --> dopamine release b/c reminded
brain how to get to the pleasure
Reward of drugs ✅-addictive drugs create positive emotional states and/or allow us to
escape negative emotional states
-humans are not the only ones who find this alluring (serves beneficial evolutionary
purpose --> that's what drugs act on now)
Norms of drug use ✅-"appropriate" drug use is determined by medical, social, and
cultural norms (not acceptable to have wine with breakfast, and if they did = viewed as
alcohol problem)
-drug use vs. Misuse
DSM-V criteris ✅-a maladaptive patten of substance use, leading to clinically
significant impairment or distress as manifested by a combination of a variety of
symptoms in a 12-month period
-meeting 2 means mild case, 3-5 = moderate, and more than 5 = severe
, Symptoms ✅1. Substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period
than was intended
2. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance
use
3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance, use the
substance, or recover from its effects
4. Cravings and urges to use the substance exist
5. There are problems meeting responsibilities at work, home, or school because of
substance use
6. There is continued use, even when it caused significant problems in relationships
7. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced
because of substance abuse
8. Use is continued in situations in which it is hazardous or dangerous
9. Use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or
psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the
substance (drink despite knowing about stomach ulcer)
10. Tolerance, as defined by
A) a need for increased amounts to achieve desired effects
B) diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of substance
11. Withdrawal, as manifested by withdrawal syndrome or the substance is taken to
relieve withdrawal symptoms
Tolerance ✅decreased responsiveness after repeated exposure
-at first more enzymes are present with excess drug
Pharmacokinetic vs pharmacodynamic tolerance ✅-cross-tolerance = tolerance to a
drug they may never had had before just because they have been exposed to
something similar
-brain gets rid of receptors acted upon by drug to decrease effects and replaces them
with others
Behavioral tolerance ✅-if you never drink, feel effect after 3 beers --> after that we get
used to the experience, compensate and it starts to have less of an effect
-some people begin to get used to contextual cues where they are using a drug (familiar
environment affects intoxication) --> risk of OD seems to be higher if they do it in
unfamiliar environment
Tolerance --> ✅dependence
-initial use creates positive effect
-tolerance to initial positive effect
-increased use alters homeostasis
-need for drug to function normally
-drug dependence
Historical view of addiction ✅-before 1800s, viewed as a choice
