Lecture 1: Introduction lecture + Implicit processes underlying substance use and addiction
How do we define Risk Behavior?
This depends on the substance.
- Behaviors that pose a risk to a healthy physical, cognitive, psychosocial development of
adolescents -> Substance use / other risk behaviors
Risk behavior is a factor that proceeds addiction:
What we tend to regard as ‘risk behavior’ depends on:
> Characteristics of the particular substance or behavior
- For instance, smoking versus gaming
> Cultural and societal norms
- Example: alcohol use in western versus Islamic cultures
> Scientific knowledge
- Example: knowledge on the risks of alcohol use for the cognitive development of
adolescents
COM-B model = 3 factors that predict Risk Behavior
Which (neurological) developments take place during adolescence?
, - Girls tend to grow earlier, the difference is about 1.5 year in which girls are growing
faster than boys from the age of 10 - 13. Being bullied is very damaging in this period
because it is important to feel seen to build a social identity formation.
Adolescence (± 10 - 24 years)
- Early adolescence (aged 10 - 13): physical growth, sexual maturation, psychosocial
development, social identity formation.
- Mid adolescence (aged 14 - 18 years): experimenting with risk behaviors, personal identity
formation.
- Late adolescence (aged 19 - 24): practicing adult roles
There is a strong growth in brain volume. There is an increase in white matter (connections)
whereas the gray matter is decreasing (nerve cells).
Pruning = loss of gray matter (if you don’t use it, you lose it)
With the increase in white matter, communication between brain regions strongly improves.
- Long term memory increases
- Capacity for abstract thinking/metacognition increases
Why is there a peak in risk behaviors during adolescence?
There is a peak in risk behaviors, risk behavior in adolescence follows an inverted U-shaped
curve.
,Neurological development in adolescence
The speed of the development of two different brain regions differs
There are two systems:
- The affective-motivational system (emotional brain) develops fast
- The control system (rational brain) develops slowly
1. The affective-motivational system (‘reward center’) is overactive in early and mid
adolescence
- Adolescents experience stronger positive emotions than adults when they receive
or anticipate a reward. This process is enhanced by testosterone.
2. Control system (rational brain)
- The rational brain develops slowly (until about 23 year)
- The rational brain plays an important role in the development of executive functions:
risk estimation, monitoring long-term goals, inhibit that the tendency to respond to
(short-term) possibilities for reward (impulse control, behavioral inhibition, self
control)
The tendency to respond to (short-term) possibilities for reward.
A theory that is discussing high reward sensitivity versus immature impulse control is the
Maturational Imbalance Model.
- Increased risk-taking during adolescence is a result of an imbalance between
motivational bottum-up versus controlling top-down processes.
, The horse and the rider metaphor = prefrontal cortex is the rider, because decisions are
mostly controlled by the prefrontal cortex.
How do we define risk behavior, psycho-active substances (drugs) and addiction?
> Psychoactive substances are chemical substances that cross the blood-brain barrier and
affect the function of the central nervous system thereby altering perception, mood, or
consciousness (high/euphoria, relaxation)
- Other characteristics of psychoactive substances: they often induce craving after (regular)
use, they often evoke loss of control after they have been used (regularly).
Psychoactive substances differ in:
- Type and strength of the psychoactive effect
- The degree to which they elicit craving and loss of control
How can we define addiction?
Sussman (2017) differentiates between intentional and extensional definitions of addiction:
- Intentional: these definitions aim to describe a causal addiction process.
- Extensional: a classification of characteristics of an addiction.
Substance use disorder (DSM-5) = recurrent use over the last 12 months AND meeting at
least two or more of the following criteria:
How do we define Risk Behavior?
This depends on the substance.
- Behaviors that pose a risk to a healthy physical, cognitive, psychosocial development of
adolescents -> Substance use / other risk behaviors
Risk behavior is a factor that proceeds addiction:
What we tend to regard as ‘risk behavior’ depends on:
> Characteristics of the particular substance or behavior
- For instance, smoking versus gaming
> Cultural and societal norms
- Example: alcohol use in western versus Islamic cultures
> Scientific knowledge
- Example: knowledge on the risks of alcohol use for the cognitive development of
adolescents
COM-B model = 3 factors that predict Risk Behavior
Which (neurological) developments take place during adolescence?
, - Girls tend to grow earlier, the difference is about 1.5 year in which girls are growing
faster than boys from the age of 10 - 13. Being bullied is very damaging in this period
because it is important to feel seen to build a social identity formation.
Adolescence (± 10 - 24 years)
- Early adolescence (aged 10 - 13): physical growth, sexual maturation, psychosocial
development, social identity formation.
- Mid adolescence (aged 14 - 18 years): experimenting with risk behaviors, personal identity
formation.
- Late adolescence (aged 19 - 24): practicing adult roles
There is a strong growth in brain volume. There is an increase in white matter (connections)
whereas the gray matter is decreasing (nerve cells).
Pruning = loss of gray matter (if you don’t use it, you lose it)
With the increase in white matter, communication between brain regions strongly improves.
- Long term memory increases
- Capacity for abstract thinking/metacognition increases
Why is there a peak in risk behaviors during adolescence?
There is a peak in risk behaviors, risk behavior in adolescence follows an inverted U-shaped
curve.
,Neurological development in adolescence
The speed of the development of two different brain regions differs
There are two systems:
- The affective-motivational system (emotional brain) develops fast
- The control system (rational brain) develops slowly
1. The affective-motivational system (‘reward center’) is overactive in early and mid
adolescence
- Adolescents experience stronger positive emotions than adults when they receive
or anticipate a reward. This process is enhanced by testosterone.
2. Control system (rational brain)
- The rational brain develops slowly (until about 23 year)
- The rational brain plays an important role in the development of executive functions:
risk estimation, monitoring long-term goals, inhibit that the tendency to respond to
(short-term) possibilities for reward (impulse control, behavioral inhibition, self
control)
The tendency to respond to (short-term) possibilities for reward.
A theory that is discussing high reward sensitivity versus immature impulse control is the
Maturational Imbalance Model.
- Increased risk-taking during adolescence is a result of an imbalance between
motivational bottum-up versus controlling top-down processes.
, The horse and the rider metaphor = prefrontal cortex is the rider, because decisions are
mostly controlled by the prefrontal cortex.
How do we define risk behavior, psycho-active substances (drugs) and addiction?
> Psychoactive substances are chemical substances that cross the blood-brain barrier and
affect the function of the central nervous system thereby altering perception, mood, or
consciousness (high/euphoria, relaxation)
- Other characteristics of psychoactive substances: they often induce craving after (regular)
use, they often evoke loss of control after they have been used (regularly).
Psychoactive substances differ in:
- Type and strength of the psychoactive effect
- The degree to which they elicit craving and loss of control
How can we define addiction?
Sussman (2017) differentiates between intentional and extensional definitions of addiction:
- Intentional: these definitions aim to describe a causal addiction process.
- Extensional: a classification of characteristics of an addiction.
Substance use disorder (DSM-5) = recurrent use over the last 12 months AND meeting at
least two or more of the following criteria:
