The Neurobiology of Addiction

The Neurobiology of Addiction

Or… How addiction changes the way you think, act and interact

What does the brain regulate?

THE Brain Thingy…• Brainstem

– The part of the brain that • Connects the brain and spinal cord • Involved in coordinating many basic functions

– heart rate, breathing, eating, and sleeping.

• Cerebellum – Coordinates the brain’s instructions for skilled repetitive

movements and for maintaining balance and posture.• Limbic System

– Involved in regulating emotions, motivations, and movement.– Includes:

• amygdala and hippocampus (important for memory formation)

More on That Brain Thingy• Diencephalon

– Contains the thalamus and hypothalamus. – Thalamus is involved in sensory perception and regulating movement. – Hypothalamus is an important regulator of the pituitary gland, which

directs the release of hormones throughout the body.• Cerebral Cortex

– Makes up the largest part of the brain mass and lies over and around most of the other brain structures. It is the part of the brain responsible for thinking, perceiving, and producing and understanding language.

– Divided into areas that are involved in • vision, hearing, touch, movement, smell, and thinking and reasoning (Figure

1.3).

Basic Parts of the Brain…

Four Lobes of the Brain

Is your entire brain working?

Routes of Administrationor… How drugs can get to the brain

• Ingestion• Inhalation• Injection• Snorting/Sniffing• Through the Skin

• Examples?

Next Presentation Please…

Addiction…

Adapted from a class by John Fitzgerald, PhD, LPC, CAS

What Works?

relationships

What is addition?

“Drug addiction is a brain disease.”

Nora Volkow, MDDirector, National Institute on Drug Abuse

What do you think?

Is addiction a brain disease or isn’t it?

If top researchers can’t decide how are we supposed to come to a consensus?

What is Dopamine?

Think of it as a reward system for your brain…

Dopamine Provides Reinforcement

• How is dopamine related to addiction?

• Discussion…

Dopamine Index

• Cheeseburger

• Sex

• Nicotine

• Cocaine

• Meth

Source: UCLA Integrates Substance Abuse Programs

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

What do you think?

Do you have an unlimited supply of dopamine?

Lets talk about brain activity…

Ooh fun…

I’m not addictaed to anything…

And I never will be…

Why should I care?

Addiction Treatment System

< 10 % get help

~ 60 % drop out

> 60 % relapse

Who is interested in all this?

Discussion…

What should I take away from all this information?

Addiction changes the way your brain works and how you connect with others

Developmental Skills

• Self-regulation• Engagement in

relationships• Two-way

communication• Problem solving• Idea creation• Making connections

between ideas

Warning Signs of Substance Abuse• Relying on drugs or alcohol to have fun, forget problems, or

relax• Having blackouts• Drinking or using drugs while alone• Withdrawing or keeping secrets from friends or family• Losing interest in activities that used to be important• Performing differently in school (such as grades dropping and

frequent absences)• Building an increased tolerance to alcohol or drugs —

gradually needing more and More of the substance to get the same feeling

• Lying, stealing, or selling stuff to get money for drugs or alcohol

Thank you…

Any Questions?

Multnomah County Crisis Line 24/7 – (503) 988-4888

Website: http://web.multco.us/mhas/addiction-services

Warning Signs: http://oregonyouthline.org/wordpress/help-online/warning-signs-of-substance-abuse/