Deck 8: Substance Abuse and the Neurobiology of Addiction, 2nd Edition

Question 1

The most recent national surveys on drug abuse estimate that the lifetime prevalence of substance abuse and dependency is approaching ________ percent of the US population.

A) 25
B) 15
C) 30
D) 10

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The number of individuals in the US population who meet the criteria for substance abuse and dependency has

A) dropped significantly over the past ten years.
B) increased significantly over the past ten years.
C) remained relatively stable over the past ten years.
D) increased because of new defining criteria.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Alcohol addiction is more common in individuals who suffer from

A) bipolar disorder.
B) depression.
C) anxiety disorders.
D) All of the above are correct

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for substance dependence disorder?

A) Tolerance to the substance
B) A persistent desire to curtail substance use
C) The appearance of the substance on a restricted drug list
D) Use of the substance in spite of knowledge about problems associated with its use

Question 5

The brain's reward pathway most likely evolved

A) as an unnecessary consequence of brain evolution.
B) as a mechanism to ensure attention to significant stimuli such as sexual partners and highly caloric foods.
C) from more primitive structures that regulated hunger and thirst.
D) Both b and c are correct

Question 6

The psychologists who originally identified structures within the reward pathway were ________ and ________.

A) Skinner; Miller
B) Thorndike; James
C) Olds; Milner
D) Hebb; Miller

Question 7

The medial forebrain bundle is the bundle of axons projecting from the ________ to the ________.

A) nucleus accumbens; cortex
B) septum; substantia nigra
C) ventral tegmentum area; nucleus accumbens
D) hypothalamus; nucleus accumbens

Question 8

The structures of the reward pathway comprise the ________ system.

A) mesolimbic
B) reticular activating
C) striatal
D) hypothalamic-septal

Question 9

The major neurotransmitter of the reward system is

A) norepinephrine.
B) dopamine.
C) serotoinin.
D) acetylcholine.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a structure within the reward system?

A) Septum
B) Nucleus accumbens
C) Medial forebrain bundle
D) Hypothalamus

Question 11

The mesocortical system originates in the ________ and projects to the ________.

A) basal ganglia; hypothalamus
B) medulla, thalamus
C) ventral tegmental area; prefrontal cortex
D) septum; striatum

Question 12

Cocaine and heroin produce greater euphoria when administered

A) orally.
B) in near lethal doses.
C) intranasally.
D) intravenously.

Question 13

The subjective euphoric effects of a drug

A) predict its addictive potential.
B) diminish with discontinued drug use.
C) increase during abstinence.
D) are not a reliable predictor of its abuse potential.

Question 14

The addictive potential of a drug may best be predicted by its

A) euphoric effects.
B) ability to maintain self-administration in animals.
C) ability to directly increase dopamine activity.
D) ability to induce both psychomotor and incentive sensitization.

Question 15

Incentive sensitization is a(n)

A) conditioned change in a drug's value.
B) decrease in a drug's ability to produce euphoria.
C) increase in the incentive value of a drug.
D) drug's potential to increase motor activity.

Question 16

Which of the following is a consequence of incentive sensitization?

A) A drug produces greater levels of euphoria.
B) Drug-associated cues also gain incentive value.
C) Tolerance develops more quickly.
D) All of the above are correct

Question 17

The ability of drugs to induce ________ appears to depend on neurological adaptations in mesolimbic areas resulting from rapid rates of drug administration.

A) euphoria
B) incentive sensitization
C) psychomotor sensitization
D) All of the above are correct

Question 18

As cellular activity in response to a drug increases, ________ is expressed in greater amounts.

A) c-FOS protein
B) cAMP
C) PKA
D) CREB protein

Question 19

Which of the following neural adaptations occur as an addiction develops?

A) Decreased c-FOS activity
B) Deactivation of cAMP
C) Increased CREB activity
D) Both a and c are correct

Question 20

The relationship between drug administration rate and c-FOS expression

A) is undefined at this time.
B) is a negative correlation.
C) is a positive correlation.
D) depends on drug dose.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding drug addiction?

A) A rapid rate of drug delivery and availability to the brain enhances CREB and c-FOS upregulation.
B) Drug addiction is characterized by powerful and long-lasting behavioral changes that can be reinstated after long periods of abstinence.
C) Drug addiction increases dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens as well as in other structures of the mesolimbic pathway.
D) Addiction occurs to a wide a range of drugs, all of which have similar structural features.

Question 22

All known addictive drugs

A) rapidly increase dopamine activity in the mesolimbic system.
B) produce euphoria initially.
C) maintain self-administration in animals.
D) All of the above are correct

Question 23

CREB and c-FOS proteins contribute to increased

A) sensitivity to dopamine.
B) numbers of D₁ receptors.
C) dendritic branching.
D) All of the above are correct

Question 24

The treatment options available today for most drug addicts

A) include both drug therapy and behavioral therapies.
B) are largely unsuccessful.
C) are expensive.
D) Both a and b are correct

Question 25

Active immunization against cocaine abuse involves the

A) administration of a drug that competes with cocaine at receptor sites.
B) stimulation of the production of actual antibodies against cocaine.
C) administration of a drug that dampens the euphoric effects of cocaine.
D) administration of drugs such as bupropion.

Question 26

Active immunization works by

A) decreasing cravings for cocaine.
B) blocking cocaine at receptor sites.
C) attaching an antibody to the cocaine molecule, thus preventing it from crossing the blood brain barrier.
D) stimulating the breakdown of cocaine into inactive compounds.

Question 27

Laboratories have demonstrated effective immunization against the effects of ________ in laboratory animals.

A) nicotine
B) methamphetamine
C) heroin
D) All of the above are correct

Question 28

Presently, there are

A) several drugs on the market that can cure drug addiction.
B) a number of successful behavioral treatments for drug addiction.
C) no commercially available vaccines for addictive drugs.
D) antibodies against all known addictive drugs.

Question 29

Which of the following is one of the reasons why drug treatment often fails?

A) Drug-associated cues can themselves reinstate drug cravings after abstinence.
B) There is no effective treatment for addiction.
C) Addicts fail to comply with treatment program requirements during treatment.
D) Addicts merely switch to a different drug.

Question 30

Evidence has found that ________ and ________ are addictive.

A) video game playing; sex
B) gambling; sex
C) video game playing; gambling
D) None of the above is correct