Deck 4: Neurobiology of Addiction

Question 1

In addition to dopamine,a second population of cells within the VTA containing _____ are also important in the reward circuit.

A) serotonin
B) glutamate
C) histamine
D) GABA

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Opioids:

A) stimulate GABA release.
B) inhibit GABA release.
C) act indirectly on neurons in the amygdala to alter dopamine levels.
D) act directly on neurons in the VTA to stimulate dopamine release

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Mike is a teenager with upcoming exams; he is interested in trying a prescription medication to help him stay awake and study for his exams.He is most likely to get this medication from:

A) his local drug dealer.
B) a pharmacy in a nearby town.
C) a website on the Internet.
D) his close friends.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

For patients with a lifetime diagnosis of bipolar disorder,approximately _____ meet the criteria for substance abuse or dependence.

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 90%

Question 5

Cocaine blocks dopamine _____ in neurons of the _____ following release.

A) reuptake/transport; ventral tegmental area (VTA)
B) reuptake/transport; nucleus accumbens (NAc)
C) release; hippocampus
D) release; amygdala

Question 6

Depressants of the central nervous system are thought to _____ dopamine by inhibiting _____.

A) increase; GABA
B) increase; glutamate
C) decrease; norepinephrine
D) decrease; serotonin

Question 7

Schedule I drugs:

A) have minimal potential for abuse.
B) are not currently used for medical treatments in the United States.
C) have some potential for abuse.
D) are commonly prescribed to treat pain.

Question 8

Schedule V drugs:

A) consist of drugs containing large amounts of opiates.
B) involve substances with high potential for abuse.
C) have a high potential for physical dependence.
D) involve substances containing limited amounts of opiates.

Question 9

Some evidence suggests that people could be prone to addiction because of:

A) increased dopamine receptor expression.
B) higher levels of D₂ receptors.
C) higher levels of GABA receptors.
D) lower levels of D₂ receptors.

Question 10

The 5^th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders requires that patients diagnosed with mild substance abuse disorder must:

A) have a comorbid anxiety disorder.
B) have comorbid depression
C) exhibit two to three symptoms.
D) exhibit at least four specific symptoms.

Question 11

The reward circuit of the brain involves neurons originating in the:

A) nucleus accumbens (NAc).
B) ventral tegmental area (VTA).
C) amygdala.
D) hippocampus.

Question 12

The pathway between the ventral tegmental area (VTA)and the _____ is critical for the addiction process; lesions to this pathway abolish addiction.

A) amygdala
B) substantia nigra (SN)
C) prefrontal cortex (PFC)
D) nucleus accumbens (NAc)

Question 13

Research shows that chronic stimulation of the VTA-NAc (ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens)pathway:

A) causes the reward system to be hyper-responsive to drug stimulation resulting in continued addictive behavior.
B) results in an up-regulation of dopamine receptors in the system.
C) impairs the pathways so that naturally rewarding stimuli are not an enjoyable.
D) damages the system so that vesicles are unable to store adequate amounts of dopamine.

Question 14

Among patients with a lifetime schizophrenia diagnosis,approximately _____ meet the criteria for substance abuse.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 70%

Question 15

Schedule II drugs:

A) have a high potential for abuse.
B) are not prescribed in the United States.
C) have a low potential for psychological dependence.
D) are rarely prescribed outside the United States.

Question 16

Nicotine is thought to be addictive because it:

A) enhances influx of calcium into the presynaptic cell.
B) enhances binding of dopamine at the postsynaptic receptor.
C) blocks the reuptake / transport of dopamine.
D) stimulates the release of dopamine.

Question 17

The reward circuit in the brain involves the neurotransmitter:

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

Question 18

Evidence from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that approximately _____ percent of the population have used an illicit drug or abused psychotherapeutic medication in the past month.

A) 1
B) 5
C) 9
D) 15

Question 19

Survey evidence suggests that the most widely abused drug in the United States is:

A) marijuana.
B) methamphetamine.
C) heroin.
D) cocaine.

Question 20

Research suggests a strong correlation between the pleasurable sensations associated with drugs and the:

A) number of dopamine receptors present on cells in the VTA.
B) amount of GABA in the nucleus accumbens (NAc).
C) number of dopamine transporters that are blocked.
D) amount of calcium that enters the cell.

Question 21

Drug addiction is a moral failing on the part of an individual that compulsively uses drugs.

Question 22

Long-term drug use is thought to produce:

A) cortical "hyperfrontality."
B) cortical "hypofrontality."
C) mesolimbic hyperactivation.
D) mesolimbic hypoactivation.

Question 23

Evidence from human neuroimaging and animal experiments suggest that a addictive drugs produce a more intense response in _____ synapses connecting the frontal lobe with the ventral tegmental area (VTA).

A) dopaminergic
B) GABAergic
C) glutamatergic
D) serotonergic

Question 24

Antabuse has been used successfully to treat alcohol as well as _____ addiction.

A) opiate
B) nicotine
C) cocaine
D) methamphetamine

Question 25

Chronic drug use causes natural rewards (e.g.food,sex)to become _____ pleasurable; drug associated cues result in _____ dopamine levels.

A) more; increased
B) less; increased
C) more; decreased
D) less; decreased

Question 26

Research evidence suggests that all of the following variables result in relapse to drug use EXCEPT:

A) stress.
B) drug cues that have been conditioned during use.
C) reexperience with the drug.
D) glutamate hyporeactivity.

Question 27

Of the biochemical mechanisms associated with the epigenetic processes,perhaps the most well-known and characterized is:

A) ubiquitylation.
B) methylation .
C) phosphorylation.
D) acetylation.

Question 28

Evidence suggests that increased responsiveness of _____ population of receptors may be particularly important in addiction.

A) glutamate
B) GABA_A
C) kainate
D) AMPA

Question 29

Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical use in the United States.

Question 30

_____ is an antagonist often used to treat opiate addiction.

A) Naltrexone
B) Flumazenil
C) Nalboxone
D) Antabuse

Question 31

All of the following represent novel approaches to the treatment of addiction EXCEPT:

A) deep brain stimulation.
B) improving control of the prefrontal cortex.
C) faith-based / religious approaches.
D) targeting cAMP as a final common pathway for all addictions.

Question 32

Gene activation is thought to be enhanced by histone:

A) deacetylation.
B) phosphorylation.
C) acetylation.
D) de phosphorylation.

Question 33

Vaccines have been developed to treat addiction to all of the following substances EXCEPT:

A) cocaine.
B) alcohol.
C) nicotine.
D) heroin.

Question 34

Addiction results from _____ to drugs of abuse as well as hypersensitivity to _____.

A) hyposensitivity; depressive stimuli
B) hyposensitivity; environmental stressors
C) hypersensitivity; environmental stressors
D) hypersensitivity; depressive stimuli

Question 35

Drug craving is thought to be associated with:

A) increased glutamatergic reactivity.
B) upregulation of dopamine receptors.
C) downregulation of GABA receptors.
D) decreased GABAergic reactivity.

Question 36

A very common approach for treating drug addiction involves:

A) targeted application of an antagonist.
B) agonist substitution.
C) partial agonist substitution.
D) targeted GABAergic treatments.

Question 37

The transmission of changes in gene activity to a subsequent generation that does not involve alterations in the structure of DNA or the genome per se is called:

A) heritability.
B) cellular memory.
C) optogenetics.
D) epigenetics.

Question 38

All of the following brain structures are intimately involved in addictive behavior,EXCEPT the:

A) orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).
B) ventral tegmental area (VTA).
C) hippocampus.
D) hypothalamus.

Question 39

Downstream neurons connecting frontal lobe structures with the nucleus accumbens (NAc)and the ventral tegmental area (VTA)use _____ as their primary neurotransmitter.

A) dopamine
B) glutamate
C) GABA
D) serotonin

Question 40

Neuroimaging suggests that when compared to nondrug users,cocaine addicts have a(n)_____ receptors.

A) decreased number of dopamine (D₂)
B) increased number of dopamine (D₂)
C) decreased number of GABA
D) increased number of GABA

Question 41

Drugs are considered controlled substances and they are placed on five schedules as stipulated by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).Accordingly,their placement on a schedule is based on all of the following criteria EXCEPT:

A) What is the abuse potential of the drug?
B) What is the possibility of the development of dependence when the drug is abused?
C) Does the drug have a currently accepted medical use within the United States?
D) What is the side effect profile of the drug?

Question 42

A drug company is developing a new drug,ligabamax,that they plan to market to treat chronic pain.However,initial tests suggest that the drug has high potential for abuse.Given that information,one might conclude that this drug would be placed on Schedule _____ once it has been approved for use.

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV

Question 43

Research suggests that heritability for addiction is quite low.

Question 44

Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse as well as the development of strong physiological and psychological dependence.

Question 45

Drug use is highest when people are in their late teens to early twenties.

Question 46

Schedule V drugs have a high potential for abuse since they contain large quantities of opiates.

Question 47

Randy is a chronic cocaine user; he would probably experience less pleasure eating a really excellent meal in comparison to someone that is not a drug user.

Question 48

The term dual diagnosis refers to the notion that people can only be diagnosed with two substance abuse disorders under the new criteria proposed by the 5^th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Question 49

In addition to dopamine,serotonin is the other important neurotransmitter that has been shown to be important in the brain reward circuit.

Question 50

The process of DNA methylation is probably the best example of an epigenetic phenomenon currently known.

Question 51

The core of the brain's reward circuit involves the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Question 52

One method that appears to be promising for the treatment of drug addiction involves the use of vaccines to stimulate the production of antibodies to specific drugs.

Question 53

One of the primary methods for treating individuals with substance abuse problems is to provide agonists which substitute for the typically abused drug.

Question 54

Epigenetics is the study of changes in the genetic code of drug users.

Question 55

Generally speaking,about one in three people that are addicted to a drug or have an alcohol problem,also have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

Question 56

All drugs of abuse affect dopamine levels in the same manner by directly facilitating release from the presynaptic neuron and increasing levels in the synapse.

Question 57

The key pathway in the brain reward circuit are the neurons connecting the ventral tegmental area with the amygdala.

Question 58

Evidence suggests that people with a weaker response to pleasure may be more likely to develop a drug addiction.

Question 59

Reduced activity of the prefrontal cortex,such as that observed in response to religious rituals,may provide a protective effect in the context of drug addiction.

Question 60

Drug use often begins during adolescence.

Question 61

The learned associations in drug abuse appear to involve:

A) dopamine.
B) glutamate.
C) GABA.
D) histamine.

Question 62

Heroin is an example of a drug on Schedule:

A) I.
B) II.
C) III.
D) IV.

Question 63

The 5^th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies substance abuse and substance dependence as:

A) Substance Abuse Disorder.
B) Substance Use Disorder.
C) Substance Dependence Disorder.
D) Substance Diagnostic Disorder.

Question 64

Chris has become dependent on cocaine suggesting that there may be _____ dopamine being released from the _____ onto the nucleus accumbens.

A) decreased; frontal lobe
B) decreased; hippocampus
C) increased; amygdala
D) increased; ventral tegmental area

Question 65

At present,the epigenetic process that has received the most attention is:

A) acetylation.
B) phosphorylation.
C) ubiquitylation.
D) methylation.

Question 66

Recent evidence from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that drug use is _____ among teenagers and is _____ for individuals in their fifties.

A) moderate; decreasing
B) lowest; declining
C) highest; increasing
D) highest; falling

Question 67

The pleasurable effects associated with drugs of abuse and "natural addictions" (e.g.overeating)are thought to involve effects on:

A) the GABAergic system.
B) glutamate.
C) the dopaminergic system.
D) serotonin.

Question 68

An important change that appears to commonly develop in the brain of chronic drug users is:

A) a higher metabolic rate in the frontal lobe.
B) a lower metabolic rate in the frontal lobe.
C) higher firing rate of neurons in the nucleus accumbens.
D) lower overall activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA).

Question 69

Research indicates that nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobe with the reward circuit involve:

A) dopamine.
B) GABA.
C) glutamate.
D) serotonin.

Question 70

The investigation of changes in gene activity that do not involve changes in the genetic code itself (DNA or genome),but still get passed down to at least one successive generation,is known as:

A) genetics.
B) gene transmission.
C) proteomics.
D) epigenetics.

Question 71

Evidence suggests that an important variable in relapse for those previously addicted to a drug is:

A) how long the person abused the drug.
B) how frequently the drug was used.
C) dose.
D) stress.

Question 72

Addiction appears to alter _____ receptors.

A) NMDA
B) AMPA
C) NMDA and mGluR5
D) AMPA and mGluR5

Question 73

Evidence suggests that chronic drug use causes the brain of abusers to be _____ responsive to natural reinforcers,and _____ responsive to the presence of drugs with respect to dopamine transmission.

A) less; less
B) less; more
C) somewhat; less
D) more; somewhat

Question 74

Following drug use and abuse,the frontal lobes appear to become _____ active and _____ responsive to natural reinforcers.

A) more; more
B) less; more
C) more; less
D) less; less

Question 75

Paul has become addicted to heroin; probably the most well-established pharmacological intervention for his addiction is:

A) the use of antagonists.
B) partial agonist substitution treatments.
C) agonist substitution treatments.
D) targeting nondopaminergic neurotransmitter systems.

Question 76

People are thought to develop addictive behaviors because of:

A) a moral failing as a human being.
B) lower D₂ levels.
C) higher D₂ levels.
D) decreased activity in the dopamine system.

Question 77

Schedule V substances have a _____ potential for abuse and consist of substances containing small quantities of certain _____.

A) high; opiates
B) moderate; hallucinogens
C) low; sedatives
D) low; opiates

Question 78

The brain reward circuit involves neurons projecting from the _____ to the _____.

A) ventral tegmental area; nucleus accumbens
B) prefrontal cortex; ventral tegmental area
C) amygdala; nucleus accumbens
D) nucleus accumbens; ventral tegmental area