Brain Basics
This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making and impulse control, and is often weakened in addiction.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This pathway connects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens and is central to addiction.
What is the mesolimbic dopamine pathway?
This term refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt based on experience.
What is neuroplasticity?
This brain structure is key in memory and helps link people, places, and things to substance use.
What is the hippocampus?
These are the four key characteristics of addiction: compulsion, craving, consequences, and this.
What is loss of control?
This neurotransmitter is most associated with pleasure and reward.
What is dopamine?
This brain region is known as the “pleasure center.”
What is the nucleus accumbens?
This occurs when the brain requires a substance to function normally.
What is dependence?
This part of the brain processes emotions and plays a role in craving and fear responses.
What is the amygdala?
This term refers to continued use despite negative consequences.
What is compulsive use?
This brain structure plays a key role in habit formation and reinforcement.
What is the basal ganglia?
Drugs can cause dopamine levels to rise up to this many times higher than natural rewards.
What is 2–10 times higher?
This is the uncomfortable physical and emotional response when stopping a substance.
What is withdrawal?
This term describes environmental cues that can trigger cravings.
What are conditioned cues/triggers?
This model defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease.
What is the disease model of addiction?
This system of the brain is heavily involved in emotions and motivation.
What is the limbic system?
This is the process by which the brain reduces its response to a drug over time.
What is tolerance?
This neurotransmitter increases during withdrawal and contributes to stress and anxiety.
What is corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)?
This phenomenon occurs when exposure to a cue causes a surge in dopamine before substance use.
What is anticipatory dopamine release?
This stage of change is characterized by ambivalence about quitting.
What is contemplation?
This part of the brain regulates basic survival functions like breathing and heart rate.
What is the brainstem?
This term describes the brain’s decreased ability to feel pleasure from everyday activities.
What is anhedonia?
This describes the brain’s new “normal” baseline after repeated substance use
What is allostasis?
This is the intense desire or urge to use a substance.
What is a craving?
This concept explains why relapse risk remains high even after long periods of abstinence.
What is lasting brain changes/neuroadaptation?