The Brain
This part of the brain controls judgment, planning, decision-making, impulse control, and personality.
What is the frontal lobe?
Long-term heavy alcohol use can cause problems with this cognitive function.
memory
This gland releases hormones that regulate many other endocrine glands.
What is the pituitary gland?
This is the physical and/or psychological response that can occur when substance use is reduced or stopped.
What is withdrawal?
Repeated substance exposure can change this brain system, making natural rewards less satisfying and substance cravings stronger.
What is the reward system?
This part of the brain controls balance, coordination, posture, and fine motor control.
What is the cerebellum?
Long-term use of this type of drug can contribute to dependence, withdrawal, memory problems, cognitive impairment, and reduced coordination.
What are benzodiazepines?
This hormone is an important stress hormone.
What is cortisol?
This means needing more of a substance to produce the same effect.
What is tolerance?
What brain structure is the key connection between the nervous system and the endocrine system?
What is the hypothalamus?
This part of the brain is involved in hearing, memory, emotions, and language.
What is the temporal lobe?
Frequent heavy use of this drug can affect memory, attention, learning, coordination, and reward processing.
Cannabis
This axis is the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal stress pathway.
What is the HPA axis?
This means the body has adapted to a substance and may experience withdrawal when it is stopped.
What is dependence?
A person experiences changes in fear, emotions, and stress responses. Which brain structure is associated with these functions?
What is the amygdala?
This structure is involved in learning and memory.
What is the hippocampus?
Alcohol can suppress this hormone, which contributes to increased urination.
What is ADH (antidiuretic hormone/vasopressin)?
This axis is the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal reproductive hormone pathway.
What is the HPG axis?
This is the brain's ability to change, adapt, and reorganize its connections.
What is neuroplasticity?
A person has long-term alcohol use. Alcohol has affected their reward system, memory, decision-making, stress response, and hormone regulation. They stop drinking and experience withdrawal. After withdrawal, they remain abstinent and gradually begin experiencing improvements in sleep, cognition, and emotional regulation.
What is neuroplasticity?
This structure regulates hunger, thirst, temperature, sleep, stress, and hormone regulation.
What is the hypothalamus?
Alcohol is classified as this type of drug.
What is a central nervous system depressant?
The HPG axis includes GnRH, LH, FSH, and these three reproductive hormones.
What are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone?
With continued recovery, these brain functions may improve, including planning, judgment, decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
What is executive function?
Put this reproductive pathway in the correct order: LH/FSH, ovaries/testes, hypothalamus, GnRH, pituitary gland.
Hypothalamus → GnRH → Pituitary gland → LH/FSH → Ovaries/Testes