1. The Biological Approach to Addiction The Brain! Understand the Assumptions of the Biological Approach Evaluate the Biological Approach Answer the exam Q; Outline and evaluate the biological model as an explanation for the maintenance of one addictive behaviour. (4 marks + 4 marks)

2. Assumptions: Addiction is an illness Addiction is irreversible Emphasis on treatment

3. Initiation Addictive drugs trigger the release of dopamine - reward system While the full diversity of drug effects is mediated by multiple neurotransmitters acting in multiple brain regions, most addictive drugs share the common property of increasing dopamine release in the striatum (e.g., Di Chiara and Imperato, 1988; Kuczenski et al., 1991).

4. Opiate (pleasure) pathways can be directly stimulated by heroin, alcohol and nicotine

5. Susceptible people to addictions are born with a more sensitive mesolimbic dopamine pathway (Liebman and Cooper, 1989) Mesolimbic pathways: spontaneously release small amounts of dopamine to maintain stable moods.

6. Maintenance Persistent exposure to a drug eventually leads to a reduction in brain activity Greater Tolerance = More drug use = Greater Withdrawal Draw a representation of this on your white boards… Less effect…

7. Relapse Lasting memories maintain the need for the drug and the positive rewards. Addicts crave the dopamine rush (not just the drug!) Which approach can explain this association?

8. Alcoholics: 36% of their relatives also diagnosed with an alcohol disorder (Merikangas et al, 1998) Heritability of nicotine dependence has been estimated at 60-70% (Kendler, et al, 1999) Heritability of alcohol dependence has been estimated at 39-60% (Heath and Martin, 1993) Can an addiction be inherited? Yes or No – on your white boards

9. Create an acronym or image story to remember these terms

11. Evaluation Game! Create an acronym or image story to remember these terms Generalisability Ethics Application Validity Reliability Situational vs Dispositional Type of data (qualitative/quantitative) Approach Nature vs Nurture Determinism vs Free Will Ethnocentric bias Reductionism vs Holism Scientific?

12. Evaluation Game! Now apply them to the Biological Approach Generalisability Reliability Application Validity Ethics Individual differences: genetic predisposition or resistance? Does everyone become an addict? Nature AND nurture? Much of the data is correlational… What about Gambling? Situational vs Dispositional Type of data (qualitative/quantitative) Approach Nature vs Nurture Determinism vs Free Will Ethnocentric bias Reductionism vs Holism Scientific?

13. Prep: Outline and evaluate the biological model as an explanation for the maintenance of one addictive behaviour. (4 marks + 4 marks)

14. Prep: Find an example of a celebrity partaking in an addictive behaviour Print out the image for next Addiction lesson!