Cocaine and the Brain: The Neurobiology of Addiction Essay -- Biology

Cocaine and the Brain: The Neurobiology of Addiction In the eyes of the public, the word addict stirs up a negative image: a person of low moral character who willfully chooses to engage in questionable behavior. This image is perpetuated in the media; on a recent episode of E.R., the chief surgeon criticizes another doctor for allowing a heroin addict (who has been treated for an abscess) to exchange a dirty needle, explaining "we donà ¢t want these low-lives hanging around the hospital." The social stigma attached to addicts reflects the great gap that exists between scientific knowledge and public perception of addiction. Just as mental illness was viewed as a social problem instead of a medical issue until the last several decades, drug addiction continues to be seen as a character flaw instead of as the biological problem that it is. As defined by the American Psychiatric Association, addiction is a "chronically relapsing disorder that is characterized by three major elements: (a) compulsion to seek and take the drug, (b) loss of control in limiting intake, and (c) emergence of a negative emotional state when access to the drug is prevented" (1). This disorder results from the repeated use of a drug over a prolonged period of time, causing physical changes in the brain. Perhaps the most addictive of drugs is cocaine. Cocaine acts on the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) pathway of the midbrain, extending from the ventral tegumental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). (2). This pathway is also known as the reward pathway as it is the area of the brain that is activated when someone has a pleasurable experience such as eating, sex, or receiving praise. (NOTE: The reward pathway was discovered through the technique of... ...se%2fform%2facademic%2fs_genjourn_more.html%25a3AD_FORM%25a4s_genjourn%25a3T1%25a4cocaine%20addiction%25a3S1%25a4Title%25a3S2%25a4AND%25a3T2%25a4Morris%2c%20Kelly%25a3S3%25a4author%25a3S4%25a4AND%25a3T3%25a4%25a3S5%25a4Title%25a3date%25a4AFT%25a3after%25a45%3aYR%25a3frm_rng%25a4%25a3to_rng%25a4%25a3srccat%25a4GENMED%3bALLJNL%25a3source%25a4$srccat%25a3pubtitle%25a4%22The%20Lancet%22%25a3srclf%25a4%25a3srclf_group%25a4%25a3srclf_title%25a4%25a3&wchp=dGLSzS-lSlAl&_md5=9d45ca951ebfccd3b6596b38d0b83ce7 19) Combining Drug Counseling Methods Proves Effective in Treating Cocaine Addiction , Information on drug counseling http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N5/Combining.html 20) Coping Skills Help Patients Recognize and Resist the Urge to Use Cocaine , Information on therapy for cue-induced relapse http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol13N6/Coping.html