Imagine you have been asked by your local church, synagogue, scouting group, spo

Question

Imagine you have been asked by your local church, synagogue, scouting group, sports team or some other community organization, to give a 15-20 minute talk about addiction. Imagine there has been some concern in the community about how to deal with the problem. You’ve been asked to talk about what happens to the brain when people become addicted.

Your presentation may be in any of the following forms:

Power point presentation with notes (10 slides minimum, APA format)

3-5 page paper (APA format)

Other presentation format (must be approved by instructor by the middle of the week)

Explanation / Answer

Addiction is a complex condition, chronic disease of brain,that is manifested by compulsive use cause harmful consequence. People with addiction have intense focus on using a substance such as alcohol or drugs.Addiction affects neurotransmission and interactions within reward structures of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, basal forebrain and amygdala, such that motivational behaviour are altered and addictive behaviors, which may or may not include alcohol and other drug use,health,self-care related behaviors. Addiction also affects neurotransmission and interactions between cortical and hippocampal circuits and brain reward structures, such that the memory of previous exposures to rewards as food, sex, alcohol and other drugs leads to a biological and behavioral response to external cues, in turn triggering craving and engagement in addictive behaviors.

Recognizing addiction in the Workplace
Typically, the workplace is the last place the signs and symp-
toms of addiction become obvious. Changes in mood,behavior, and appearance may be gradual or sudden. A)The signs and symptoms of addiction include:
1. frequent tardiness and absenteeism.
2.poorly explained accidents and injuries.
3.relationship discord: marital, family, professional.
4.deterioration in personal appearance. 5.significant weight loss or gain . 6.long sleeves and tinted glasses inappropriate for the setting. 7.overuse of cologne and breath fresheners. 8. severe mood swings, change in personality. 9.withdrawal from family, friends, and coworkers—for example, refusing social invitations. 10.frequent disappearances during work hours. 11. smell of alcohol on breath during work hours. 12. too much time spent with opiates, or missing opiates 13.dilated or pinpoint pupils. 14.extra work shifts to obtain substances.

B)Molecular and cellular effects of drug action

1.Alcohol-Alcohol has several primary targets of action, and identifying the mechanisms of action has proved to be a difficult task. Acute administration of alcohol leads to increases in inhibitory transmission at gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA-A) channels, increased serotonin (5HT-3) function, dopamine release and transmission at opiate receptors, and a reduction of excitatory transmission at the NMDA subtype of the glutamate receptor.

2.Nicotine-Nicotine is an agonist at the nicotinic receptor – that is, it activates the nicotinic receptor. Nicotinic receptor activation results in increased transmission of a number of neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and endorphin.

3.Cannabis-The main active ingredient in cannabis is ?9

–tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC), which acts as an agonist at the cannabinoid receptor in the brain. This action results in the prevention of the uptake of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine. The cannabinoid (CB1) receptor is most common in the hippocampus, ganglia, and cerebellum.

3.Opiates-The brain’s endogenous opioid system constitutes peptide including endorphins and enkephalins, which are stored in opiate neurons and released to mediate endogenous opiatea ctions. Opiate drugs act as agonists at three major opiate receptor subtypes; µ (mu), ?(delta), and ? (kappa). The mu receptor appears to be the subtype important for the

reinforcing effects of opiate drugs. Mu receptors are largely located on cell bodies of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the origin of the mesolimbic dopamine system; and on neurons in the basal forebrain, particularly the nucleus accumbens. Delta opiate receptors may be important for the potentiation of the control of reinforcers over behaviour. There is some evidence that kappa opiate receptors are involved in the aversive effects associated with withdrawal symptoms of opiates.

C)Psychomotor Stimulants:-

1.Cocaine-Cocaine binds to dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin transporters, but it is thought that cocaine’s blockage of dopamine re-uptake is the most important element mediating its reinforcing and psychomotor stimulant effects. This has been supported by recent evidence showing that dopamine D1-like receptors may play an important role in the euphoric and stimulating effects of cocaine. A D1 antagonist significantly attenuated the euphoric and stimulating effects of cocaine.

2.Amphetamine-Amphetamine acts to increase monoamine release, as well as to increase release of dopamine, with secondary effects occurring in the inhibition of dopamine re-uptake and metabolism.Similarly to cocaine, the enhanced release and inhibited re-uptake of dopamine is thought to be most important for amphetamine’s reinforcing effects.

3.Benzodiazepines-Benzodiazepines act by binding with sites on the GABA-A/benzodiazepine receptor.This results in an increase in chloride conductance through chloride channels, thus enhancing inhibitory transmission.

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