PSY240H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Disulfiram, Homeostasis, Silver Nitrate
1
PSY240H1 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
1 document
Document Summary
This lecture is on substance-related & addictive disorders (which is a diagnostic categoy in. Dsm that includes substance-related disorders and gambling disorders) Psychoactive substances are chemical substances that are ingested to alter mood and/or behaviour. Dsm 5 has 10 categories of substances (caffeine, cannabis, hallucinogens, Inhalants, opioids, sedatives + hypnotics + anxiolytics, stimulants, tobacco, alcohol, In the brain we have the nucleus accumbens (na) which is part of the forebrain and is associated with reward. Na is innervated by dopaminergic neurons originating in the ventral tegmental area. These two parts make up the mesolimbocortical dopaminergic pathway. This pathway is a source of reward in normal circumstances (in that it"s evolutionarily useful to have for ex. food and sex stimulate the release of dopamine into na which reinforces their use). Many psychoactive substances stimulate the mesolimbocortical dopaminergic pathway which causes intense reward experiences and as a result can cause addiction (which is not normal.
