Neurotransmitters In The Formation Of Drug Addiction Essay

1. Explain the role of neurotransmitters in formation of drug addiction.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a huge role in how drug addiction forms. Dopamine is responsible for categorizing in the brain what is pleasure and what is pain. When pain occurs dopamine levels drop and this is what signifies to the brain that you are in pain. Whereas when you are finding pleasure in something dopamine levels rise and this signifies that you are enjoying it. When drugs are taken into the system, dopamine levels rise which causes the person to enjoy the feeling of being high, once the drug is taken multiple times the level of euphoria that the neurotransmitter reaches becomes higher and higher. Once this starts to occur, the beginning of addiction is already starting as the body will ask for more of the drug to reach the previous dopamine level from the previous high. Addiction becomes predominant once the body relies on the drug to produce dopamine which is why drug addicts go through withdrawal when they try to quit the drug.

2. What areas of the brain are impacted by changes in level of neurotransmitters associated with the development of addictions?

These are mainly affected as the brain cortex controls basic functions such as the act of sleeping, or breathing. The disturbances in neurotransmitters can cause problems in daily living functions. Similarly, the cerebral cortex helps the brain act out its function such as thinking and problem solving. The effects of change in levels of neurotransmitters can affect how efficiently these abilities work. Coupled with, the limbic system is in charge of our emotions, the difference in levels in neurotransmitters causes the difference in behavior from before addiction or after