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Dopamine fires when....
- You figure out what you have to do to survive then do it - After scoring highly on a test or finished a test you studied for - You notice novelty in your environment (change) - We encounter familiar objects that have high value to us- positively and negatively (ice cream shake or spi…
Evolution and Dopamine
-associated with competitiveness, aggression, impulse control - long term planning - no other species without such high concentration of dopamine in the brain
Genetic Links with dopamine
Gene: DRD4- several different alleles, one is longer than the other, higher scores on novelty seeking questionnaires Gene: DRD2- fun seeking gene
Dopamine in the brain study
Administered drug that has the effect of activating dopamine receptors, resulting in increased spontaneous blinking and secretion of hormone prolactin
Extraverts and Dopamine
- have more active reward centers & are happier - increased motivation to pursue things - more sex partners, eat and drink more, higher BMI - not more prone to addiction- get high on life
Why else do we have reward centers?
Survival and reproductive fitness -eating -progress toward meaningful goals - achieving -interacting with loved ones and friends -rise in social status -finding a romantic partner -sex
Behavioral Avoidance System
-Psychic break pedal - threat responsive system - right Pre-frontal Cortex - anxiety, fear, revulsion, guilt - Serotonin, GABA, Norephinephrine - higher resting levels reported threat sensitivity and speed of learning cues of punishment
Behavioral Approach System
- moves you toward what you want - pursuit of incentives: food, sex, comfort - Dopamine - Left Pre-frontal Cortex - positive emotions - frustration and anger
Dopamine
- involved in caffeine, cocaine, and Adderall - seeking behavior: want, desire, you seek it out - Dopamine encourages you to seek, the ovoid system causes you to feel pleasure - increases your general level of arousal - dopamine system keeps you motivated to move through your world, l…
Dopamine is highly related to
- higher intensity positive emotions - extraversion, social dominance, assertiveness - novelty seeking - distractibility - approach-related effort (motivation) - responding more to unexpected rewards/unmet expectations - experience changes our brain - also regulates energy/motivati…
Dopamine and D2 receptors in the brain
- D2 receptors in the brain as an index of addiction proneness -if D2 are high you are able to get high on life, if low you are more responsive to drugs and addition - D2 receptors determined by genes and childhood experiences -abuse and neglect results in lower D2
Dopamine in the dorsolateral Pre-Frontal Cortex
- Active memory buffer (working memory) logical reasoning, greater dopamine activity in this region - Tend to be very methodical and organized - Low dopamine in this region relates to attention deficits, dopamine helps with being able to be locked in with attention - also related to hi…
ADHD and Dopamine
- they lack the dopamine center that connects the ability to being able to "lock in attention" with reward centers. No reward for keeping attention. - significant deficits in their dopamine reward pathway (genes: dopamine transporter gene and D4 receptor polymorphism) - treatment, self …
Psychostimulants
-Ritalin, concerta, adderall, vyvanse, provigil can enhance concentration and performance - Boosts mood (increases activity in reward centers) -Side Effects: nausea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, dry mouth, anxiety, agitation, mood changes, feeling nervous
Behavioral Inhibition System
- threat responsive system, avoidance or withdrawal system - right PFC
Threat and Incentive Sensitivity
- BIS and BAS are 2 different constructs, people differ on both - all possible combinations exist of high and low on both
A history of abuse and neglect leads to ____________.
A decrease in D2 Receptors
ADHD symptoms are related to decreased dopamine in what brain region:
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Increased dopamine signaling is related to an increase in eyeblink rate. What is this related to?
Increased secretion of the hormone prolactin
Our dopamine system is heritable at what percent?
50%
What are D2 receptors in the brain an indication of?
Your addiction proneness
Out of the following options, which is not true: A.Dopamine fires when you have the intense drive to get you out of a state of deprivation B.Dopamine fires when you notice novelty in your environment C.Dopamine fires when we encounter familiar objects D.Dopamine fires when we try …
D
T/F: Women’s brains are less sensitive to Testosterone
False, more sensitive
What are facial features and body characteristic correlates of increased Testosterone in utero?
facial hair, angular face, athletic build in face, more muscle
What are some psychological side effects of increased Testosterone?
–Positive mood –Decreased Anxiety –Reduced empathy –Increased Visual-spatial skills (mental object rotation) –When “falling in love”, testosterone drops in men and increases in women
What is the ADHD Paradox of Attention
High attention to interesting things, decreased attention span towards boring homework
What are some psychological side effects of ADHD medication?
Insomnia, appetite loss, motor or vocal tics, stomachache, headache, dizziness, growth suppression, irritability
•Gut hormones can influence:
–Emotional Behavior –Pain Perception Stress System Responses
mesolimbic pathway
goes from the ventral tegmental area to the limbic system. The limbic system of the brain controls reward and emotion, and includes the hippocampus and the medial frontal cortex. This is the pathway that is thought to be responsible for addiction and psychosis.
mesocortical pathway
goes from the ventral tegmental area to the dorsolateral frontal cortex. This is the pathway responsible for planning, responsibility, prioritizing, motivation, and some elements of emotional response. This is one of the damaged areas in ADHD and depression.

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