The impact of drugs on infant and adolescent brain development

Section 1 – Drugs and Addictions

1. Define each of the following terms in your own words as they relate to drug use and abuse: addiction, withdraw, and tolerance

a. Addiction – An addiction is a brain disorder that looks to induce behaviors that are rewarding based on stimuli within the brain. This behavior is characterized as “rewarding” in the brain but often comes with adverse consequences. Addiction often results in an inability to control behavior, a preoccupation with a certain behavior, or a need for continued use despite many of the consequence associated with it (Blanchard, 1998).

b. Withdraw – Withdraw is physical or psychological craving for a particularly item after its use has been significantly cut back or diminished. This phase occurs as the body has developed a natural dependence on the item, drug, or behavior, and cannot properly function without its use.

c. Tolerance – Tolerance occurs as the body becomes use to a certain drug or behavior after excessive use. As a result of this, the body requires much more of a stimulus to get the same “high” that occurred with prior usages of the drug or behavior. This is cause by the body’s ability to naturally develop immunities to various stimuli over time due to excessive use.

2. Explain, in your own words, the biological basis for addiction. Explain what happens in the brain when someone takes drugs immediately after ingesting the drug to the long-term implications. The MORE detail is better.

According to the (Secret Life of Brian video) a person often has a predisposition to addiction. Here an individual’s unique physiology and genetics can cause addition. According to the (PowerPoint on Drugs, Addictions, and the Brain) for example, those who have a history of addiction with the family often are more likely to develop addictions themselves due in part to genetics. According to the (Heads up Articles) people often have certain activities in which they enjoy and do not enjoy. One activity that is very tempting to one individual will not be as tempting to another. The Heads-Up articles also provide insights in to the ability of certain substances to highjack and mitigate the regions of the brain designed for survival. This in turn, creates a false sense of security when engaging in a self-destruction behavior such as drug or alcohol use. Healthy brains typically reward healthy behavior. This is accomplished through certain regions of the brain that allow humans to feel wonderful when performing these activities, which cause them to repeat the activity. The oppose occurs when the brain sense danger. Here, the brain will cause the body to react negatively to this stimulus. Addiction however, triggers the brain in such a way that its normal hardwiring will be become impaired. The pleasure/reward sequence mentioned above becomes hijacked, causing your body to desire more and more of the drug or alcohol. Overtime, excessive use the danger sensing circuitry mentioned above also becomes highjacked, causing an individual to feel anxious or disgruntled when not using the drug or alcohol substance. These two occurrences coalesce together to cause addiction to certain behaviors and substances (DeHart, 1995).

Section 2 – Infant and Adolescent Brain Development

3. In a full paragraph, explain, in your own words, what the article was about.

The fertile minds article is primarily about stimulation and its impact on the development of child, causing lasting implications in the future. Here, both positive and negative stimuli are required to help a child learn about the world around them. Here, through both positive and negative reinforcement a child learns their overall role in the world and how to navigate it. As the article illustrates, depriving a child of a stimulant environment often causes the brain to suffer. This issue is exacerbated by having a two-parent household in which both parents work. This causing time constraints on the child as they are deprived of a parents stimulation. Here, the article notes the need to provide daily stimulation for children in order for them to properly learn and develop (Bernstein, 2000).

4. Next, In your own words, explain what a critical period is and the example they use to exemplify a critical period.

A critical period used as an example is when a baby is newly born. Here, the article notes the need to touch, feel, and smell. Here, the article notes that the brain stem that controls vital functions like heartbeat and breathing begins to activate and become engaged. This ultimately causes the child to proactively learn about the world around them through the use of their senses combined with different stimuli.

5. Explain one manner in which nature influences development or is represented in development that was discussed in the article and one manner in which nurture influences development or is represented in development that was in the article.

The article notes that genes are an important element in influencing the develop of a child. Certain genes can cause certain behavior outcomes. They can also determine how quickly or slowly a child can learn from certain stimuli.

6. What is your reaction reaction to this article? What do you think was most important that you took away from reading it? Include an APA style in text-citation for this article here

My reaction is surprise due in part to the overall demands placed on the body that are often unknown to the individual. I was very surprised to read about many of the nuances that occur behind the scenes that can influence the outcome of an individuals life. I also found it interesting the role that genes play in the overall outcome of a child’s life. The right genes can often overcome many of the flaws experienced in a child’s life.