Contextual Conditioning of Drug Tolerance and Drug Addiction
Contextual Conditioning of Drug Tolerance and Drug Addiction
Research on the contextual conditioning of drug tolerance shows it is an important factor in understanding drug addiction in humans. Context is a way of noting that the likelihood of a behavior or response depends on certain conditions. Contextual conditioning is said to occur when a person becomes conditioned not only to the drug but also to the environmental circumstances or cues in which the drug is taken. Studies have shown that tolerance develops when these cues come to reliably predict physiological or behavioral responses in the presence of those stimuli—the smell, people, administration and sight of the drug (Domjan, 2005).
What Current Research States Researchers agree that the solution to addiction lies in understanding how to prevent withdrawal and relapse in drug addicts. Several studies on drug conditioning have concluded that environmental contexts can trigger relapse in recovering addicts (Chaudri, Sahuque, & Janak, 2008). In a study conducted on smokers, Hogarth (2007) found that drug expectancy is an important factor to consider in treatment for addiction. Meyers and Carlezon (2010) assert that the key to preventing relapse and withdrawal is to extinguish the connection between the environmental cues and the drug. Interventions involving cue exposure therapy are used to train patients in clinical settings. They train them not to respond when exposed to the drug; they are exposed to the drug but not allowed to use it (Otto, O’Cleirigh, & Pollack, 2007).
Pavlovian Conditioning of Drug Tolerance
Tolerance is a result of the counteractive effects of a conditioned response to the context of the setting or situation. Pavlovian conditioning plays a role in the development of drug tolerance. In Pavlovian conditioning environmental stimuli are repeated paired with withdrawal symptoms and results in these cues producing conditioned withdrawal (Domjan, 2005). The person has learned
Research on the contextual conditioning of drug tolerance shows it is an important factor in understanding drug addiction in humans. Context is a way of noting that the likelihood of a behavior or response depends on certain conditions. Contextual conditioning is said to occur when a person becomes conditioned not only to the drug but also to the environmental circumstances or cues in which the drug is taken. Studies have shown that tolerance develops when these cues come to reliably predict physiological or behavioral responses in the presence of those stimuli—the smell, people, administration and sight of the drug (Domjan, 2005).
What Current Research States Researchers agree that the solution to addiction lies in understanding how to prevent withdrawal and relapse in drug addicts. Several studies on drug conditioning have concluded that environmental contexts can trigger relapse in recovering addicts (Chaudri, Sahuque, & Janak, 2008). In a study conducted on smokers, Hogarth (2007) found that drug expectancy is an important factor to consider in treatment for addiction. Meyers and Carlezon (2010) assert that the key to preventing relapse and withdrawal is to extinguish the connection between the environmental cues and the drug. Interventions involving cue exposure therapy are used to train patients in clinical settings. They train them not to respond when exposed to the drug; they are exposed to the drug but not allowed to use it (Otto, O’Cleirigh, & Pollack, 2007).
Pavlovian Conditioning of Drug Tolerance
Tolerance is a result of the counteractive effects of a conditioned response to the context of the setting or situation. Pavlovian conditioning plays a role in the development of drug tolerance. In Pavlovian conditioning environmental stimuli are repeated paired with withdrawal symptoms and results in these cues producing conditioned withdrawal (Domjan, 2005). The person has learned
References: Chaudhri, N., Sahuque L. & Junak, P. (2008) Context-induced relapse of conditioned behavioral responding to ethanol cues in rats. Society of Biological Psychiatry, 64, 203-210. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.03.007 Domjan, M Hogarth, L., Dickinson A. & Duka, T. (2010) The associative basis of cue-elicited drug taking in humans Hogarth, L. & Dickinson, A. (2007) The role of drug expectancy in the control of human drug seeking. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 33, 4, 484-496. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.33.4.484 Hogarth, L., Dickinson, A., Hutton, S., Bamborough, H knowledge is necessary for learned motivated behavior in humans: Relevance for addictive behavior. Addiction. 101, 1153-1166 doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01459.x Hogarth, L., Dickinson, A., Hutton, S., Elbers, N Myers, K. & Carlezon, Jr., W. (2010) Extinction of drug- and withdrawal-paired cues in animal models: Relevance to the treatment of addiction Otto, M., O’Cleirigh, C. & Pollack, M. (2007) Attending to emotional cues for drug abuse: Bridging the gap between clinic and home behaviors Siegel, S. (2005) Drug tolerance, drug addiction, and drug anticipation. Current Directions in Psychological Science Siegel, S. (2008) Learning and the wisdom of the body. Learning & Behavior. 36, 3, doi: 10.3758/LB.36.3.342 Taylor, J., Olausson, P., Quinn, J