Drug abusers are drawn toward short-term gain do to abnormal orbitofrontal cortex functioning
Imaging studies consistently indicate that the orbitofrontal cortex works abnormally in drug abusers, showing malfunctioning patterns in blood flow, energy use, and activation. No wonder, then, that psychological testing shows drug addicts to be prone to maladaptive decisions when faced with short-term versus long-term outcomes, especially under conditions that involve risk and uncertainty. Due to their poorly regulated brain systems, including the orbitofrontal cortex, they seem programmed to accept short-term gain—for example, the drug high—at the risk of long-term pain: disease, personal loss, legal troubles, and so on. A regular finding of brain-imaging studies on drug addicts is under-activity of the orbitofrontal cortex after detoxification. In a similar vein, psychological testing of cocaine addicts has shown impaired decision making. In one study, some key aspects of their decision-making ability was a mere 50 percent of normal. Only people with physical injury to the frontal cortex would score lower.
References
- Mate, Gabor. (2010). In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Close Encounters with Addiction Chapter 16. Like a Child Not Released (p. 217). Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Anatomy / Neuroanatomy / Physiology / Neurophysiology Status:☀️