Abstract
Opioid addiction has reached epidemic levels around the world, with over-prescription of opioid pain relievers being an often-cited reason for the epidemic in the USA. This project looks at opioid addiction from three perspectives: a review of literature dealing with the neural pathways involved in opioid use and addiction; the underlying genetic differences that can increase the risk of opioid use disorder; and an overview of the public health aspects of the epidemic. The paper will conclude with a review of current and new treatments based upon a growing neurobiological and molecular understanding of opioid use disorder.
Highlights
In the United States of America, the use and abuse of opioids has reached epidemic proportions
SUMMARY OF BRAIN ANATOMY INVOLVED WITH ADDICTION The parts of the brain that are involved with the reward pathway are the same as the parts of the brain that are involved with addiction
The amygdala is typically related to the memory of emotionally arousing events
Summary
In the United States of America, the use and abuse of opioids has reached epidemic proportions. Natural endorphins are not sufficient to deal with this long-lasting chronic pain, and often prescription opioids are prescribed (Akpan & Griffin, 2017) Opioids, both endogenous and exogenous, affect neural pathways that are involved in pain and pleasure perception; these pathways include the dopaminergic and GABA-nergic pathways. Opiates, including heroin and morphine, function as agonists at the opioid receptors and activate dopamine in the ventral tegmental area by inhibiting GABAergic neurons (Johnson & North, 1992). Overall, this disinhibition leads to an increase in dopamine neurotransmission and a decrease in GABA neurotransmission, which amplifies the signal elicited by dopamine. When opioid drugs are administered repeatedly, the ability of neuronal cells to produce endogenous opioids is inhibited, which is part of the reason that withdrawal symptoms occur with such extreme discomfort (NIDA, 2014)
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