SAGE Journal Articles
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Summary: The article proposes an explanation of heroin overdose that relies on principles of Pavlovian conditioning.
Questions to Consider: [Critical thinking questions based on the article to gauge student comprehension and analysis]
- What issues surrounding “K.J.’s” death make simply taking too much heroin unlikely to have led to his death?
- What are the reasons provided to explain why addicts usually don’t overdose?
- Which model of drug addiction that you’ve learned about is most similar to the explanation provided in this paper to explain heroin overdose?
Summary: This paper describes research investigating how drug-related and other affective stimuli are processed by heroin addicts.
Questions to Consider:
- What is the significance of ERPs like P300?
- How did heroin addicts compare to controls in their response to non-drug related cues?
- How was the response to drug-related cues related to subjective reports of drug craving?
Article 3: Zaki, P.A., & Evans, C.J. (1998). ORL-1: An awkward child of the opioid receptor family.
Summary: This paper explores the structural and functional parallels between ORL-1 and other endogenous opioid receptors.
Questions to Consider:
- What structural similarities exist between ORL-1 and other endogenous opioid receptors?
- What does the research suggest about the role of nociceptin in pain?
- How do the behavioral effects of nociceptin differ from other endogenous opioid neurotransmitters?