The desensitisation hypothesis & dopamine
- The desensitisation hypothesis of nicotine addiction suggests that prolonged exposure to nicotine leads to reduced sensitivity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- The desensitisation hypothesis is based on the action of nicotine in the brain, and its effect on the neurotransmitter dopamine
- During smoking, the nicotine in tobacco enters the body and stimulates the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain and this increases the production of acetylcholine
- The activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors also leads to the production of dopamine in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain which is part of the dopaminergic pathway - also known as the main reward pathway - transporting dopamine within the limbic system
- This dopamine is transported to the Nucleus accumbens , generating pleasure, reducing anxiety and increasing alertness by triggering activity in the frontal cortex
- The increased dopamine in the limbic system leads to pleasurable feelings
- Nicotine also stimulates the release of glutamate which increases and speeds up the release of dopamine, thus increasing the rewarding effects
- However, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors become desensitised after constant stimulation, which lowers the signal in the main rewards pathway and leads to more nicotine being needed to achieve the same effect
- The more nicotine that is used, the more tolerance increases, which leads to even more nicotine being needed and addiction is the result
The brain regions involved in nicotine addiction.