Neuroemotional configuration of the drug addict

Background

The psychobiology studies on the dependence on narcotic drugs have been showing a group of changes on the cerebral functioning.

However, it hasn't been any studies over the neuro emotional structure of drug addicts.

This work aims to warp, in a certain way, those flaws and examine thoroughly our knowledge about neuro emotional structure of this population

Materials and methods

We made an experimental study on the laboratory in psychophysiology terms, which consisted on the observation of movie scenes with pleasant and unpleasant contents about drugs and crime.

We appraised the Psycho-physiological and emotional reactiveness of a group of drug addicts (N= 35) having as a reference a group for control (N=30) matched by independent (individual) variables.

Results

The drug addicts have been differentiated from the group of control because they present a high level of emotional activation in what concerns the effects caused by the independent variable: drug.

In Psycho-physiological terms, they present a hyperactivity of the activator system of behaviour.

Conclusions

Drug addicts present a specific pattern of emotional activation interconnected with a pattern of psycho-physiological activation, also specific, whose average is got through process of attribution of meaning.