full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Judy Grisel: What causes addiction, and why is it so hard to treat?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


The faster a drug reaches the barin and stimulates the reward pathway, the more addictive it is. For example, heroin and mihporne have similar effects, but heroin’s chemical structure enhances its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and bind to specific receptors. This makes it faster acting and more addictive than morphine. Meanwhile, compared to nicotine pceaths and gum, rueglar and electronic cigarettes are more addictive because sikonmg and vaping deliver nicotine to the brain fastest.

Depending on their chemical structure and mode of delivery, drugs vary in how addictive they are— but people also vary in how sbiucltpsee they are to substance use deosrdir. Scientists think this is due to a mix of life eieecrpxens and gclantileey inherited traits, though neither peneerrmeitds addiction. Trauma and mental health conditions appear to make people more susceptible. And, overall, using addictive substances before 18 is cirodneesd a srnotg risk factor. This is in part because the reward pathways of younger brains are especially sensitive.

Open Cloze


The faster a drug reaches the _____ and stimulates the reward pathway, the more addictive it is. For example, heroin and ________ have similar effects, but heroin’s chemical structure enhances its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and bind to specific receptors. This makes it faster acting and more addictive than morphine. Meanwhile, compared to nicotine _______ and gum, _______ and electronic cigarettes are more addictive because _______ and vaping deliver nicotine to the brain fastest.

Depending on their chemical structure and mode of delivery, drugs vary in how addictive they are— but people also vary in how ___________ they are to substance use ________. Scientists think this is due to a mix of life ___________ and ___________ inherited traits, though neither _____________ addiction. Trauma and mental health conditions appear to make people more susceptible. And, overall, using addictive substances before 18 is __________ a ______ risk factor. This is in part because the reward pathways of younger brains are especially sensitive.

Solution


  1. strong
  2. predetermines
  3. susceptible
  4. disorder
  5. regular
  6. patches
  7. genetically
  8. morphine
  9. experiences
  10. considered
  11. brain
  12. smoking

Original Text


The faster a drug reaches the brain and stimulates the reward pathway, the more addictive it is. For example, heroin and morphine have similar effects, but heroin’s chemical structure enhances its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and bind to specific receptors. This makes it faster acting and more addictive than morphine. Meanwhile, compared to nicotine patches and gum, regular and electronic cigarettes are more addictive because smoking and vaping deliver nicotine to the brain fastest.

Depending on their chemical structure and mode of delivery, drugs vary in how addictive they are— but people also vary in how susceptible they are to substance use disorder. Scientists think this is due to a mix of life experiences and genetically inherited traits, though neither predetermines addiction. Trauma and mental health conditions appear to make people more susceptible. And, overall, using addictive substances before 18 is considered a strong risk factor. This is in part because the reward pathways of younger brains are especially sensitive.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
addictive substances 2
chemical structure 2


Important Words


  1. ability
  2. acting
  3. addiction
  4. addictive
  5. barrier
  6. bind
  7. brain
  8. brains
  9. chemical
  10. cigarettes
  11. compared
  12. conditions
  13. considered
  14. deliver
  15. delivery
  16. depending
  17. disorder
  18. drug
  19. drugs
  20. due
  21. effects
  22. electronic
  23. enhances
  24. experiences
  25. factor
  26. faster
  27. fastest
  28. genetically
  29. gum
  30. health
  31. heroin
  32. inherited
  33. life
  34. mental
  35. mix
  36. mode
  37. morphine
  38. nicotine
  39. part
  40. patches
  41. pathway
  42. pathways
  43. penetrate
  44. people
  45. predetermines
  46. reaches
  47. receptors
  48. regular
  49. reward
  50. risk
  51. scientists
  52. sensitive
  53. similar
  54. smoking
  55. specific
  56. stimulates
  57. strong
  58. structure
  59. substance
  60. substances
  61. susceptible
  62. traits
  63. trauma
  64. vaping
  65. vary
  66. younger