Читать книгу Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies - David N. Greenfield - Страница 35

The biological factors relating to addiction are primarily associated with the limbic system of the brain. The limbic area is found in the middle of the brain, and it sits on top of the brain stem and lower brain structures (sometimes called the old or reptilian brain) and just under the neocortex (the wrinkled, gray part of the brain — the one you think of when you picture a human brain). Neo refers to the newer section of the brain (newer in the sense that it was the last to develop in our evolution).

The limbic part of the brain is much older than the neocortex. Its development is often associated with emotion and more primitive survival functions, and it’s sometimes referred to as the mammalian brain. It has a long evolutionary history, having evolved over millions of years in mammals, far predating human evolution. Much of the limbic system’s job involves supporting various essential activities that developed to ensure species survival. By comparison, the neocortex is probably only about 200,000 years old, and as such, it’s a relatively new arrival on the block when it comes to brain development.

So, what does the limbic area of the brain have to do with addiction? The answer is plenty, and it makes a lot of sense when looking at the relative utility of all biological structures and functions throughout the history of our species and understanding that nothing occurs by accident. This all becomes clear when you examine these functions throughout our evolutionary development; the following sections walk you through the brain’s evolution when it comes to addiction.