Opioids and the Science of Addiction

Suggested Lesson Plans

Opioids affect many pathways in the nervous system, though they affect each one a little differently.

In the reward pathway, opioids increase signaling between neurons. This causes feelings of pleasure and reinforces continued drug use.
In the pain pathway (and similarly in the pathway that controls breathing), opioids block signaling. Here, they dull pain signals (and the impulse to breathe).

In both pathways, neurons quickly become less sensitive to opioids as they work to maintain homeostasis. Users then need higher doses to feel the same effects. It’s their combined effects in multiple pathways that make opioids so addictive, and so deadly.

This sequence of resources explores the molecular and cellular effects of opioids in both pathways. Add your preferred note-taking or information-processing strategies as needed.

Resource	Description	Estimated Time
The Reward Pathway (online slideshow)	Introduces the brain’s reward pathway, which drives motivation and behavior. View as a whole group or individually.	10 minutes
Crossing the Divide (video)	Shows the molecules that neurons use to communicate at a synapse. View as a whole group or individually.	10 minutes
Anatomy of a Synapse Worksheet (paper activity)	Drawing from the previous activity, students describe what is happening in a labeled diagram of a synapse. Have students complete individually.	5 minutes
Mouse Party (interactive) Optional — Mouse Party Worksheet (paper activity)	Shows how several drugs affect neurotransmitter signaling in the reward pathway. View as a whole group or individually. * To keep the focus on opioids, you may wish to have students view only heroin mouse.	20 minutes
Jumpin’ the Gap: Reward Pathway (teacher-led activity)	A kinesthetic demonstration of communication at a synapse in the reward pathway. Extensions explore the actions of methamphetamine and cocaine. Complete as a whole group or in small groups.	20 minutes
How Pain Works in the Body and Brain (online slideshow)	Explores communication in the pain pathway at the molecular level, showing how the body’s natural opioids and opioid drugs block pain signaling. View as a whole group or individually.	20 minutes
Opioids and Tolerance (interactive)	Shows how neurons change in the presence of opioids and how these changes lead to tolerance. View as a whole group or individually.	20 minutes
Jumpin' the Gap: Pain Pathway (teacher-led activity)	A kinesthetic demonstration communication at a synapse in the pain pathway. Extensions explore the actions of opioids and naloxone. Complete as a whole group or in small groups.	20 minutes
TOTAL:		125 minutes

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Opioids and the Science of Addiction

Suggested Lesson Plans