The Brain

(Best Syndication) Researchers at the University of Cambridge say that drug addiction is a “brain disorder” and that new research may lead to a treatment. They say that changes in the chemistry in the brain is linked with drug addiction in humans, but up until now were not sure whether it was because some people were “predisposed to drug addiction because of these chemical changes or if chronic drug use itself caused the chemical changes in the brain.”

The researchers think they have resolved that issue. New studies involving rats indicates that people may be predisposed to addiction. According to the report, PET (positron emission tomography) scans indicated that rats that were behaviorally impulsive, but which had not been exposed to drugs, had significantly less brain dopamine receptors than their more restrained counterparts.

The research which appears in Friday’s edition of “Science” shows that a neurotransmitter receptor in a particular part of the brain actually pre-dates drug use. They believe there is a link between impulsive behavior and drug addiction because the impulsive rats were more likely to “self-administer” cocaine intravenously.

It may be possible to develop a gene therapy or other treatment that can help people with addictions. Dr. Jeff Dalley says "The next step is identifying the gene or genes that cause this diminished supply of brain receptors. This may provide important new leads in the search for improved therapies for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and compulsive brain disorders such as drug addiction and pathological gambling."

Dalley and his colleagues at the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute conducted the research. They say that the changes in dopamine receptors and impulsivity pre-date drug use and do not emerge as a result of prolonged addiction. They say this could have a great impact especially for nicotine and opiate users because their high consumption rates have also been linked to a similar reduction in this particular brain receptor.

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By Best Syndication Staff