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Nova


Registered: 10/16/02
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Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study
#7560076 - 10/25/07 05:37 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thu Oct 25, 2:15 PM ET
An animal study released Thursday bolsters the notion that drug cravings can be "switched off" by shutting down a key part of the brain, a finding that could have implications for treating addicts.
The insular cortex, or insula, is a region deep within the brain that filters information about the body's physiological states and needs.
Researchers have previously shown that damage to the insula can dramatically extinguish a smoker's need for nicotine.
A study earlier this year found that 12 of 19 habitual smokers had effortlessly given up the weed after sustaining injuries, such as a stroke, to the small island in the cerebral cortex.
At the time, investigators were not sure whether the finding had wider implications and whether disruptions to the insula could ease the grip of other addictions, such as those to alcohol, over-eating or drugs.
But in experiments on rats, Chilean researchers have shown that temporarily "silencing" the insula suppresses cravings in drug-addicted rats and insulates them from the unpleasant side effects of medication, according to the study published in Science.
For the first experiment, the investigators gave a group of rats that were addicted to amphetamine a shot of anesthetic to numb the insula for 20 minutes.
The rats were caged in an experimental set-up composed of a darkened chamber and an adjoining bright white chamber which the rodents had been trained to associate with amphetamines.
The intervention had a pronounced impact on their behaviour, changing their preference from the white chamber to the darkened chamber -- which is a more natural setting for rats.
When the blocking was reversed, the rats once again demonstrated their desire for the drug, returning to the white chamber.
In a second experiment, the researchers injected rats with lithium, a medication used to treat mood disorders that often causes an upset tummy by way of a side effect.
The rats quickly laid on their stomachs -- showing signs of malaise. When the researchers numbed the insula prior to giving the rats the medication, they did not show any signs of discomfort and appeared to behave normally.
"This showed us that the insular cortex not only informs the rest of the brain about craving, but also gastrointestinal discomfort and that this information about bodily states may guide behaviour," said Fernando Torrealba, a neuroscientist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago.
Taken together, his study in rats and the earlier one on smoking provide powerful evidence that the insula "underlies the conscious sense of craving," making it a good target for drugs designed to help addicts break the habit, he said.
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Nova


Registered: 10/16/02
Posts: 1,365
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: Nova]
#7560094 - 10/25/07 05:43 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Lately there has been much attention and progression in the field of addiction treatment. This study looks like a nice big step in the right direction. If a pharmaceutical company could produce a pill that would 'silence' cravings, many lives would be drastically improved. Recreational drug use would be come a reality for everybody. Long term users could kick, stay clean and get that overpowering voice out of their head. Overweight people could resist food cravings and get their weight into healthy limits. I guess other uses is it would help reduce/take away unpleasant drug side effects. Cancer patients and other terminally ill would be able to tolerate more potent medicines due to a decrease in the side effects. The future is looking good up
Edited by Nova (10/25/07 05:47 PM)
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides


Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: Nova]
#7560142 - 10/25/07 05:59 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yes, lets "cure" the terrible drug problem by damaging the user's brains.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens



Registered: 05/21/07
Posts: 15,105
Loc: Out of this world
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: Le_Canard]
#7560285 - 10/25/07 06:44 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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according to the internets it plays a large role in your emotions/conscious feelings though...
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iseeyou
Stranger


Registered: 05/02/07
Posts: 88
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: learningtofly]
#7560376 - 10/25/07 07:12 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Isn't this the same way iboga works? I think I remember reading that it sort of reset the part of the brain that controls addiction or something. Too bad it's a Schedule I, thus limiting more in depth research.
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boxcarguy07
Uno



Registered: 04/25/07
Posts: 3,942
Loc: SC
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: Le_Canard]
#7560452 - 10/25/07 07:35 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I agree, I don't think that would be a good thing at all
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Music doesn't stop at the ears when it begins at the heart.
"Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Nova


Registered: 10/16/02
Posts: 1,365
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Shutting down deep brain region may help addicts: study [Re: Le_Canard]
#7562662 - 10/26/07 11:03 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Who said anything about damaging anyone's brain? It was a study that researched the effect of damage/disruption to the insular cortex. Previously we didn't know what part of the brain was responsible to addictive behavior but now we know what area sends those signals. This points us in the right direction for producing an anti-addiction pill, and has nothing to do with recommending a lobotomy.
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