The University of Texas Medical School is researching medications that may help restore a brain's chemical balance and aid in cocaine addiction recovery. The team is currently studying medications that affect serotonin and dopamine systems.

"'With chronic cocaine use, there are changes in the brain that affect neurotransmitters that are responsible for impulsivity and decision making,' said F. Gerard Moeller, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the medical school. 'If we can restore the balance of the neurotransmitters back to the way it was before the cocaine, then other therapies such as behavioral therapy will work better.'"

In 2006, the NIDA estimated that six million Americans ages 12 and up had abused cocaine. Currently, there are no proven or approved medications for the treatment of cocaine addiction. Source: Medical News Today

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Labels: brain_chemistry, cocaine, recovery

A few years ago, a group of new drugs looked like they held promise for use in the treatment of alcoholism, substance abuse, smoking cessation, and even obesity. Now, doctors are finding that these drugs have serious side effects for some patients.

Drugs like Chantix, Rimonabant, and Taranabant work by blocking the pleasure centers in the brain. However, they also put some patients at risk for depression and suicide. Certain drug makers are now advising doctors not to prescribe them to anyone with a history of depression.

Prescription drugs alone will never be able to treat addiction; behavior modification and therapy must be part of the treatment for long term recovery. Learn more about the fully integrated adolescent drug treatment program at North Star Center.

Labels: brain_chemistry, prescription_drugs, treatment

One key to successfully helping people recover from substance abuse is to understand the biological reactions caused by prolong drug or alcohol use. Over time, the brain's chemistry is affected by substance use and no longer functions normally.

"The effect of addictive substances on the brain might chemically impair key survival functions - eating, drinking, even reproduction. Substance abuse also appears to interfere with the chemical wiring that connects emotion to action, which could account for why alcoholics and addicts often seem immobilized and unable to help themselves."

Understanding these types of things helps get rid of the stigma often association with substance abuse and addiction - which is still often viewed simply as a lack of willpower or a kind of "moral failure". In reality, substance abuse is a deeply rooted, physiological issue that takes time and support to overcome.

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Labels: brain_chemistry, brain_damage, drug_use

If a teen's first cigarette is a relaxing experience, he or she is more likely to become addicted to smoking.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School recently completed a four-year study of 1246 sixth-graders to find out why some teenagers get addicted to cigarettes and others do not.

"It is how the brain reacts to nicotine, rather than personality traits," according to Dr. Joseph DiFranza, lead author of the study.

The study appears in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Labels: brain_chemistry, cigarettes, smoking

It seems that the propensity for risky behavior among teenagers is not just a matter of choice, but a matter of science. Researchers recently conducted a study in which they monitored brain activity in adolescents and adults during a gambling game.

"As expected, teens bet more often than adults did when the payoff was bigger but the risk of losing was high."

Researchers found that teens use less of the prefrontal cortex, or thinking region of the brain, when making decisions. The "reward" system in an adolescent brain also seems to respond more actively when positive results are achieved as a result of risky behavior. Brain researcher Monique Ernst believes studies like this will help in finding ways to prevent teens from making dangerous choices. Read more at ScienceCentral.com.

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Labels: brain_chemistry, decision_making, risky_behaviors

A small study indicates that alcohol may damage the brains of women more extensively than male brains.

Researchers tested 24 female alcoholics, 78 male alcoholics and 68 non-users of both sexes. The non-alcoholics scored the best on tests of working memory, visuospatial skills, and psychomotor speed. However, female alcoholics performed significantly worse than the males, even in instances when they had consumed less alcohol over shorter lengths of time.

Barbara Flannery, a senior scientist at the RTI International research institute in Baltimore, said she believes that there should be "gender-sensitive public awareness programs" about alcoholism.

Other studies have proven that the higher percentage of body fat in females makes alcohol more toxic for them. There is also evidence that adolescent girls who drink incur damage not only to their developing brains but also to their reproductive systems.

This study appears in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

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Labels: alcohol, brain_chemistry, brain_damage

"Just Say No" was a popular anti-drug slogan for years. And there's certainly no shortage of anti-drug programs in the United States and other countries. But are they effective? A recent study in China has found that they may not be.

"A new study has found that using education and prevention programs alone to persuade teens to keep away from drinking, smoking or taking drugs are unlikely to be effective, as competing systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior."

The study researched the development of two different brain systems - the socioemotional and cognitive-control systems - and how those systems influenced decision making among adolescents. The cognitive-control system, which regulates behavior, works best when the teen is alone. However, when peers are present, the socioemotional system - which is more sensitive to social influence, takes over, inhibiting the cognitive-control system and the teen's ability to make good decisions. Read more at ChinaDaily.com.

Labels: brain_chemistry, decision_making, risky_behaviors

This annual meeting brings together scientists from dozens of different disciplines, from laboratory to translational to clinical research, from throughout the United States and the world. Through thousands of lectures, symposia, research presentations, and exhibits, Experimental Biology provides scientists and clinicians an unparalleled opportunity to step outside the boundaries of their own fields and share information with colleagues looking at similar biomedical problems through the lens of different disciplines. The meeting also offers a wide spectrum of professional development for scientists, as listed below. Read more online.

Labels: biological_causes, brain_chemistry, research