Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Blocking brain receptors may prove effective in relapse prevention
By Staff Writer
The results of a recent study on food deprivation and drug addiction may lead to the development of new relapse prevention methods.
According to researchers from Concordia University, over 2.4 million Americans are in some form of rehabilitation program because of drug use. Despite this, 40 to 60 percent of drug addicts relapse on the road to sobriety.
To learn more about the link between food deprivation, drug craving and relapse, the researchers trained rats to self-administer heroin and other drugs. Previous studies have shown that rats seek out drugs when they experienced a short period of intense hunger, which acted as a trigger. This mimicked the behavior of a relapsed addict.
Results that were gained from the recent study indicate that the body releases a molecule known as NPY in times of food restriction that acts as a trigger for drug seeking. When the rats were treated with a chemical that blocked the molecule’s brain receptors, they did not seek out heroin. In addition, no behavioral side effects could be identified in the animals.
Based on these results, the researchers believe that blocking these brain receptors may lead to new treatment options for addicts who also suffer from an eating disorder. These individuals may also want to seek substance abuse help from drug rehab facilities.
