One light of light for treating addictive patients who can not escape from "drug addiction"

ByImagens Evangélicas

Cocaine, a type of drug, is very likely to cause poisoning when ingested repeatedly, and once it gets intoxicated even once, it is very difficult to stop using it. In the survey so far, it has been found that 4 out of 10 patients who started using cocaine once again felt "a strong craving for cocaine". A research breakthrough for treatment for such severe cocaine addicts was presented by the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Cocaine addiction: Scientists discover 'back door' into the brain | University of Cambridge
http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cocaine-addiction-scientists-discover-back-door-into-the-brain

Professor David Bellin of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Pharmacology, who made a presentation on cocaine addiction treatment, says, "Cocaine users are most likely to begin using cocaine for pleasure, but during frequent use We do not want pleasures but want to use cocaine as if we are compelled to be unable to withstand unless we use it.We understand why this kind of thing will happen I wanted to do it. "

ByLee Morley

The use of drugs is a neurotransmitter that makes humans excitedDopamineThe first use is ingested by seeking pleasure by dopamine secretion, but as self-restraint disappears as the use period is long-term, "temporary ingestion" to "habitual ingestion" It will change to.

Professor Barry Ebriette of the Cambridge University psychology department, who led the research with Professor Berin, has done experiments in an environment where mice can take cocaine ad libitum. In the experiment, brains responsible for goal-oriented behavior of mice taking cocaine for a short periodNucleus accumbensA response indicating the secretion of dopamine was confirmed in the part called "Sokuzaku". However, in the case of mice taking cocaine for a long time, secretion of dopamine is involved in decision making and habitual behaviorStriatumBut it was confirmed. Mice whose secretion of dopamine was confirmed in the striatum have already lost control and cocaine ingestion seems to be like a habit.

If you ingest medicine over a long period of 3 months or longer, you can link your stimulus and emotion to your brainAmygdalaThe memory of pleasure by cocaine is preserved in the part of the basal lateral nucleus. However,Prefrontal cortexPart manipulates the memory of cocaine preserved in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala and decides whether or not to take further cocaine. Therefore, in the treatment of drugs and cocaine addicts, cognitive behavioral therapy focusing on the recovery and improvement of the function of the prefrontal cortex is used, but professor Berin and Professor Ibritt have confirmed that dopamine can be used for a long period of use of cocaine Discovered an unknown pathway in which the prefrontal cortex can not participate between dense "striatum" and "basal outer nucleus of the amygdala" where memory of pleasure is preserved. What this discovery means is that addicts have taken cocaine before noticing the desire for cocaine intake.

ByAllan Ajifo

Based on the unknown pathway in the basal lateral nucleus of the striatum and amygdala, they conducted an experiment to administer "N-acetylcysteine", which may be used for treatment of acetaminophen overdose, to mice, It was found that there was an effect of reducing the motivation to ingest cocaine in the same substance. A research team led by Mr. and Mr. experiments to force cocaine ingestion with mice showed that the mice to which N-acetylcysteine ​​had been administered showed an increase in cocaine intake at an earlier stage than mice receiving placebo He said he lost his desire.

Michael Puado, a member of the experiment team, said, "The characteristic of drug poisoning is that it can not be stopped even if it suffers the actual damage such as damaging health, losing family and friends, quitting work, There is a possibility that N-acetylcysteine ​​may help people who really want to quit drugs, "he said. A new treatment may be adopted for drug addiction treatment. Since the experiment was done with the mouse, it is not known whether human beings have the same effect, but the research team is sure that human beings are sure that the same effect can be obtained.