Novel Research On Addicted Brain

Oct, 2022 - By WMR

New study focuses on the functioning of the addicted brain.According to research, medication-based therapies are the best way to treat addiction.

Nowadays, addiction is thought to be a brain problem. If the addiction is to alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, prescription pills, or anything else, it is not as simple as quitting or improving impulse control. This is due to the fact that addiction arises when the brain's pleasure circuits are overloaded in a way that can become chronic and occasionally even permanent. addiction develops when the pleasure centres of the brain are overwhelmed in a way that can last for a long time and occasionally even permanently. The research is conducted by the researchers of Yale University.

A person becomes addicted to a substance since their brain has begun to change. This occurs however when addictive chemicals enter the brain, they produce an excessive response. Many addictive medications, such as opioids, cocaine, or nicotine, flood the reward pathway with dopamine, ten times more than a natural reward, instead of just causing a brief, euphoric rush. The surge is retained by the brain, which links it to the addictive substance. However, with continued use, the brain's circuits adapt and lose sensitivity to dopamine over time.

Gaining that satisfying feeling becomes more and more crucial, while at the same time, people develop a tolerance and require increasing amounts of that substance to produce the same effects. In addition to impairing judgement and decision-making, addiction can also impair focus, memory, and learning.

Medication can make all the difference, even if treatment methods vary depending on a person's history and the specific addiction they have developed. According to research, medication-based therapies are the most successful ones. The most successful way to treat opioid use disorder, which is a medical illness like depression, diabetes, or hypertension, is with a mix of medicine and counselling.