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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Neurology May Better Addiction Therapy

Team examines role of brain’s self-control and pleasure centers in drug abuse
Published On Thursday, April 26, 2007 4:05 AM
Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, last night outlined a series of scientific findings which may revolutionize treatment for drug addiction.

In a lecture entitled “Drug Addiction: the Neurobiology of Disrupted Free Will” at Harvard Medical School, she emphasized the genetic component of a person’s sensitivity to drugs, as well as the link between drug use and memory.

Volkow’s team at the Brookhaven National Laboratory has made scientific breakthroughs indicating that traditional treatment for drug addiction may not be the only way—or even the best way—to reduce drug abusers’ cravings.

Her findings reveal the role in addiction played by the section of the brain responsible for self control, as well as the part associated with pleasure.

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Contributor: Don Philips
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