Every year, opioid addiction claims thousands of lives in America alone. Most medications available today can clear out the after-effects of the drugs, but medical science is now developing medications that target how addiction formed in the brain. It’s a known fact that addiction alters the brain which we know little of.
How it affects the brain
Drug addiction greatly damages the reward system of the brain, making haywire connections that disrupt its normal cycle. The intense high which the drugs induced into the brain triggers a surge of dopamine levels, the ‘feel good’ chemicals. Once the brain has been adapted to such feelings, it stimulates cravings, thus the cycle of addiction is born.
Many medications today make it possible to ‘fix’ the after effects of these drugs. But to really fight drug addiction, one needs to know the exact cause of the disorder at its molecular level.
A dampening effect
A new study shows a promising effect of putting an end to addiction once and for all. Although still in its early stages, scientists can block an enzyme. This enzyme can create a dampening effect on the brain that’s responsible for the release of dopamine levels. To fully understand the findings, continue reading the article:
“In 2016, opioid addiction was responsible for an estimated 42,000 deaths in the United States. While current medications generally treat the after-effects of opioid use, new drugs are in development that targets the mechanisms of addiction in the brain.
The human brain’s reward system is set up to reinforce behaviours that are beneficial for survival and reproduction. Pleasurable activities such as eating food or having sex releases dopamine in the brain’s motivation centers, creating strong incentives to repeat them. The pleasurable highs induced by taking drugs such as opioids likewise trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. Once off the drug, individuals seeing stimuli associated with drug use causes the brain to release of small amounts of dopamine. The desire to recreate the same dopamine spikes obtained while under the drug manifests itself as potent cravings.
Current addiction therapies target the after-effects
Current therapies for addiction generally target the after-effects of specific drugs. For example, buprenorphine binds to opioid receptors but only provides a fraction of the original high. While this satisfies some of the cravings, addicts may deliberately increase their intake to achieve a high equal to opioids, leading to overdoses.
Vigabatrin has had mixed results
Recent research has been focusing on a different approach. A recent article in Science discussed this approach. Compounds like vigabatrin block the GABA-AT enzyme that is involved in pathways that suppress neurons. The blocked enzyme creates a dampening effect on neurons that release dopamine, effectively blocking the hijacked reward system of the brain. Although vigabatrin is already on the market, it has had mixed results due to a low binding affinity to the GABA-AT enzyme. Higher doses are needed to achieve the intended effect, which in turn increases the risk of adverse reactions.”
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