Addiction and Brain Connections

Addiction is no small factor in our society nor is it a simple issue with easy answers.  Many aspects surrounding addiction to this day remain a mystery. However, some scientists in Massachusetts say they’re developing a greater understanding on the role of the brain when it comes to addiction. Their work continues to show that addiction is a complex brain disease that is extremely subjective, however it raises hopes about potential treatments.

One of the findings among many discovered by the University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists is that addiction seems to permanently affect connections between certain areas in the brain. “Hard-wiring” the brain to support addiction, making it far more difficult to treat permanently.

Most of the studies being done involve nicotine, one of the most addictive substances in the world. Dr. Joeseph DiFranza, a family doctor and professor of family medicine and community health at the medical school, studies the brain activity of smokers using MRIs. He suggests that what occurs in the brain when someone craves a cigarette is the same thing that happens when a person is hungry. In turn, the brain will not quiet down until the need is met.

“We put people in the [MRI] who haven’t smoked overnight and these specific areas of the brain become activated,” he said. “The more the person reports they’re craving a cigarette, the more activation there are in these regions of the brain. This is not something that we understood even a year ago. We thought craving was [based] on cues.”

Through his studies DiFranza discovered that addiction affects the connections in the brain, sometimes permanently. In certain cases he says the brain is in fact supporting the addictive behavior. As cravings increase, connections from the anterior cingulate (the region of the brain where cravings originate) to the frontal cortex (responsible for self-control)

“They’ve lost about two-thirds of the nerve fibers connecting the part of the brain responsible for the self control to the part where the craving is generated,” said DiFranza. “So people face some major obstacles when they quit because their brain is actually hard-wired now to support that addiction.”

What scientists have yet to discovery is exactly why certain people become addicts while others do not. Like many things in this world, it’s a highly subjective disease. What this means, the scientists say, is that addiction treatment must be individualized to take into account that addiction itself changes the brain.

Dr. Jean King, professor of psychiatry and associate provost for biomedical science research, says with addiction it’s not likely that there will ever be one “cure.”

This is why in recovery, it’s always important to seek out various forms of recovery and treatment. No one method will work for everyone. Finding one suited for you is the most important and rewarding thing one can do for themselves.

Read More: http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2014/07/addiction-brain