A Common Sense Approach to Cocaine Addiction Treatment

“For the first time, researchers from the Institut de physiologie et biologie cellulaire (CNRS/Université de Poitiers) have shown that positive and stimulating environmental conditions make it easier to treat cocaine addiction”.

In particular, Marcello Solinas and Mohamed Jaber exposed cocaine addicted mice to an enriched environment during cocaine withdrawal. The environment consisted of small houses, a running wheel, tunnels and many other stimulating items in a large cage.

The researchers observed three measures of typical addictive behaviour:

1. Behavioural Sensitization: the progressive augmentation of behavioural responses to cocaine that develops during repeated administration.

2. Location Preference: the ability of the context to induce drug-seeking behaviour and strengthen the contextual association with drug use.

3. Probability of Relapse: “cocaine's ability to lead to a relapse after a period of withdrawal.”

Results showed that all three of these typical behaviours disappeared after the mice had endured 30 days of the enriched environment. In the brain, this disappearance was seen by a decrease in activity in the specific areas associated with dopamine transmission and relapse.

Does this seem like news to anyone? Of course rehab won’t work for individuals who are thrust right back into the same environmental circumstances. The rehabilitation process should definitely include changes to living conditions. Availability of cocaine will clearly hinder the probability of relapse. The same basic routine will allow an addict to easily slide back into old habits.

Besides pointing out the obvious, this “new” research does provide a bit of insight. Addiction treatment centres may want to consider adding housing support workers to the therapeutic process. The social, physical and mental stimulation seem to be key factors in maintaining sobriety; therefore it might be beneficial to include exercise regimens and educational programs as well. The ideal solution does not seem to be spending 30 days discussing the reason you became an addict only to settle right back into the same old routine after successful completion of a program. Evidently, the emotional aspect is a necessary step in the process, but if anything, this research proves that there is more to treating cocaine addiction. It’s a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Drug Addiction: Environmental Conditions Play Major Role In Effective Treatment And Preventing Relapses, Animal Study Shows

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A Vaccine Could Prevent Relapse for Cocaine Addicts

Researchers at Linköping University and the German Cancer Research Center DKFZ have discovered the possibility of preventing relapse among cocaine addicts.

Because dopamine-producing nerve cells; part of the brain’s reward system in the midbrain, become more excited with drug use, blocking their glutamate receptors could remove the risk of relapse entirely. They discovered this finding by using a mouse model of cocaine dependence.

"When you take cocaine, the number of glutamate receptors increases, rendering the cell more excitable. When we block this process, we prevent relapses into addiction. This is interesting clinically since that is the phase when we get hold of patients" says the study’s lead author and neurobiologist, David Engblom.

Dopamine becomes more concentrated in the midbrain with the use or abuse of dependence-inducing drugs, such as cocaine, which has a very rapid effect on dopamine levels in the brain. The increased concentration of dopamine produces physical and mental reactions characteristic of a "high".

To terminate this process, patients could be injected with a vaccine that would block glutamate receptors and thus prevent a relapse. It seems like a rather simplistic solution and the research is clearly in its early stages of development, however any research at all that seeks to advance the treatment of addiction is well worth mentioning and investigating further.

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Impulsive Decision-Making And Hunger

Finally, there exists a causal link between serotonin and impulsivity. The neurotransmitter serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that regulates emotions and it has often been associated with social decision-making.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have shed more light on the ‘myth’ that people tend to become aggressive when they are hungry. Our serotonin levels decline when we do not eat because the essential amino acid used to create serotonin can be found in food, such as tryptophan rich products like poultry and chocolate.

The researchers of the study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, manipulated the subjects’ diet in order to reduce serotonin levels. They then used the ‘Ultimatum game’ to study the subjects’ reactions to unfair behaviours. In this game, a player suggests a manner in which to divide a sum of money into two portions, one for themselves and another for the other player. If the other player agrees on the split they each keep their agreed-upon portion. If the other player disagrees with the split then no one gets paid. Typically, people tend to reject 50% of offers that are less than 20-30% of the total stake. However, with lowered serotonin, rates of rejection increased to over 80%. As per Molly Crockett, PhD student at Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute:

"Our results suggest that serotonin plays a critical role in social decision-making by normally keeping aggressive social responses in check. Changes in diet and stress cause our serotonin levels to fluctuate naturally, so it’s important to understand how this might affect our every day decision-making" - Article

Now that proof exists that serotonin, which is manufactured through diet, affects the impulsivity of decision-making, it would be interesting to examine how this might apply to other situations involving choices, such as how much impact serotonin levels have on decision-making among users of cocaine, a known appetite suppressant.

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Biological Basis of Addiction

I stumbled upon an article today regarding addiction, an area of study that has been of interest for many years. The research conducted at Indiana University examined the possibility that structural changes in the amygdala may be responsible for the co-morbidity of addiction and mental illness. Those who are familiar with addiction or have worked with addicts know just how often this combination occurs.

The study compared the behaviour of adult rats that had both undergone surgery on their amygdala during infancy. One group had their amydalas damaged while the control group’s amygdalas were left intact. The control group experienced a type of mock surgery.

Interestingly, those that grew up with damaged amygdalas showed more response to novel stimuli, less fear to elevated mazes, continued social activity in the presence of a predator’s scent, were more sensitive to cocaine after only one exposure, and demonstrated consistency of behaviour changes with repeated cocaine injections. All conditions are stated to have remained constant; therefore results are directly related to the amygdala.

This proposes that the structure of the brain can affect vulnerability to drug addiction. Also, with regards to dual diagnosis it suggests that this vulnerability to addiction more effectively explains the high rates of addicts suffering from other mental illnesses as opposed to drug use causing mental illness.

This seems to suggest that a better response to treat mental illness is to reduce pharmacological treatment, a position that I have held from day one of my studies in psychology.

Full Article

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