Are you struggling with nicotine addiction? Do you know someone who’s on drugs? Don’t give up hope! New studies have found that activating the pleasure and reward centers in the brain induces the same euphoric feelings as those triggered by drugs. These findings could help researchers create a treatment for addicts who seek these sensations.
New Insights into a Common Problem
Approximately 23 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The most commonly abused drugs are cocaine, narcotic pain relievers, and marijuana. All drugs increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens, which is also known as the brain’s pleasure center. When the drug wears off, dopamine levels decrease. The addict becomes nervous, depressed, or aggressive, and starts seeking new ways to obtain the same dopamine “high” and feel good.
The pleasure and reward centers of the brain are also stimulated by running, cardio training, and exercise. For this reason, many addiction treatments include physical activity. Now, researchers have found that it is possible to activate the brain’s reward center without using dangerous drugs. This could be the beginning of a new era for patients with severe drug and alcohol addiction.
What’s the Study All About?
The study was conducted on highly active rats who exercise on their wheels constantly. Researchers have chemically stimulated their mu-opioid receptors, leading to a reduction in physical activity. Basically, the rats became lazy. Studies also indicate that active rats had 400 percent more reward receptors than the lazy rats who previously received mu-opioid receptors.
These results show that certain chemicals can activate and shut off the brain’s reward center in animals, so it might work on humans too. A drug addict who will receive these chemicals will feel the same pleasure as they felt when using drugs. This would make treatment and recovery much easier.
