New Dopamine Research May Reshape Addiction Treatment

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Nov. 8, 2018 - PRLog -- The authors of the research, published last week, stated they believe their findings may be a step toward the creation of more effective addiction treatment methods.

The paper, dubbed 'Dopamine Neurons Projecting to the Medial Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens Drive Heroin Reinforcement,' was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Geneva Hospital and the University of California Davis.

To further explore the topic, they utilized advanced genetic devices to control and examine different sets of neural cells.

The research focused on a light-emitting device to assess the dopamine levels present in mice's nucleus accumbens, which is the brain region part that plays a central role in the reward circuit and behaviors.

The researchers noticed that heroin intake had led to the activation of neurons and matched the patterns of dopamine discharge.

The authors then analyzed the impact of muting dopamine in the mice that were depended on heroin and that were regularly utilizing a handle to consume the substance.

The investigation revealed that the activation of the dopamine channels in that brain region is essential for the positive effects of opioids to be observed during the initial stages of an addiction.

The team proceeded to observe mice that had genetically-altered dopamine channels that were stimulated by light. Those animals were able to press a handle that released light to activate their dopamine channels.

The authors established that the animals that were provided with heroin and with an open access to the dopamine light stimulus were less prone to attempt to seek the light stimulus than the mice which were only allowed to have access to the handle but had not consumed any heroin.

They explained that there is a number of scientists who have claimed that the initial effects of opioids are not related to one's dopamine channels, but the subject continues to be debated. But, the authors highlighted, they believe that through this research - particularly through the aforementioned light experiment - they were able to attain verification for the premise that the effects of opioids operate via dopamine channels.

They added that they believe these findings may not only influence the development of improved opioid addiction treatment methods but also serve as a foundation for the conceptualization of innovative pain therapies that seek to not be as addictive as the medications currently available to treat pain.

https://www.drugaddictionnow.com/2018/11/08/new-dopamine-...