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Last year was particularly good for the growth of our addiction research area. Collaborative efforts among MRN and other scientists combine neuroimaging and genetic approaches to identify genes that influence the progression of addiction that could eventually guide treatment and prevention efforts. Dr. Kent Hutchison leads the addiction research team and recently received a five-year grant to examine the neurobiological effects of the medication varenicline on smoking cessation. Also, Dr. Sarah Feldstein Ewing received a five-year grant to study risky behaviors in adolescents along with two exploratory grants to develop new treatment approaches using fMRI. Dr. Vince Clark’s study of recovering cocaine and methamphetamine addicts has led to the discovery of possible differences in brain structure between those who relapse and those who do not. When comparing MRI scans of abstainers and relapsed users, abstainers showed greater activity in an area of the brain associated with emotion and attention. “One function this area of the brain handles is interpreting the world around you in terms of how it affects your health and safety,” Dr. Clark explains. These scans, when combined with psychological histories of recovering stimulant addicts, have so far been 90% accurate in predicting relapses–hopefully leading to new rehabilitation techniques.
Christian Hendershot, PhD Nicole Prause, PhD |
