The Cambridge department of medical research gives a clear understanding on neurochemical molecular aspect of addition by majoring in research that tries to identify the various site of action of major drugs that are commonly abused. The scientists have made major advances over the last several years to establish the consequences of drug abuse by using the main components and how they are connected to the parts of the brain involved in emotions and motivation of addition. The main drugs abused are heroin, cocaine, nicotine, amphetamine and alcohol. Certain brain neurons such as dopamine have been discovered as the messenger systems behind drug addiction ( Herman, & Roberto, 2015).
The neuroscientists in Cambridge established the mechanism of re-uptake of noradrenaline neurons that are blocked by drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine. The research team also discovered that dopamine release in the brain is responsible for effects of amphetamine stimulant. The department of research contributes extensively by giving characteristics of dopamine nerve cells responsible to the reward system and the role of dopamine in motivation and learning (Herman, & Roberto, 2015). It was also noted that deregulation of dopamine in the nucleus causes many patients with Parkinson’s disease to experience sudden compulsive gambling. Too much ecstasy causes depressive symptoms in some people with certain genetic condition. Drug addiction is then believed to be a form of learning that results from hijacking from the natural reward system as explained by Cambridge medical researchers.
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The research personnel are also focusing on determining whether the addiction from drugs may be a learned habit controlled by a brain structure associated with nucleus accumbens. They predicted that drug craving comes from memories for cues that are associated with the drug. Neuroscientists are aiming to break the addiction cycle by focusing on neural basis of those memories (Herman, & Roberto, 2015). The potential focus will help to treat the drug addition by identifying the genetic factors among other issues that are vulnerable to the effect of drug abuse. Sophisticated imaging techniques are also used to study brain activity on mental performance from the effects of chronic drug use among the addicts. Additionally, the knowledge of neurochemicals and molecular aspects helps to understand pharmaceutical treatment of addiction with a combination of stress in the long term behavioral change.
Reference
Herman, M. A., & Roberto, M. (2015). The addicted brain: understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of addictive disorders. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience , 9 , 18.
https://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/research/cameos/AddictedBrain.php
