Now this is interesting. It’s clear that memory circuits play an important role in addiction and relapse. Adi Jaffe explored this in a recent post and the HBO Addiction series did a good job explaining it. (Watch the video in the upper right corner.) This is the first I’ve heard of pharmacology interfering with memory … Continue reading Disrupting memory retrieval to prevent relapse
A question from a reader: How does the memory suppression relate to addiction? It seems to me like suppressing a memory might not be the best way to deal with it, please explain. Two reasons. First there’s a relationship between trauma and addiction. The relationship probably isn’t direct. Trauma may be more directly related to … Continue reading Memory suppression
I’ve had a lot lot requests to respond to this recent piece in the NY Times. A Personal Narrative or Universal Model? The piece is interesting and well written, but it focuses on the experience of one person. I get the impression that she’s frustrated that most people would say that her experience with heroin … Continue reading Addiction is disordered learning AND much more.
Opioid addicted brains recover and residential more effective than medication for young opioid addicts Several years back, Bill White pointed out that we’ve learned an enormous amount about the neurobiology of addiction but know nothing about the neurobiology of recovery. This week, a small study focused on just that: The researchers performed several tests to … Continue reading 2014’s top posts: #8
Several years back, Bill White pointed out that we’ve learned an enormous amount about the neurobiology of addiction but know nothing about the neurobiology of recovery. This week, a small study focused on just that: The researchers performed several tests to assess changes in the “brain reward system” during early recovery. After drug withdrawal, many … Continue reading Opioid addicted brains recover and residential more effective than medication for young opioid addicts
“Choose [your memories] carefully. Memories are all we end up with … You’ll have a thousand pasts and no future.” –The Secret Behind Their Eyes (film) A friend shared this On Point episode with me and made a connection between it and resentments. This matter of appropriate, helpful, deliberate forgetting is very fascinating. We’ve talked before … Continue reading a thousand pasts and no future
This blog post expressing skepticism about addiction as a brain disease was recently brought to my attention. He lays out A pro-disease argument as THE pro-disease argument: What do gambling, sex, heroin and cocaine — and the other things that can addict us — have in common? One strategy is to look not to the … Continue reading A disorder of choice
I’ve posted before about the role of memory circuits in addiction. It looks like there may have been another step forward in research to manage memory reconsolidation. More than a little creepy, but worth keeping an eye on. It failed to bring Jim Carrey happiness in the award-winning film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, … Continue reading Scientists find drug to banish bad memories
A very interesting study with more evidence that memory circuits are going to be a hot area of research in the coming years: Researchers collected blood samples from 134 smokers intending to quit. Six weeks later, they compared the DNA of those who had actually stopped with that of those who had failed, and discovered … Continue reading Study says genes affect ability to quit smoking
Nora Volkow, the Director of NIDA gives a talk about the neurobiology of addiction. (RealVideo) UPDATE: I watched the entire video and, while it can be a challenge to follow, it is well worth the time. Her talk adds a lot to the brain research of the last decade, presenting a model that includes the … Continue reading Drug Addiction: Neurobiology of Disrupted Free Will
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