NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A specific brain area appears to leap into action when cocaine addicts have a craving for the drug, researchers have found. They suggest this ability to give drug-craving a physical source could lead to new therapies for addiction. In a study of 11 cocaine-dependent adults and 21 healthy study participants, investigators found that the cocaine addicts showed high activity in a specific brain area when they viewed a tape designed to trigger craving for the drug. This activity did not show up in non-addicts' brains. [continues 257 words]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stress early in life may increase the risk of drug abuse later on, according to results of a study in rats. Animals who underwent the stress of being isolated from their mothers and siblings showed an increased readiness to use cocaine, suggesting that humans who experience early childhood stress may be more vulnerable to drug addiction. In the study, researchers looked at eight rat pups that were separated from their mothers and siblings for 1 hour per day for their first week of life. About 3 months later, the rats were given daily access to increasing doses of cocaine. Their behavior was compared with six rat pups that had not been isolated from their mothers. The findings are published in the October issue of Brain Research. [continues 134 words]
Pain triggers the release of a marijuana-like chemical called anandamide deep in the brain that works as a natural pain reliever, report US researchers. The finding ``may have relevance for the treatment of pain, particularly in instances where opiates are ineffective,'' according to a report published in the October 12th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For the first time, anandamide levels were measured in rat brains using a sensitive method for detecting cannabinoids (marijuana-like compounds), according to J. Michael Walker and colleagues at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. [continues 164 words]
French researchers report that HIV-infected individuals who are active injection drug users are much less likely to receive antiretroviral drugs than HIV-infected patients who no longer inject drugs. The study, which is reported in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, evaluated the impact of patients' injection drug use on doctors' prescribing habits and perceptions. The researchers noted that IDUs' efforts to reduce their risk of HIV infection were convincing and that both IDUs and AIDS experts needs to work to overcome the perception of poor compliance among drug users. [end]
