Addiction to nothing 'can create the same physical effects as drug addiction'

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by Change | 2 Jun 2009

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New research sheds light on the science behind drug and alcohol addiction.

The effects of drugs or alcohol addiction can be the same as being addicted to nothing, a new study has shown.

According to Brigham Young University neuroscientists who conducted the study, the new research could help scientists to understand drug addiction.

Past studies have shown that when people use drugs, they experience an increase in production of a naturally occurring protein called BDNF in the brain.

As part of this latest research, scientists infused this drug straight into rats' brains. They found that the rats acted as though under the influence of an opiate, although they had never received the drug.
After being given a dose of BDNF, the rats went out of their comfort zone in search of a fix.

"This may reveal a mechanism that underlies drug addiction," lead author Hector Vargas-Perez said.

The research will be published in the journal Science.

Another recent study published in the journal Addiction has also shed light on alcohol addiction, showing that the addiction is most common in those who drink three or four times a week.

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