Scientists discover possible way to prevent addiction

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by Change | 2 Mar 2010

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Addiction may be prevented by boosting the number of nerve cells that are made in the brain, scientists have suggested.

Increasing the natural process of producing nerve cells may be an effective method of preventing addiction, researchers have discovered.

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center developed the hypothesis following a study on rodents. This showed that blocking new growth of certain nerve cells in the brain increases the chances of cocaine addiction and subsequent relapse.

The findings could have implications for the future of drug addiction support as they are the first to discover a definite link between addiction and neurogenesis, the process of making nerve cells.

"More research will be needed to test this hypothesis but treatments that increase adult neurogenesis may prevent addiction before it starts, which would be especially important for patients treated with potentially addictive medications," explained study lead author Dr Amelia Eisch.

"Additionally, treatments that increase adult neurogenesis during abstinence might prevent relapse."

Neurogenesis takes place in the hippocampus region of the brain, an area closely linked to learning and memory.

Separate research from the University of Valencia published last month revealed that exposure to cocaine or ecstasy during adolescence makes people more vulnerable to developing an addiction in later life.

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