Researchers Say MRI Could Help Predict Success of Drug Addiction Treatment
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania say MRI scans
may be able to predict which patients will succeed with certain
addiction treatments, and which ones will relapse, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Researchers at the university’s Center for Studies of Addiction are
watching how regions of the brain react to drug-related photos, such as
pictures of a heroin needle or a crushed pill. They hope to use this
research to develop more effective treatments. One day, they hope that
treatment could be tailored to a person’s mental strengths and
vulnerabilities. These factors are influenced by genetics, life
experiences and drug use, they say.
“We’re interested in seeing if, among the people that do better,
their brains are different now,” Teresa Franklin, who directs nicotine
and marijuana MRI studies at the university, told the newspaper. “This
is not something that gets better in 12 weeks of treatment. This is a
lifelong process where the brain has to be retrained. Just as if you
have diabetes or high blood pressure or a heart condition, you have to
change your lifestyle and you may need medication.”
She said her group thinks if a person’s “stop” regions of the brain,
which deal with consequences, are not working well, and are not
communicating well with regions that say “go” and drive the motivation
for rewards, then it is likely that person is going to do poorly in
treatment.
The group’s research show that in a person who is addicted to drugs,
the brain’s reward region will light up in an MRI scan, even in response
to subliminal cues, such as an image of crack rocks that flash
on-screen for a few milliseconds while the person looks at a photo of a
neutral object, such as a stapler.
“If we can manipulate that response with medication or behavioral therapy, that’s our goal,” Franklin said.
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