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He is the publisher of Uppers, Downers, All Arounders, a textbook on the neurochemistry and neuropharmacology of psychoactive drugs. Having previously produced informational and scientific documentaries, Steinbroner formed TouchPoint Productions [ 1 ] to create a series of documentaries on transformational healing.
CNS Productions is a publisher of educational materials — primarily textbooks and instructional DVDs — dealing with psychoactive drugs and addiction.It was formed in 1983 by Paul Steinbroner, with long-time collaborator William E. Cohen who had an extensive background in medical film production.
One form of behavioral neuropharmacology focuses on the study of drug dependence and how drug addiction affects the human mind. Most research has shown that the major part of the brain that reinforces addiction through neurochemical reward is the nucleus accumbens. The image to the right shows how dopamine is projected into this area.
George F. Koob (born 1947) is a Professor and former Chair of the Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders at the Scripps Research Institute [1] and Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.
Structural changes associated with addiction can be inhibited by NMDA receptor antagonists which block the activity of NMDA receptors. [47] NMDA receptors are essential in the process of LTP and LTD. [32] Drugs of this class are unlikely candidates for pharmacological prevention of addiction because these drugs themselves are used recreationally.
The common biomolecular mechanisms underlying addiction – CREB and ΔFosB – were reviewed by Eric J. Nestler in a 2013 review. [3] Genetics and mental disorders may precipitate the severity of a drug addiction. It is estimated that 50% of healthy individuals developing an addiction can trace the cause to genetic factors. [4]
A 2012 study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University concluded that the U.S. treatment system is in need of a “significant overhaul” and questioned whether the country’s “low levels of care that addiction patients usually do receive constitutes a form of medical malpractice.”
With abstinence from alcohol and cross-tolerant drugs these changes in neurochemistry may gradually return towards normal. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Adaptations to the NMDA system also occur as a result of repeated alcohol intoxication and are involved in the hyper-excitability of the central nervous system during the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.