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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.
Compounds of this sort are being explored as therapeutics for a variety of brain disorders including depression, addiction, and PTSD. The ability to rapidly promote neuronal changes via mechanisms of neuroplasticity was recently discovered as the common therapeutic activity and mechanism of action. [3]
The mesolimbic pathway and a specific set of the pathway's output neurons (e.g. D1-type medium spiny neurons within the nucleus accumbens) play a central role in the neurobiology of addiction. [20] [21] [22] Drug addiction is an illness caused by habitual substance use that induces chemical changes in the brain's circuitry. [23]
Jeffrey Schwartz and Beverly Beyette, Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, New York: Regan Books, 1997. ISBN 0-06-098711-1. [12] Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley, The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the power of mental force, New York: Regan Books, 2002. ISBN 0-06-039355-6.
The majority of addiction to nicotine starts during youth and young adulthood. [79] Adolescents are more likely to become nicotine dependent than adults. [80] The adolescent brain seems to be particularly sensitive to neuroplasticity as a result of nicotine. [44]
Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or just plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and rewire its neural connections, enabling it to adapt and function in ways that differ from its prior state.
Behavioral addiction is a treatable condition. [20] Treatment options include psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy (i.e., medications) or a combination of both. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common form of psychotherapy used in treating behavioral addictions; it focuses on identifying patterns that trigger compulsive behavior and making lifestyle changes to promote ...
The book is a collection of stories of doctors and patients showing that the human brain is capable of undergoing change, including stories of recovering use of paralyzed body parts, deaf people learning to hear, and others getting relief from pain using exercises to retrain neural pathways.