PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Mount Sinai finds brain abnormalities linked to impaired self-awareness in cocaine addiction

Study challenges stigmatizing assumptions about cocaine addicted-individuals, points to targeted treatments based on quantifiable biological abnormalities

2013-11-21
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Mount Sinai Press Office
newsmedia@mssm.edu
212-241-9200
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai finds brain abnormalities linked to impaired self-awareness in cocaine addiction Study challenges stigmatizing assumptions about cocaine addicted-individuals, points to targeted treatments based on quantifiable biological abnormalities New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reveals long-term cocaine abuse may be associated with deficits in parts of the brain involved in monitoring and overseeing one's own behavior. The findings call into question the long-held clinical assumption that addicted individuals continue their compulsive drug use because of oppositional denial or lying, or because of careless minimization of their problems. The findings are published online Nov. 20 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Using functional and structural MR imaging procedures, investigators were able to visualize abnormalities in error responding and gray matter integrity in the part of the brain known as the anterior cingulate cortex, which controls many cognitive functions, including recognizing and responding to mistakes. Researchers sorted the addicted individuals by self-awareness, based on whether they were able to provide accurate reports of their own choice behavior and through a written questionnaire that assessed emotional functioning. Results were compared against healthy controls and cocaine-addicted individuals who did not have these self-awareness deficits.

"Quantifiable functional and structural abnormalities in the brain were easy to see in the MRIs of cocaine-addicted individuals with impaired self-awareness," said Rita Z. Goldstein, PhD, the study's senior author and Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "These deficits were prominent even when we compared this subgroup of individuals with other cocaine-addicted individuals whose self-awareness was intact." More precisely, the anterior cingulate cortex was morphologically smaller and responded abnormally to errors in the cocaine-addicted individuals with impaired self-awareness.

Scott J. Moeller, PhD, the lead author of the study, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, pointed out that the findings could have important clinical implications. "Clearly, one-size-fits-all treatment options for drug addiction are not working effectively," he said. "The good news is that our findings suggest treatment options that might be especially useful for individuals with impaired self-awareness. For example, pre-therapy motivational interviews may help increase motivation to seek treatment in the first place. Once at the clinic, additional intervention for these individuals could include mindfulness therapies to cultivate self-awareness of substance use triggers and consequences." The goal of these therapies would be to help counteract the anterior cingulate abnormalities, improve self-awareness and self-control, and ultimately decrease problematic drug abuse.

Based on these findings, the researchers plan to develop new MRI paradigms to investigate different facets of self-awareness that they were unable to target in this study. They also plan to launch longitudinal and clinical studies to test how self-awareness relates to drug treatment outcomes. In the longer-term, the authors foresee expanding the idea to other psychiatric disorders, such as gambling and eating disorders, which like drug addiction have not been traditionally linked with self-awareness limitations.

INFORMATION:

Other contributing authors from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai include Anna B. Konova, MA, and Muhammad A. Parvaz, PhD. Richard D. Lane, MD, PhD, and Carolyn Fort, BA, from the University of Arizona, Tucson, also contributed to this research.

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians, 12-minority-owned free-standing ambulatory surgery centers, over 45 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, as well as 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information, visit Mount Sinai on the web, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

PTSD raises risk for obesity in women

2013-11-21
PTSD raises risk for obesity in women Women with PTSD gain weight more rapidly than women without disorder Women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) gain weight more rapidly and are more likely to be overweight or obese than ...

The last croak for Darwin's frog

2013-11-21
The last croak for Darwin's frog Deadly amphibian disease chytridiomycosis has caused the extinction of Darwin's frogs, believe scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), Chile. Although habitat disturbance ...

Study is first to explain type of antimalarial drug resistance

2013-11-21
Study is first to explain type of antimalarial drug resistance WASHINGTON -- A Georgetown University professor published in the online journal PLOS ONE the first study explaining why drugs designed to fight off malaria stop working in some people with the disease. Malaria, ...

Frequent breaks from sedentary behavior makes kids healthier

2013-11-21
Frequent breaks from sedentary behavior makes kids healthier OTTAWA, Canada – November 20, 2013 – Canadian kids spend more than half their waking hours engaged in sedentary behaviour—watching television, playing video ...

Researchers break a theoretical time barrier on bouncing droplets

2013-11-21
Researchers break a theoretical time barrier on bouncing droplets MIT research could aid ice prevention, wing efficiency, and more CAMBRIDGE, Mass-- Those who study hydrophobic materials — water-shedding surfaces such as those found in nature and created ...

Research uncovers secrets of Mars' birth from unique meteorite

2013-11-21
Research uncovers secrets of Mars' birth from unique meteorite TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As NASA prepares to launch a new Martian probe, a Florida State University scientist has uncovered what may be the first recognized example of ancient Martian crust. The ...

Tiny antisense molecules increase 'good cholesterol' levels in obese primates

2013-11-21
Tiny antisense molecules increase 'good cholesterol' levels in obese primates Targeting shared nucleotide sequences can suppress family of gene-regulating microRNAs A strategy developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based investigators to increase ...

BU, MIT team engineers add new wrinkles to waterproofing

2013-11-21
BU, MIT team engineers add new wrinkles to waterproofing A surface that repels fluids faster VIDEO: The clock at top shows how fast a drop bounces off a relatively ...

Ancient Siberian genome reveals genetic origins of Native Americans

2013-11-21
Ancient Siberian genome reveals genetic origins of Native Americans Genetics The genome sequence of a 24,000-year-old Siberian individual has provided a key piece of the puzzle in the quest for Native American origins. The ancient Siberian demonstrates genomic ...

New health economics study highlights long-term benefits of rotator cuff surgery

2013-11-21
New health economics study highlights long-term benefits of rotator cuff surgery Understanding the full impact of treatments is important for patients with common shoulder injury Rosemont, Ill – Each year, close to 2 million people in the United States ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New research boosts future whooping cough vaccines

Mechanistic understanding could enable better fast-charging batteries

No bones about it: new details about skeletal cell aging revealed

UNM scientists discover how nanoparticles of toxic metal used in MRI scans infiltrate human tissue

UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops

Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes

Study assesses U.S. image amid weakening of democracy

Two scientific researchers to receive 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health

Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels

Texas Tech to develop semiconductor power devices through $6 million grant

Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells

Hot Schrödinger cat states created

How cells repair their power plants

Oxygen is running low in inland waters—and humans are to blame

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

[Press-News.org] Mount Sinai finds brain abnormalities linked to impaired self-awareness in cocaine addiction
Study challenges stigmatizing assumptions about cocaine addicted-individuals, points to targeted treatments based on quantifiable biological abnormalities