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

New article from Brain: A Journal of Neurology

Smaller volumes in certain regions of the brain could lead to increased likelihood of drug addiction

2015-05-15
(Press-News.org) An article, "Smaller amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex predict escalating stimulant use," published online on May 13 in Brain: A Journal of Neurology has found that individual differences in brain structure could help to determine the risk for future drug addiction. The study found that occasional users who subsequently increased their drug use compared with those who did not, showed brain structural differences when they started using drugs.

In the two studies, researchers, led by Dr. Benjamin Becker, scanned the brain structure of 66 participants to provide the first likely evidence showing volumes of fronto-striato-limbic regions of the brain have an effect on increased drug use. In order for early intervention of addiction to be possible, the study has deemed it essential to identify the biomarkers* which may make a person more vulnerable to drug addiction, due to these particular areas of the brain affecting decision making and impulsivity.

In both studies the scientists scanned occasional users of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS), such as amphetamine and ecstasy (MDMA). Participants were monitored after 12 and 24 months to assess their level of drug use after both periods of time. Those whose ATS use subsequently increased had smaller volumes in front-striato-limbic regions. Dr Becker said, "prospective longitudinal studies in occasional users are of great importance to determine biological vulnerability markers, which can help to identify individuals at greatest risk of developing an addiction."

He went on to conclude that "these findings indicate that individual differences in fronto-stiato-limbic regions implicated in impulsivity and decision making could render individuals vulnerable for the transition from occasional to escalating stimulant use."

Occasional users in both studies, who increased stimulant use during the subsequent 24 months displayed smaller regional grey matter volumes compared to those who with stable or decreased use.

INFORMATION:

*a molecule, gene, or characteristic by which a particular pathological or physiological process can be identified (Oxford English Dictionary).

Notes to editors:

"Smaller amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex predict escalating stimulant use" - Benjamin Becker, Daniel Wagner, Philip Koester, Marc Tittgemeyer, Katja Mercer-Chalmers-Bender, René Hurlemann1, Jie Zhang6, Euphrosyne Gouzoulis-Mayfrank, Keith M Kendrick, Joerg Daumann.

Brain: A Journal of Neurology provides researchers and clinicians with the finest original contributions in neurology. Leading studies in neurological science are balanced with practical clinical articles. Its citation rating is one of the highest for neurology journals, and it consistently publishes papers that become classics in the field. Brain is published by Oxford University Press. Follow Brain on Twitter: @Brain1878



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers call for interdisciplinary look at sexual violence on campus

2015-05-15
NEW YORK, May 15, 2015 -- National thought leaders convened at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health yesterday for a symposium identifying gaps in understanding the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses, calling for a broad interdisciplinary agenda for the next generation of research on a significant problem that became front-page news around the country this year. The day-long event, "Transforming the Campus Climate: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Sexual Violence," was one of the first public activities sponsored by the Sexual Health Initiative ...

Age-friendly communities essential to urban elders' well-being, journal says

2015-05-15
The future of communities around the world will in large part be determined by the efforts to achieve a high quality of life for their older citizens, according to the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR), titled "Making a Home in the City: The Age-Friendly Community Movement." A total of seven articles argue that developing cities that meet the interests of all generations should be an important goal for economic and social policy. "The concomitant growth of cities and of an older population within those cities has come to generate a disjuncture between ...

Raising groundwater keeps valleys from sinking: Santa Clara Valley, Calif.

2015-05-15
Boulder, Colo., USA - California and other parts of the western U.S. are experiencing extended severe drought conditions. Varying groundwater levels in valleys throughout the state, balanced by water imported, for instance, via the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project make understanding the state's underlying hydrologic framework all the more important. This paper by R.T. (Randy) Hanson of the U.S. Geological Survey focuses on California's Santa Clara Valley. In the introduction to his paper, Hanson provides a succinct history of the area, as paraphrased ...

Random nanowire configurations increase conductivity over heavily ordered configurations

Random nanowire configurations increase conductivity over heavily ordered configurations
2015-05-15
Researchers at Lehigh University have identified for the first time that a performance gain in the electrical conductivity of random metal nanowire networks can be achieved by slightly restricting nanowire orientation. The most surprising result of the study is that heavily ordered configurations do not outperform configurations with some degree of randomness; randomness in the case of metal nanowire orientations acts to increase conductivity. The study, Conductivity of Nanowire Arrays under Random and Ordered Orientation Configurations, is published in the current issue ...

EuroPCR 2015 news tips: Treatment delays, radial 'paradox,' transcatheter valves, and more

2015-05-15
1. The "Radial Paradox": Higher Femoral Access Site Complications Offsets Radial Benefits Growing acceptance of radial access during cardiac catheterisation to reduce access site complications may contribute to a loss of experience with femoral access, potentially increasing vascular complications when the femoral technique is used. Montreal Heart Institute researchers compared contemporary and historical patient cohorts (n=17,059) and found that vascular access complications today, using the femoral artery approach--used typically as a back-up method--are more common ...

Tackling obesity needs a number of magic bullets

Tackling obesity needs a number of magic bullets
2015-05-15
No one health issue has the most impact on human health, or engenders more debate about how to tackle it, than obesity. It has become the scourge of the health agenda, especially in the west, and it is a growing problem. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation, almost three-quarters of British men and two-thirds of women will be overweight or obese by 2030 - a staggering 39 million adults in total. We have one of the worst obesity records in Europe, with just six of the 52 countries in the WHO's European region with worse obesity rates for women. We ...

Translating thought to print

2015-05-15
Spider silk has long been noted for its graceful structure, as well as its advanced material properties: Ounce for ounce, it is stronger than steel. MIT research has explained some of the material's mysteries, which could help design synthetic resources that mimic the extraordinary properties of natural silk. Now, scientists at MIT have developed a systematic approach to research its structure, blending computational modeling and mechanical analysis to 3D-print synthetic spider webs. These models offer insight into how spiders optimize their own webs. "This is the ...

Epilepsy has been found to reduce the generation of new neurons

2015-05-15
This news release is available in Spanish. The mission of neural stem cells located in the hippocampus, one of the main regions of the brain, is to generate new neurons during the adult life of mammals, including human beings, of course, and their function is to participate in certain types of learning and responses to anxiety and stress. Using an epilepsy model in genetically modified mice, the researchers have discovered that hippocampal neural stem cells stop generating new neurons and are turned into reactive astrocytes, a cell type that promotes inflammation and ...

Researchers discover new ways to shut down signals involved in brain diseases

2015-05-15
A research team based at the University of Eastern Finland and the Turku Centre for Biotechnology have found new ways to block a pathway that may be responsible for several brain disorders, which could open the door to developing better treatments. The protein NOS-1 generates nitric oxide, a chemical signal that is linked to neurological disorders from neurodegeneration, stroke and chronic pain sensitivity to anxiety and depressive disorders. These are now among the most common causes of disability and mortality, but decades of efforts have not led to a safe drug that ...

New study finds that many probiotics are contaminated with traces of gluten

2015-05-15
WASHINGTON, DC (May 15, 2015) -- More than half of popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, according to an analysis performed by investigators at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Tests on 22 top-selling probiotics revealed that 12 of them (or 55%) had detectable gluten. Probiotics are commonly taken by patients for their theoretical effect in promoting gut health, though evidence of benefits is limited to a few clinical situations. "Many patients with celiac disease take dietary supplements, and probiotics are particularly popular," ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

The food and fuel that farms itself

Patient- and Community-Level Characteristics Associated With RSV Vaccination

[Press-News.org] New article from Brain: A Journal of Neurology
Smaller volumes in certain regions of the brain could lead to increased likelihood of drug addiction