martes, 9 de octubre de 2012

Study finds combined dopamine dysfunction in drug addicted, schizophrenic patients | National Institute on Drug Abuse

Study finds combined dopamine dysfunction in drug addicted, schizophrenic patients | National Institute on Drug Abuse


Science Spotlight
October 4, 2012
Brain striatumMRI showing the brain’s striatum (Image courtesy Dr. Anissa Abi-Dargham, Columbia University & New York State Psychiatric Institute)
Dopamine release in one area of the brain’s striatum is increased in schizophrenia, whereas drug addiction is associated with decreased dopamine in a neighboring striatal region. Since substance use disorders often occur concurrently with other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, a new NIDA-funded study examined amphetamine-induced dopamine release in patients with comorbid schizophrenia and substance dependence. In this study, dopamine release was reduced in the striatum of comorbid patients exposed to amphetamine, yet patients showed enhanced positive symptoms (i.e., psychotic reaction), as previously observed in schizophrenia. These results suggest that these comorbid patients suffer from a combined dysfunction: a) increased dopamine sensitivity in the part of the striatum responsible for the psychotic symptoms and, based on prior research, b) reduced sensitivity to dopamine in the area of the striatum associated with reward. Such a set of alterations in dopamine release could set up a vicious cycle of using drugs to self-medicate, which in turn may cause or further worsen psychosis.
Better understanding of the brain changes underlying comorbid disorders could lead to improved treatments for both drug addiction and schizophrenia in patients possessing both disorders. This is a vital research area, since failure to treat co-occurring conditions can jeopardize a patient’s chance of recovery.
For a copy of the article abstract, go to: www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/mp2012109a.html. For more information about comorbid addiction and other mental illnesses, go to www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/comorbidity-addiction-other-mental-illnesses/letter-director.
For more information, contact the NIDA press office at media@nida.nih.gov or 301-443-6245.

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media@nida.nih.gov
About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at www.drugabuse.gov. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA's new DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA's media guide can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide, and its new easy-to-read website can be found at www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.
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