Will Erasing Memories of Cocaine Addiction Help Addicts?
There’s a new study out that links memory with the perpetuation of drug addiction, saying that addicts in recovery often relapse due to the fond memories they have of getting high or drunk and their ability to ignore or forget all the negative consequences. A group of scientists have come up with a solution to the problem: erase the memories associated with drug addiction in order to help patients avoid relapse.
The study was done by a group of researchers at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Drug Research and led by Dr. Rami Yaka. In the study, researchers looked at the effect of erasing drug-related memories in rats who had been given cocaine for two weeks. Here’s what happened: the rats who were injected with a peptide called ZIP no longer sought out the area of their pen where the cocaine had formerly been dispensed. The indication is that their memories associated with drugs had been erased by the ZIP injection in the pleasure center of their brains.
Dr. Yaka says: “One of the biggest problems with drug addicts is the high rate of those who return to drug use after being rehabilitated. Memories can trigger a desire for the drug, including memories of the drug itself, the needle or the environment in which the drug was consumed.
“This research indicates the possibility of erasing these memories, in a way that will allow addicts to cancel the associations they have in their minds regarding the drug.”
Dr. Yaka also explained how this finding could potentially lead to the treatment of many different types of addiction and even post traumatic stress disorder. Even though this particular group of studies focused on cocaine addiction and its effects on the brain, Dr. Yaka says:
“All drugs follow the same addictive path, just at different intensities. Cocaine, heroin and even cannabis stimulate the secretion in the brain of the hormone dopamine, which is associated with pleasure, at least in the first stages of addiction. Therefore, the substance that affected the memories of addiction to cocaine should have a similar influence on addictions to other substances.”
The hope is that new medications and vaccines based on findings like these will help substance abuse treatment professionals to create new programs of treatment for all kinds of drugs of addiction, including alcohol. In combination with comprehensive therapy that helps patients to deal with trauma, new medications and detox options can help patients to fight off psychological cravings as they learn how to refocus their lives and create a new perspective for a new world without cocaine addiction.
Contact us at Michael’s House today to learn more about our cocaine rehab programs here in southern California.
