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Brain Chemistry Clues To Why Some Relapse
Considerable research has examined the psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of relapse after treatment for alcohol dependence. However, recent advances in brain imaging devices have enabled scientists to pursue biochemical clues to why some return to drinking and others seem able to abstain. Metabolism involves the breakdown of chemicals into simpler molecules. A metabolite is the result of that process and some may serve as markers of the “health” of different types of cells in the brain. Scientists believe that the levels certain brain metabolites in the human reward system may assist in explaining some of the biological factors that contributing to relapse in those afflicted with alcohol and drug dependence. The brain reward system is involved in reasoning, planning, judgment, impulse control, and anticipation and processing of pleasure. A recent study at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center employed brain scans to compare metabolite levels in the brain reward system of persons who remained abstinent against those who resumed drinking after treatment for alcohol dependence. Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is a non-invasive neuro-imaging technique that makes possible the examination of brain metabolites/chemicals associated with mood, cognition, and behavior. In this study 51 treatment seeking alcohol dependent persons who had been abstinent for 7 days, and 26 light drinking controls completed MRS imaging. Baseline metabolite levels were obtained from the several regions that make up the brain reward system. The alcohol dependent participants were followed over a 12 month period. Eighteen remained abstinent (“abstainers”), while 33 resumed hazardous levels of drinking (“resumers”) after treatment.
When the baseline metabolite levels – measured at the beginning treatment – were compared, resumers showed significantly lower concentrations of two brain chemicals – N-acetylaspartate (NAA – a marker for neural integrity), and CHO (a marker of cell membrane health) than the abstainers and light drinking controls. These findings point to abnormalities and compromised neural integrity in the brain reward system in the resumers. Since normal functioning of the brain reward system is required for accurately weighing the pros and cons of a person’s actions and then changing behavior based on the consequences, the lower levels of NAA and CHO in resumers suggest they may have difficulty with controlling their impulses and behavior, particularly for alcohol use. The results also highlight the importance of functional brain reward system in maintaining abstinence.
( Durazzo, T, Pathak, V, Gazdzinski, S, Mon, A, Meyerhoff, D: Metabolite levels in the brain reward pathway discriminate those who remain abstinent from those who resume hazardous alcohol consumption after treatment for alcohol dependence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 71: 278-89, 2010.)
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It seems that there is some subtle energies going on in the brain and also brings to mind the proper nutrition is the keystone to obtaining a pattern of not consuming any substances at all until the frequency of the body and the brain is fully restored.
Question: Can a recovery from addiction be facilitated by the introduction of a non-typical treatment utilizing micro current in the form of subtle energy technology to raise the frequency of the man or woman once the party has had the negative energy neutralized by a simple and effective clearing or neutralizing process?
I look forward to your response and If you would like to learn more about subtle energy technology and the devices available to effectually bring the shift in the body’s frequency please e-mail me at the above address.
Many thanks
Thomas McFadden
We appreciate your comments, although your question is outside our area of expertise.
Thank you very much sir for your response.
Would you entertain discussing the aspects of this technology with a Doctor who has been in the field of Bio-Energetics for about 18 years and who is currently working with subtle energy technology to treat his clients with very good success?
He is in Los Angeles California.
Please let me know and I will arrange for him to contact you Dr. West.
Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Thomas McFadden
It has been brought 2 my attention by someone new in your field that there is a test – combo saliva+urine – that can help to find out what supplements I can take to help my brain 2 create + stimuliate my endorphins. I had long-term (15+ years) recovery and relapsed on opiates. I was wondering if you might be familar with the test + if you think it has merit 4 my situtation. thank you.
We checked with Herbert Kleber, M.D., Director, Division on Substance Abuse at Columbia University, who replied: “Neither I nor my colleagues here are familiar with what the questioner raised. We don’t think the science is there yet.”