Wednesday, June 25, 2003

Drug Addiction as a Developmental Disorder
New York Times article - "A new study from Yale suggests that drug addiction should be thought of as a developmental disorder, because the changing circuitry of teenagers' brains appears to leave them especially vulnerable to the effects of drugs and alcohol. Dr. R. Andrew Chambers of the Yale School of Medicine, lead author of the article, said addictive drugs worked by stimulating parts of the brain that are changing rapidly in adolescence. In particular, Dr. Chambers said, the drugs tap into a neural imbalance that may underlie teenagers' affinity for impulsive and risky behavior." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

PET Provides Insight Into Schizophrenic Brain Function
Society of Nuclear Medicine press release at InteliHealth - "Schizophrenia is a devastating disease that affects some 2.5 million Americans. Doctors and researchers are striving to better understand this disease; most believe the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) plays a crucial role in the disease - particularly the dopamine regulated by D2 receptors (D2R). A recent study using PET scans backs the theory that irregular transmission of dopamine is present in schizophrenics. Most previous studies of dopamine levels in the brain of schizophrenic patients have shown that they have the same average level of striatal dopamine receptors as the normal population, but that the levels in schizophrenics exhibit greater variation."