NCJ Number
198891
Journal
Science & Practice Perspectives Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: July 2002 Pages: 13-20
Date Published
July 2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article explores the brain processes that produce an addiction to opioids.
Abstract
The authors explain that the chronic use of opioids such as heroin, oxycodone, and other morphine-derived drugs produce changes in the brain that contribute to liking the drug, tolerance, dependence, and addiction. As such, addiction to opioids has a definite neurobiological basis. Pharmacological therapies with drugs such as methadone, therefore, can prove effective in the fight against addiction when paired with behavioral therapies. The authors explain how opioids operate in the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. They show how opioid withdrawal is one of the most powerful factors leading to dependence and addiction to the drug. According to the cognitive deficits model of drug addiction, those people who become addicted to opioids have abnormalities in their brain pathways that predispose them to dependence and addiction to these types of drugs. The authors explain the abnormalities that are present in the prefrontal cortex of the brain and show how opioids affect brain chemistry. They show how stress and drug craving interact in the process of addiction. Finally, the authors present a discussion of four pharmacological interventions for those addicted to opioids: methadone, LAAM, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. In conclusion, the authors stress that explaining the neurobiological basis of opioid dependence can help patients understand and conquer their addiction. References