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Posted on 01/26/2007 10:04:33 AM PST by The Raven
SCIENTISTS have pinpointed the source of nicotine addiction — a 2.5-centimetre-wide pleasure centre deep in the brain.
The insula, a small island in the cerebral cortex, has been described as a "platform for feelings and emotion".
Researchers found that smokers who suffered damage to this part of the brain were able to quit quickly and easily.
They suspect the insula may also be involved in other forms of addictive behaviour that keep people hooked on drugs or excessive eating.
Understanding the link could lead to new ways to deal with addiction.
The discovery emerged after US scientists learned of a heavy smoker whose dependency was broken after a stroke damaged his insula.
The man, who had smoked 40 cigarettes a day, quit immediately. He told researchers that his body "forgot the urge to smoke".
An investigation of 69 brain-damaged smokers then revealed 19 with insula injury. Of these, 13 had also given up, all but one without any difficulty. The researchers do not know why the six others failed to quit.
The study leader, Antoine Bechara, of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, said: "One of the most difficult problems in any form of addiction is the difficulty in stopping the urge to smoke, to take a drug, or to eat for that matter.
"Now we have identified a brain target for further research into dealing with that urge."
The insula receives information from other parts of the body and is thought to help translate those signals into something subjectively felt, such as hunger, pain, or a craving.
In the 1990s, a neuroscientist, Antonio Damasio, first suggested that the insula was a platform for feelings and emotion.
"It's really intriguing to think that disrupting this region breaks the pleasure feelings associated with smoking," he said.
Compared with other brain regions, the insula has not attracted much attention from addiction researchers.
But some imaging studies have shown that the region is activated by drug-associated cues, such as the sight of people taking drugs, or drug-taking equipment such as spoons, syringes and "roll-up" paper.
Any anti-smoking treatment aimed at the insula would have to preserve the brain region's beneficial functions.
But Dr Bechara points out that the insula appears to be involved specifically with "learned behaviours", rather than fundamental drives necessary for survival. He believes it might be possible to target one without disrupting the other.
The findings were reported this week in the journal Science. Peter Stern, the journal's senior editor, said: "This kind of study is quite forward-looking. In addition to investigating a basic scientific mechanism underlying drug addiction, these authors have come up with innovative ideas about how we may be able to treat addiction and prevent relapse."
I started Chantix 3 weeks ago, after reading this thread. I have been dipping Copenhagen, along with smoking cigarettes and cigars since age 14 (27 years). Since starting the habit I have tried to quit several times, but have never gone more than 18 hours without nicotine. I would literally be non-functioning until I got some nicotine.
I quit on my quit date and have not had nicotine in any form since. I have had no side effects except for vivid dreams and some very mild nausea/queasiness. I have had no withdrawal symptoms at all, and while I have had the "desire" for nicotine, I have not had the "need."
This drug has truly been a miracle for me. My inability to quit nicotine has dogged me for 10-15 years, and I can not describe the positive effect this has had on my psyche.
Wow! I could have written most of that post. The only thing different is that I didn't downgrade brands. The rest of it is EXACTLY how I felt before the quit date. It's almost eerie to read by someone else.
thanks-
Really glad to hear about both of you !~~!!!
I used to wish for a med that would make me literally throw up when I smoked.
You are coming along great - your wife must be as happy as you are. :o)
Not me pard, I would rather die on my feet fighting, then to die on my knees.
One of my doctor's nurses has been on Chantix since 1/31 and she is doing great also. She said word of mouth has been spreading about Chantix and they are getting calls all the time for a prescription.
You have the dreams also? Small price to pay for quitting the nasty addiction, eh? Actually some of my dreams are interesting. :o)
Sibutramine
My biggest issue right now is bad irritability. Seems things that used to be mildly annoying are totally pissing me off, and things that used to totally piss me off are making me border on homicide. I stopped carrying my handgun until this passes, I'm sure it has to do with nicotine withdrawal. lol
Thank You!
I'm addicted to "nicotine". I gave up smoking about 6 years ago, BUT I am addicted to the gum.
I'd love to try this new med and get off the gum..
sw
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I'm to pick up my first scrip for this stuff tomorrow.
This thread has sparked a bit of hope...
Good for you !!!!
Yippeeeee!!!! This is great!
Still the most important part -- is you need to want to quit.
Of course ..... and if you want to quit you don't need drugs, you just do it.
Do it! The stuff really works! I quit totally after the 7th day of taking it. I've slipped once since, but never went back, never looked back. Just be ready to deal with that first stressful day after you quit. It CAN get the better of you if you aren't prepared to deal with it. In all my previous attempts a single breakdown would mess up the entire process. With this medicine, even when I fell back it was like my body didn't want it. Even when my mind was telling me I did. Just take the Chantix like you are supposed to, use the online support program, and stay determined. You will make it!
That has never worked in my experience. Alot may depend on the person, the level of addiction, and the level of dependence. It's also possible someone may want to quit on a certain conscious level, knowing they need to, but on a subconscious level they may still very much desire it and not want to let go.
Will power is required, and alot of it, whether you have medicine or not. Some people may need just a little help.
What did people do before the advent of these so-called "miracle" quit smoking drugs? They just quit.
This is a touchy subject for me because of a recent personal experience. I was in the hospital in October and was absolutely harangued by the nurses who insisted I NEEDED a patch because I am a smoker and wouldn't be permitted to leave my room to go outside to have a cigarette. These women could not get it through their heads that I neither WANTED nor NEEDED a cigarette. To be perfectly honest, I missed being at the stove cooking or at the computer typing more than I missed having a cigarette.
Plan to get signed up with the support site this weekend, do some reading, and get started.
I'd also like to thank the smug (.)s who invariably show up on threads like this.
They make me grateful somehow...
You know, I always *wished* I didn't smoke, but I didn't really want to quit. I enjoyed a smoke. But this Chantix just kind of made me forget all that along with the addiction.
Each person is different but with this med, the results are the same. I've not heard anything but enthusiasm from those who are taking it. I bet the tobacco people are not happy about this. :o)
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