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."
Oh and my morning coffee? I only drank one cup instead of my usual three - like there was no point to it without a cig. The main thing is I don't find myself obsessing about it.
I think/hope you are right about that. So far, so good.....only 5 hours later :o) But it *is* different.
I lasted two days this past New Year's - main reason being the dollar tax took effect. Chantix ain't cheap but I figure I spend more than that on cigs now.
Thanks for the encouraging info you are giving.
Good luck to your daughter
Will what every stop? A number of FReepers have expressed the desire to stop smoking but have been unable to do so. The have found a drug that might help them. How can you take umbrage to that?
Your Dad is an 83 year old smoker and has medical
problems?
Don't you see any irony in that statement?
Hmmm. Interesting. Brain damage causes non-smoking. I guess I could have told you that.
There should be a Federal law banning any funding of any studies or experiments that result in a procedure that would "cure" smoking.
The tax monies are needed.................................for The Children.
I can understand drug addiction, but being addicted to brain?
All the best to you and I do hope you stop smoking.
Keep us updated, will you? Other smokers here need the support and to hear of the good news.
A Quitting Smoking Support Thread would be a wonderful idea. I was thinking of exactly the same. If you or anyone else starts such a thread, please ping me to it. It's a matter of life and death.
Thank you and God bless you all.
People are "addicted" because they are told they are addicted.
I absolutely will! Thus far Chantix seems to be working very well even on the first day. I'm supposed to continue to smoke for seven days while taking the medicine before stopping, and I'm already having trouble just trying to smoke!
I'm very devoted to my wife and children, and I'm going to succeed!
Wow. This sounds exactly like what I've been waiting for. Glad to see its working for you guys. Have you noticed any side effects?
I'm visiting my brother in two weeks. He's a smoker, so I'm waiting until after then to try it.
This sounds almost too good to be true...
I'm excited.
"I'm supposed to continue to smoke for seven days while taking the medicine before stopping, and I'm already having trouble just trying to smoke!
I think it's normal for the directions to tell you to continue. Years ago (about 25) when I attended a smoke-enders program, they told us the say thing - to continue smoking, preferably stronger and more distateful cigarettes.
"I'm very devoted to my wife and children, and I'm going to succeed!
That is another lesson I learned from the smoke-enders program. I understand exactly what you mean, but be careful about the psychology of it all. First and foremost you do it for yourself because you are the one smoking, and when you do stop the benefits will accrue to the rest of the family. It's not about being selfish, it's about you stopping.
Some suggestions I'd like to give:
1. anxiety and behavior modification play a big role in stopping.
2. Pick some places you usually smoke and decide, not to smoke in there - eg car, bathroom, going out on a short errant.
3. Drink lots of liquids, especially fruit juices.
4. if you do drink coffee, try to cut down.
5. if you feel you must have a smoke after the seven days period, do something drastic such as take a shower.
6. go out for long walks and take no cigs along with you.
7. swimming and jogging does wonders to your system.
8. hide all ashtrays except one. Keep this ashtray and the cigaretts in an hard-to-get place - eg, if you usually smoke in the kitchen, you must walk to the bedroom to get you cigs and ashtray.
9. with regard to anxiety. When the feeling comes to want to smoke, STOP! and listen to your inner self. What happened? Try to remember in its minute details the feeling that caused you to want to smoke. Repeat the process the next time, recognize the feeling and take control of yourself. Do not let what caused you to smoke take control.
This technique is hard to explain for me but works for me.
10. This I learned at the smoke-enders program. When you get up in the morning, delay your first cig for, say, 5 minutes. Increment this delay each morning by an additional 5 minutes. Same process before you go to bed - ie, delay your last cig by 5 minutes and increment to an additional 5 minutes each night.
11. keep the hand you usually use to hold yout cig busy. Example, something attached to your wrist that you can juggle with.
I wish you and your family all the best.
I haven't gone to the doctor for the Chantix prescription yet. I feel I must first work it out on my own for a month or so before I do that. I feel Chantix will be more effective and easier to progress to the cut-off day.
Erratum: "ie, delay your last cig by 5 minutes and increment to an additional 5 minutes each night."
Meant to say not to smoke 5 minutes before you go to bed. Increment by 5 minutes each successive night.
Even though you feel confident you can delay your first cigarette each morning by more than the specified time period for that morning/eve, I suggest you stick to your plans. You may want to try a larger interval, say, 10 minutes. But twelve days later that interval amounts to 120 minutes or 2 hours and it may be difficult. Take your time!
>>I only drank one cup instead of my usual three
The day after I quit it was the afternoon before I realized I had zero coffee that day. First time that happened in my memory.
I had speculated that the stuff also worked on the caffein part of the brain as well.
>>This sounds almost too good to be true...
For me it was like quitting carrrots. I'm still amazed at how easily it worked.
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