by Danilo di Diodoro
French researchers have discovered specific brain activities present in those who are more easily subject to craving, the urgent desire for substances or behaviors that cause excitement
Desire regulates fundamental human behaviors and naturally aims at its own satisfaction. an important boost for nutrition and reproduction, but it can become a double-edged sword when it leads to the use of dangerous substances or when it becomes ungovernable. The technical term to define this condition of unstoppable desire craving is used to indicate the urgent desire towards substances that can cause physical or psychological dependence, such as food, especially if rich in fats and sugars, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and other drugs. However, craving can also be experienced in relation not to substances, but to behaviors capable of causing intense arousal, such as gambling or excessive use of the Internet.
The biomarker of addiction
What is behind such different behaviors? Could there be a specific neurobiological configuration that exposes some people to the risk of falling prey to addiction, while others seem to be almost immune to it? An answer comes from a study published by the journal Nature Neuroscience, which identified a specific brain pattern (translated into a functioning model), called Neurobiological Craving Signature, on which a certain ease in slipping into addiction to substances or highly addictive behaviors could depend. gratification. It would therefore be a biomarker of addiction, a sort of neurobiological signal that could perhaps be useful for implementing prevention programs or monitoring the effectiveness of treatments.
Il craving
This Neurobiological Craving Signature was identified by a group of researchers led by Leonie Koban of the Paris Brain Institute of the Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale in Paris, who carried out research using functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. In this way the researchers managed to identify the existence of a specific mode of hyperfunctioning that involves different brain structures, such as the insula, the amygdala, the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, some occipital areas, while, on the contrary, others areas, known for their role in both cognitive and emotional control, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex, are less active in those who have a tendency to develop craving conditions.
I study
Our study represents a first step towards the identification of a neurological biomarker that could predict the intensity of craving in people who have been shown to suffer from it, compared to what is instead observed in people used as healthy controls, say the authors of the research. We arrived at this result by integrating data from five different cohorts. We carried out three studies, with functional magnetic resonance imaging on people who used different types of drugs, such as alcohol, cocaine and cigarettes, and on people who did not use them, for a total of 479 images obtained from 101 participants. These people were presented with visual images of drugs and highly palatable food during the studies. An artificial intelligence system was then used to identify patterns of brain activity capable of predicting the intensity of craving. Furthermore, participants were also asked to imagine both the pleasure associated with the drug or food and the possible long-term consequences of their use. In the end, with the data obtained, the researchers managed to identify the people most exposed to the behavioral risks caused by the presence of the specific Neurobiological Craving Signature.
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February 6, 2024 (modified February 6, 2024 | 08:20)
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