compulsive behavior Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Cannabis Oil Effective in Treating Autism, Lab Trials Show

AHA Publisher — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:00:44 +0000

Naama Barak via Israel21c – In unique lab trials, researchers from Tel Aviv University alleviated symptoms of autism in animal models with medical cannabis oil, improving both behavioral and biochemical parameters of autism. Their novel research fills a notable gap in preclinical research. Medicinal cannabis is often administered to children and adolescents in clinical trials without knowing how cannabis affects biochemical processes or whether different types of cannabis oil can benefit different people. As described in Translational Psychiatry, the researchers administered cannabis oil to animals with a mutation in the Shank3 gene that is associated with about 1 percent of autism cases. “We saw that cannabis oil has a favorable effect on compulsive and anxious behaviors in model animals,” says Shani Poleg, the PhD student who led the research. “According to the prevailing theory, autism involves overarousal of the brain, which causes compulsive behavior. In the lab, in addition to the behavioral results, we saw a significant decrease in the concentration of the arousing neurotransmitter glutamate in the spinal fluid – which can explain the reduction in behavioral symptoms.” Which component of cannabis oil most effectively alleviated the symptoms of autism? Surprisingly, it was THC, which is responsible for the euphoric “high” associated with the use of cannabis. “Clinical trials testing cannabis treatments for autism usually involve strains containing very large amounts of CBD – due to this substance’s anti-inflammatory properties, and because it does not produce a sense of euphoria,” Poleg noted. “Moreover, the strains used for treating autism usually contain very little THC, due to apprehension regarding both the euphoria and possible long-term effects.” However, CBD alone had no impact on the behavior of the model animals. Treatment with cannabis oil containing THC but not CBD “produces equal or even better behavioral and biochemical effects.” “We observed significant improvement in behavioral tests following treatments with cannabis oil containing small amounts of THC and observed no long-term effects in cognitive or emotional tests conducted a month and a half after the treatment began,” Poleg concluded. To read the original article click here.

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Elevated Levels of Serotonin Can Curb Cocaine Addiction in Mice

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:36 +0000

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) via News-Medical – Elevated levels of serotonin can prevent the development of compulsive cocaine seeking and addiction in mice, researchers report. The findings help to resolve the biological markers of addiction risk. Like other addictive drugs, cocaine acts by blocking the reuptake of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in its euphoric effects. However, not all who use the drug become addicted – only about 20% of cocaine users lose control and continue to compulsively use the drug despite adverse consequences. What makes some users susceptible to addiction risk isn’t well known. Although previous studies have suggested that the differential efficacy of the brain serotonin system could play a role in developing a cocaine addiction, the relevant brain circuits and processes that underly the transition from casual to compulsive use remain elusive. In this study, Yue Li and colleagues report the discovery of a mechanism that reveals a modulatory role of serotonin in preventing the development of compulsive cocaine seeking and addiction in mice. In a series of experiments using wild-type and transgenic mice, Li et al.show how cocaine binds with serotonin transporters to block reuptake, which results in elevated levels of extracellular serotonin. This buildup activates the serotonin receptor 5-HT1Band causes presynaptic depression that inhibits synaptic transmission between the orbitofrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum, preventing wild-type mice from becoming addicted. However, in transgenic mice whose serotonin transporters did not bind with cocaine and thus prevented the accumulation of extracellular serotonin, compulsive cocaine-seeking behavior was elevated. According to the authors, the findings suggest that serotonin plays an essential role in modulating the risk of developing addiction. “Further studies should clarify the neural mechanism underlying serotonin modulation of the transition to compulsion in drug addition, what agents specific to serotonin receptors can be used and when these agents can be administered to potentially treat drug addiction,” write Katsuhiko Miyazaki and Kayoko Miyazaki in a related Perspective. To read the original article click here.

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