Red Ice News

The Future is the Past

Lasers that switch cocaine addiction on and off
New to Red Ice? Start Here!

Lasers that switch cocaine addiction on and off

Source: smartplanet.com
Researchers are exploring how laser light can be used on the brain to inhibit addictive behavior — in particular, how you can turn “on and off” cocaine addiction in rats.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that by stimulating particular areas of the brain with light, addictive behavior can be removed in rats — or used to encourage addiction to substances like cocaine.

By shining a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the researchers say the compulsion to ingest cocaine was gone.

This particular area of the brain is associated with impulses and decision making, and studies have shown that both humans and rats with low activity ratings in the prefrontal cortex tend to be more at risk of becoming compulsively addicted to cocaine.

The scientists used genetic engineering to insert light-sensitive proteins into a rat’s prefrontal cortex. The team then activated this region using lasers, which turned the nerve cells on and off. Turning on the cells removed compulsive behavior, whereas switching them off turned non-addicted rats into addicts.

[...]

Read the full article at: smartplanet.com

Comments

We're Hiring

We are looking for a professional video editor, animator and graphics expert that can join us full time to work on our video productions.

Apply

Help Out

Sign up for a membership to support Red Ice. If you want to help advance our efforts further, please:

Donate

Tips

Send us a news tip or a
Guest suggestion

Send Tip

Related News

The Switch That Won Team Sky the Tour de France
The Switch That Won Team Sky the Tour de France
Pentagon Confirms Chinese Fired Lasers at U.S. Pilots
Pentagon Confirms Chinese Fired Lasers at U.S. Pilots

Archives Pick

Red Ice T-Shirts

Red Ice Radio

3Fourteen

Con Inc., J6 Political Prisoners & The Pedophile Problem
Kim Coulter - Con Inc., J6 Political Prisoners & The Pedophile Problem
Why European Culture, Art and Beauty Matter
Gifts - Why European Culture, Art and Beauty Matter

TV

Laughter: The New Weapon Of The Far-Right
Laughter: The New Weapon Of The Far-Right
London’s Fourth Plinth To Get Fat Black “Everywoman” Statue
London’s Fourth Plinth To Get Fat Black “Everywoman” Statue

RSSYoutubeGoogle+iTunesSoundCloudStitcherTuneIn

Design by Henrik Palmgren © Red Ice Privacy Policy