Lead Story: HBCD Study Will Answer Important Questions about Substance Use in Pregnancy

Brain lesions disrupting addiction map to a common human brain circuit 🔓

Nature Medicine

In rare cases, regional brain damage can lead to addiction remission. These cases may be used to identify therapeutic targets for neuromodulation. This study analyzed two cohorts of patients addicted to smoking at the time of focal brain damage.  Associations with addiction remission were identified. Lesions disrupting smoking addiction occurred in many different brain locations but were characterized by a specific pattern of brain connectivity. This pattern involved positive connectivity to the dorsal cingulate, lateral prefrontal cortex, and insula and negative connectivity to the medial prefrontal and temporal cortex. This circuit was reproducible across independent lesion cohorts, associated with reduced alcohol addiction risk, and specific to addiction metrics. Hubs in this circuit provide testable targets for therapeutic neuromodulation.

 

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