Drugs may spell end to addiction Information
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Drugs may spell end to addiction
Pharmaceutical advances could play a significant role in
alcohol treatment in the future, experts believe.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 371 men and women on the anti-seizure drug topiramate along with regular psychosocial treatment.
The researchers reported that volunteers were more likely to avoid drinking heavily for 28 days or more than individuals who were given a placebo.
The drug works in a similar way to another alcohol treatment, naltrexone, by blocking pleasure receptors in the brain and thereby making drinking seem less enjoyable.
Commenting on the future of drugs in alcohol treatment, Dr Christian Thurstone, assistant professor at the University of Colorado and Denver Health Sciences Centre, said: "Medication development is one of the top priorities of the National Institute on Drug Abuse."
However, Dr Thurstone told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that medication would probably never be the sole treatment for addiction.
"Addiction produces a lot of wreckage in people's lives that can't be dealt with by medication alone," he claimed.
Article published on 30/11/2020 by PCUG Addiction Treatment
