StartingYoung Insight into adolescent addiction comes as new guidelines urge early prevention
Treatment providers have known for years
“ The excitement of this study is that now perhaps we have a signalling pathway that could be targeted for the treatment of addiction. ”
that adolescents are more susceptible to drug use and consequently, addiction. But now they might know why. Researchers recently discovered a speci c pathway in the brain that makes adolescents more prone to problematic substance use, which could lead to stronger prevention e orts. By studying how cocaine a ected the behavior of young and adult mice di erently, researchers found that a mechanism in the brain which regulates speci c protein production also controls addictive behaviors. By manipulating that mechanism, researchers were able to mitigate cocaine’s addictive e ects. “Now we have a bidirectional switch that can turn on and o the cocaine-induced changes in the brain,” says lead researcher Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli of the Baylor College of Medicine.
Total improvement Experts say the bene ts of implementing early intervention e orts far outweigh the cost. Although limited data exists, studies show investing just one dollar can produce anywhere from a few dollars to $26 in cost savings down the road. “ us a well-designed, well- implemented early childhood intervention can dramatically bene t the community and society as well as improve children’s and families’ quality of life,” Dr. Volkow says. But the bene ts of early intervention go beyond substance abuse. Experts say many of the risk factors for substance abuse are the same indicators for other social, behavioral and academic problems. ey say creating a prevention program to address and reduce the risk of substance abuse will pay big dividends across the board. “Interventions designed to reduce early risk factors show bene ts in a wide range of areas,” Dr. Volkow says. “Including improved personal and social functioning, better performance in school, and less involvement with the juvenile justice system or mental health services.”
“ Early childhood intervention can dramatically benefit the community and society as well as improve children ’ s and families ’ quality of life. ” - Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA director
- Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Baylor College of Medicine
One size fits all What’s most exciting about the study is that the pathway does not appear to be speci c to cocaine. A second study examining nicotine returned similar results, leading researchers to believe any treatments targeting the pathway would be e ective for all substances. “In the case of nicotine, it’s exactly the same thing,” Dr. Costa-Mattioli says. “All the drugs of abuse, they reduce the activity, they hijack or change this mechanism.” Researchers say they’re still interested to see if the mechanism plays a role in the transition from social substance use to more problematic use. But they say simply identifying such a crucial link of the substance use chain could lead to signi cant prevention methods. “Of course, the excitement of this study is that now perhaps we have a signalling pathway that could be targeted for the treatment of addiction,” Dr. Costa-Mattioli says.
First eight years T o address adolescent drug use, experts say prevention e orts have to start earlier than most would expect. e National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the government’s top agency on substance use, recently released new guidelines suggesting prevention education should start in the rst eight years of a child’s life. O cials acknowledge that early childhood is not a time period normally associated with drug use. But they say factors with family, school and community environments can shape development of certain emotional and behavioral issues that can manifest in substance abuse problems even decades later. “Central to intervening early is the idea of shifting the balance of risk and protective factors in a way that builds a foundation for optimal social development and resilience,” says NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow.
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