Friday, February 02, 2007

Nicotine Addiction and the Insula

There is a small part of the brain located in the cortex of the temporal lobe called the insula. While previously not receiving much attention, recently it has garnered research interest when a doctor noticed that a patient with a stroke to the insula had completely forgot his previous addiction to smoking. Upon reviewing the records of other stroke victims this finding was proven to be more than just a fluke: 13 of 19 victims of stroke to the insula experienced immediate relief from their nicotine addiction. While nobody is suggesting brain damage as a treatment for nicotine addiction, knowing what region of the brain, and thus the types of neurons and neurotransmitters, could help in treating this addiction, which happens to be one of the hardest to break of all addictions.

Since I am taking a class on substance abuse this quarter, I thought I would share this recent finding. One of the least understood subjects of science is the human brain. We know only a fraction of how it works as a unit and we are constantly learning more. While I don't believe that science will cure all ills, in fact I can see how a cure for nicotine addiction could increase the number of smokers, I do believe that the quest for knowledge is a godly one.

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