Featured Articles

The British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) released a report today asking the government to formally recognize addiction as a chronic disease, and cover the treatment of this disease under the province's public healthcare system. BCMA argues that providing public funding for treating addictions could help reduce the even costlier impact on society of untreated addictions.

Dr. Shao-Hua Lu, who is clinical practice director for the new Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, is quoted in the Vancouver Sun: "In 2002, the estimated cost of treating substance abuse in B.C. was more than $6 billion, or $1,500 per person per year, with alcohol, gambling and tobacco taking the biggest toll on society."

The Health Minister George Abbott agrees with the findings of BCMA, especially in light of the fact that addictions are often linked to a mental illness. However, he expresses concern over the additional pressure on the healthcare system during the current economic downturn. (Source: www.vancouversun.com)

Labels: addiction, disease

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) have uncovered a surprising insight into addiction by investigating Parkinson's disease. Many Parkinson's disease patients develop addictions while receiving medical treatment. MNI's findings indicate that "persistently elevated levels of dopamine in the brain promote the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors."

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a key role in both addiction and Parkinson's disease. Addiction is marked by persistently elevated levels of dopamine, Parkinson's by persistently depleted levels. Many Parkinson's patients are therefore treated with medications called dopamine agonists - medications that mimic dopamine. Dr. Alain Dagher, co-author of the review and a neurologist at MNI, commented on the findings:

"In some instances Parkinson's disease (PD) patients become addicted to their own medication, or develop behavioural addictions such as pathological gambling, compulsive shopping or hypersexuality. ... This is surprising because PD patients typically have a very low incidence of drug abuse and display a personality type that is the opposite of the typical addictive personality. These rare, addictive syndromes, which appear to result from excessive dopaminergic treatment, illustrate the link between dopamine, personality and addiction."

Labels: addiction, disease, parkinson's

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments