Glial Cells Play Key Role in Regulating Motivation for Drug in Heroin Addiction

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The article above explains a possible new finding in regulating motivation for drugs specifically in heroin addicts. In glial cells drugs produce plasticity, which can reduce motivation for heroin. The treatments that are being studied could possibly help opiod addicts. This new finding could possible be a step closer to figuring out what addiction actually is, while preventing relapse, and drug use altogether. The research was established at the University of Buffalo, where Dietz and his colleagues found changes in RNA specially dealing with the glial cell oligodendrocyte (OPC's). Non- Neural glial cells regulate cellular and behavioral responses to heroin. These glial cells turn into myelin where they are used to communicate between neurons. In 2014, Sim Fraiser, PHD, located the gene called soxio as the "master switch" that changes the stem cell into myelination. The hypothesized solution is to facilitate OPC's to the brain to reverse the disconnect between the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions, because glial cells are changing when drugs are enforced into the body.

We know that glial cells play a important role to neurons, because they hold neurons together, increase the speed of conduction in neurons, and produce myelination, which is a fatty tissue that wraps around the axon to insulate it from surrounding fluids and neurons. This is important because our neurons carries out sensory information, thoughts feelings, actions, and muscle commands. It seems like researchers are trying to get to the root of what triggers a person to become an addict. If they can change or manipulate glial cells in the brain to help reverse the switching (messages the drugs sends and rewires the brain)  of non-neurons that conduct this thinking in the prefrontal cortex they may be able to develop a treatment that can really help if not permanently stop addictions to heroin. In terms of motivation behind drugs I think that people start off with a incentive to feel good or take away some kind of psychological, or biological pain. In the event that one abuses a drug it may become what is known as the drive theory of motivation and people grow depended on drugs just as they grow on food and thirst. When people experience some withdraws the hypothalamus could be making them shiver or sweat causing them to feel a need for the drug.

http://neurosciencenews.com/glial-cells-heroin-addiction-8388/

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