Presence of Young Changes Mothers' Response to Drugs
A new animal study shows that the presence of a mother’s young changes the way her brain responds to drugs. This could help researchers develop more efficient ways to treat drug addiction in humans. Researchers at Northeastern University used brain imaging to test rats a few days after giving birth. The rats had been given cocaine prior to pregnancy and were trained to associate a peppermint scent with the drug.
When the babies were not present, the mother rats responded normally to the peppermint scent, showing brain activation associated with drug craving. But when the babies were present, the mothers showed a completely different pattern of brain activation, suggesting that the present of their offspring changes the way the mothers reacted to drug cues.
This could be incredibly helpful for treating cocaine addiction in humans, especially because relapse is especially problematic for recovering drug users who are mothers. Martha Caffrey, lead author of the study, said that maternal care is extremely important for the offspring’s wellbeing, and that insufficient care can lead to detrimental changes in the offsprings’ neural structure. This could lead to dysfunction later in life.
Source: Science Daily, Mother’s Young Alter Brain’s Response to Drug, December 1, 2010
