Individuals who struggle with substance use may have several different factors working together to influence their choices regarding drug use. A combination of environmental and biological risks work together, but for each person who uses drugs, that combination looks different.

A recent study may provide insight into how addictions are formed, and as a result, may provide important information about how to treat addiction. The study, conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratories, gives clues about how the brain reacts to certain images in individuals with a substance addiction.

The study was led by Scott Moeller, who tested the image preferences of participants who were addicted to cocaine and compared them to reactions from participants in a control group. Moeller found that the participants who were addicted to cocaine had a strong preference for images that were drug-related.

The subjects participated in a series of tests, in which both groups were asked to select cards with digital images. The subjects were not informed that the digital images were classified as “cocaine-related,” “pleasant,” “unpleasant,” or “neutral.”

Those in the cocaine-addicted group strongly preferred cocaine-related images, while those in the control group not only selected the “pleasant” pictures; they showed a clear aversion to the cocaine-related images. Interestingly, the cocaine-addicted participants preferred the “pleasant” images even more than the “cocaine-related” images.

The researchers believed that the participants may not be fully aware of their preferences. They also concluded that such preferences may not be influenced by pleasure or rewards.

The new research is important because it is the first study that has not involved the administration of cocaine or drugs that mimic cocaine to test the drug’s effects on the brain. The research shows that preference may extend to abstract, non-pharmacological stimuli.

The study also highlights the need for simultaneous neuroimaging studies to examine the brain structures that are affected by the choices made among individuals addicted to cocaine.

Results from this study indicate that similar tactics could be used to test the effectiveness of addiction treatment and understand the underlying choice process that the brain employs when making decisions about using drugs and other substances.

The research was presented at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
With the high level of relapse among individuals treated for cocaine addiction, neuroimaging may be very helpful in understanding how the brain responds to certain images before and after treatment, and again at a follow-up period.