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Monday, April 7, 2014

An Acupuncture Mechanism for Treating Drug Addiction

Mechanism of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Drug Addiction

The neurochemical and behavioral evidence showed that acupuncture's role in suppressing the reinforcing effects of abused drugs takes place by modulating mesolimbic dopamine neurons. Also, several brain neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, opioid and amino acids including GABA have been implicated in the modulation of dopamine release by acupuncture. These results provided clear evidence for the biological effects of acupuncture that ultimately may help us to understand how acupuncture can be used to treat abused drugs.

Sources: Chae Ha Yang, Bong Hyo Lee, Sung Hoon Sohn: A Possible Mechanism Underlying the Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Drug Addiction, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008;5(3):257-266. 

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