New York, April 22: Researchers have found that activity in decision-making brain regions of people who use recreational stimulants can predict who will discontinue their use and who will develop a drug use disorder.
The findings of the study, led by Martin Paulus of Laureate Institute of Brain Research in Oklahoma, suggested that an inability to learn from previous risky decisions in some people may predispose them to continue drug use despite the negative consequences.
"Our sample of recreational users offers a unique approach to studying addiction," said first author Melanie Blair, a doctoral student in the laboratory of Jennifer Stewart of City University of New York.
"By finding differences between our groups prior to problematic use, our results suggest that certain brain patterns might be existing vulnerabilities that predispose an individual to addiction," Blair added.
For the study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, researchers used brain imaging to measure the activity of several brain regions involved in decision making in 144 young adults.
The study measured brain activity in young adults using recreational stimulants, including cocaine and the prescription amphetamines Adderall and Ritalin, and followed up three years later to determine the participants' outcome.
During the brain scans, the participants performed a task requiring them to make risky or safe decisions. Although all participants in the study were experimenting with stimulants at the time, some showed a tendency for making riskier choices.
"Compared to individuals who stopped using, those who later developed problem use were more reactive to rewards and showed weaker activity in regions of the brain that are critical for decision making," Blair said.
These participants had lower activity in a brain circuit that provides feedback on risky decisions, suggesting they might not be as good at adapting their behaviour-based on previous experiences, the researcher added.
Weaker brain activity in regions associated with decision making also predicted greater marijuana use in the future, they noted.
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Allahabad HC orders police protection to married couple apprehending 'honour killing'
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has granted protection to a married couple who expressed fear that they may be killed by the woman's family.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena on March 25.
"No individual can make an 'honour issue' out of a consenting adult marrying a person of their own choice. It is the state's duty to protect the life, limb, and property of such persons even against their own family members," the bench said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Prachi Agrawal and her partner, who sought relief in connection with an FIR filed under Section 87 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping, and abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage.
The couple submitted that they married at an Arya Samaj temple and possessed a marriage registration certificate issued under the Uttar Pradesh Marriage Registration Rules, 2017.
The petitioners alleged that the woman's family members were averse to their marriage and lodged a bogus FIR against them.
The couple further submitted a joint affidavit expressing apprehension of an honour killing by the woman's family.
The court said that a prima facie case was made out and issued notice to the private respondent and granted two weeks to file a counter-affidavit.
Meanwhile, as an interim measure, the court granted the petitioners protection from arrest.
The court also explicitly ordered the woman's family members and relatives not to harm the petitioners, enter their matrimonial home, or establish contact with them directly or through any electronic means.
The bench directed the Aligarh senior superintendent of police to ensure that no harm comes to the couple and posted the matter for hearing on April 8.
