ADDICTION TIED TO BRAIN FLAW

A University of Iowa researcher says some people are prone to drug
addiction because of damage to a key part of the brain that controls
decision-making ability.

"The majority of people try alcohol and drugs at some point, and not
everyone becomes addicted," said Antoine Bechara, an assistant professor of
neurology. "It's not just the mere trying of drugs that makes you an
addict; it's a loss of behavioral control."

Researchers tested more than 100 subjects, a mix of addicts and nonaddicts.
The study found a strong link between damage to a part of the brain called
the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the most severe cases of drug addiction.

Bechara said the study might illustrate why some people have trouble
kicking their drug habits. Repeated lapses, he said, stem not only from
physical addiction but also from "a disease in their ability to make good
choices in judgment."

Drug addicts need specialized counseling and medication to correct their
decision-making deficiencies, Bechara said. Some medications being used on
addicts are ineffective because they block brain pathways, which can be
disruptive, he said.

Janet Zwick, director of the state Division of Substance Abuse and Health
Promotion, said the U of I study seems credible.

"I think the bottom line is, and this study proves, that we need to look at
individual people when we're providing treatment," she said.