The fundamental desire regulates human behavior and naturally aims at its own satisfaction. It is an important driving force for feeding and reproduction, but it can become a double-edged sword when it leads to the use of dangerous substances or becomes uncontrollable.
The technical term used to define this condition of uncontrollable desire is “craving” and it is used to indicate the urgent desire for substances that can cause physical or psychological addiction, such as food, especially high in fats and sugars, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and other drugs. However, craving can also be experienced in relation to behaviors that can cause intense excitement, such as gambling or excessive use of the Internet.
Is there a specific neurobiological configuration that exposes some people to the risk of falling prey to addiction, while others seem to be almost immune to it? Would it be a “biomarker” of addiction, a kind of neurobiological signal that could perhaps be useful for implementing prevention programs or monitoring the effectiveness of treatments?
Researchers have been able to identify the existence of a specific mode of hyperfunctioning that involves different brain structures, such as the insula, the amygdala, the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, some occipital areas, while, on the contrary, other areas, known for their role in both cognitive and emotional control, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex, are less active in those who tend to develop craving conditions. “We have arrived at this result by integrating data from five different cohorts.
We conducted three studies, with functional magnetic resonance imaging on people using different types of drugs, such as alcohol, cocaine, and cigarettes, and on people who did not use them, for a total of 479 images obtained from 101 participants. These individuals were presented with visual images of drugs and highly appetizing food during the studies.
Then, an artificial intelligence system was used to identify patterns of brain activity capable of predicting the intensity of craving.” The participants were also asked to imagine both the pleasure associated with drugs or food and the possible long-term consequences of their consumption.