(July 14, 20159 Challenging the idea that addiction is
hardwired in the brain, a new UC Berkeley study of mice suggests that even a
short time spent in a stimulating learning environment can rewire the brain’s
reward system and buffer it against drug dependence.
Scientists tracked cocaine cravings in more than 70 adult
male mice and found that those rodents whose daily drill included exploration,
learning and finding hidden tasty morsels were less likely than their
enrichment-deprived counterparts to seek solace in a chamber where they had
been given cocaine.
“We have compelling behavioral evidence that self-directed
exploration and learning altered their reward systems so that when cocaine was
experienced it made less of an impact on their brain,” said Linda Wilbrecht,
assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley and senior
author of the paper just published in the journal, Neuropharmacology.
By contrast, mice who were not intellectually challenged
and/or whose activities and diets were restricted, were eager to return to the
quarters where they had been injected with cocaine for weeks on end.