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NEUROGENETIC AND EPIGENETIC CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENT PREDISPOSITION TO AND RISK FOR ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS AS A FUNCTION OF PREFRONTAL CORTEX DYSREGULATION.

As addiction professionals, we are becoming increasingly concerned about preteenagers and young adults’ involvement with substance abuse as a way of relieving stress and anger. The turbulent underdeveloped central nervous system, especially in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), provides impetus to not only continue important neuroimaging studies in both human and animal models, but also to encourage preventive measures and cautions embraced by governmental and social media outlets. It is well known that before people reach their 20s, PFC development is undergoing significant changes and, as such, hijacks appropriate decision making in this population. We are further proposing that early genetic testing for addiction risk alleles will offer important information that could potentially be utilized by their parents and caregivers prior to use of psychoactive drugs by these youth. Understandably, family history, parenting styles, and attachment may be modified by various reward genes, including the known bonding substances oxytocin/vasopressin, which effect dopaminergic function. Well-characterized neuroimaging studies continue to reflect region-specific differential responses to drugs and food (including other non-substance-addictive behaviors) via either “surfeit” or “deficit.” With this in mind, we hereby propose a “reward deficiency solution system” that combines early genetic risk diagnosis, medical monitoring, and nutrigenomic dopamine agonist modalities to combat this significant global dilemma that is preventing our youth from leading normal productive lives, which will in turn make them happier.

The term “Reward Deficiency Syndrome”(RDS) to describe addictive, impulsive disorders including alcoholism, attention deficit disorder, drug abuse and food bingeing, pathological gaming, internet addiction, sex addiction, having a common genetic basis acting as an umbrella term. See the below for a breakdown of these behaviors.

Addictive Behaviors

Impulsive Behaviors

Compulsive Behaviors

Personality Disorders

severe alcoholism

attention-deficit disorder

hyperactivity

aberrant sexual behavior

conduct disorder

polysubstance abuse

Tourette syndrome

Internet gaming

antisocial personality

smoking

autism

pathological gambling

aggressive behavior

obesity

 TREATMENT OPTIONSGiven that about 30% of us are born with genetically induced Low Dopamine brain function how can we overcome this survival variant of human nature and prevent excessive craving behavior?… Mark Gold, chairmen of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida, College of Medicine in Gainesville, accurately stated, “In spite of all the effort and progress made by the addiction community, as a whole it has failed to both comprehend and willingly incorporate well established, evidence-based medical modalities into treatment, especially as it relates to relapse prevention.” I am encouraged that for the first time in this millennium the addiction community is prepared to embrace newer scientific and clinically proven modalities. In this regard, the following areas must be adequately addressed by treatment providers going forward:

Genetic testing to determine risk for RDS
Safe and Effective non-addictive Dopamine Agonist known as Synaptamine (KB220Z) to activate Dopaminergic pathways in the brain…
To date, the bottleneck is that typical pharmaceutical agents that have activation qualities are too powerful and have profound contraindications and side-effects. The good news is that the Dopaminergic system can be safely & effectively stimulated with a patented natural, non-addictive Dopamine Agonist known as Synaptamine (KB220Z). Neuroimaging tools such as (qEEG, fMRI and PET) have been used to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of Synaptamine as a safe activator of brain reward Dopamine… (See La Vita Studies)

Ultimately, it should have benefits in the form of craving reduction, prevention of relapse, and quite possibly prevention of all RDS behaviors, especially in adolescents…

CONCLUSION

Finally, it should be stated just because you have a genetic predisposition does not mean you will automatically become an addict… As Steven Susman of the University of southern California points out, rather than being a victim to our genetic factors based on our DNA, RDS is highly impacted by environmental (epigenetic) factors affecting our RNA… The take home message is one is not doomed because of their genes to become addict, but definitely at high risk. This is why Synaptamine was invented so that a compound could possible reduce the cravings associated with RDS and other environmental and behavioral tool can be implemented so these genes are not activated or woken up.

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