A Memory Retrieval-Extinction Procedure to Prevent Drug Craving and Relapse - Assignment Example

A Memory Retrieval-Extinction Procedure to Prevent Drug Craving And Relapse This article examines drug intake and relapsesresulting from drug addictions. Xue’s study was initially conducted on rats, participating in eight experiments. The paper describes memory retrieval extinction process (Ecker, 2012). It describes the memory retrieval extinction process which reduces the conditioned drug results and seeking for drugs in model rats of drug craving for the abstemious addicts in heroin. This process, memory retrieval extinction has hopes in the future in non-pharmacological fields to lower cravings and drug relapses while undergoing abstinence. For the rats a daily retrieval from drug related memories at 10 minutes to an hour though not 6 hours earlier that the extinction session, attenuating drug originating reinstatements, spontaneous recoveries and further conditioned drug’s effects renewal and drugs seeking. For the heroin addicts, the retrieval on the drug-related memories at 10 minutes prior to the extinction period attenuated cue triggered heroin craves 1, 30 to 180 days after. A memory retrieval extinction process served to replicate the study to humans in lowering cravings and abstinences relapses (Ecker, 2012). The study’s aim was to recover heroin in-patient addicts. On the first day, it consisted of actual measuring of heroin craving using visual analogue scales where participants had to rate their cravings scaling from 1 to 10. The second day saw the addicts were devolved into three sets. The first group consisted of non memory retrieval-extinction subjects, the second, was formed from memory retrievals under 10 minute duration delays and extinction while the third and last group consisted of memory retrievals under 6 hours delays and extinction. Measurements on blood pressure and heart rates were also recorded for all the participants. So as to avail more evaluation on reactions to cues the measurements were taken before and after cue induction (Ecker, 2012). A 5 minute long, heroin related, video was also viewed by the participants during memory retrieval. While under the extinction process, they were further exposed to 3 cues that were correlated to heroin, drug paraphernalia, for 4 sessions. Both stages took place over a 2 consecutive days’ period. Following the extinction, the participants were requested to rate how they craved for heroin at that moment while measurements on blood pressures and heart rates were taken. Using visual analogue scales the crave levels were retaken in the 4th, 34th and 184th days. Xue’s study revealed that the above method and design was effective in lowering cue induced heroin craves though only for the group 2 participants. The study suggests that an extinction method may be successful in cases of recovering addicts to lower cravings where the timing window following the memory retrieval was short. The effects can be described as long lasting. This research may be generalized to male-heroin recovering addicts’ population, the sample observed represented several users of this drug and conducted in a treatment facility for drug users (Ecker, 2012). As for adequacy of the experimental design, control groups, and the procedures used, on the other side, this participants’ study was taken in China and thus the entire ability to generalize would be in some way limited due to the probable cultural variances. Therefore its sole reliability would be unfulfilling due to the use of the visual analogue scales. Participants may have falsified the data on the crave degrees although this was countered through objective data of blood pressure and heart rate to avoid affecting reliability. There lacks evidence of effectiveness against all addictions given that exposure was for the heroin addicts. This generates a basis for potential future analysis and studies in addiction treatments from non-pharmacological methods. It was also worth considering that all the participants had not been under the influence of opiates and for one month and at least 6 months for the other drugs, another reason for more research. It would be of greater purpose to observe the currently serving addicts instead of the quitting users. The methods and results support their conclusions considering that the study provided firm evidence heroin’s addiction in recovering users could actually be dealt with given the optimum degree of reliability warranting it as trustworthy. The participants’ sample allowed for generalization though addicts excluded from this study could be observed in future research. Entirely the research brought forward critical data that application of that treatment to cut the number of heroin users in a community that would positively impact on crime levels committed under heroin’s influence. However there should have been a consideration for a female control group, different cultures. A consideration for the truthfulness of the participants under the scale may need an alternative rating altogether if devisable. Just like any other experiments with human and other animal subjects raise ethical concerns, Xue’s study would be questioned on the how contended the participants were in the methodology used. Although heroin is illegal, the participants were subjected to administrative and extrajudicial detentions purposed to have research conducted on them. The intent of the research would also be questioned (Ecker, 2012). Was it for the benefit of human health or advancement into the drug cartels to eliminate chances of quitting? As for the paper’s impact on subsequent research in the area and the practical implications, it becomes obvious that future research will include different gender. Age groups might also be checked to observe advancements of different recovery time for different ages. Dependent on the duration that a former addict had been on the influence, it would only be right to observe the recovery possibilities for the addicts in advanced levels (Feldman, 2008). The ethical perspective in the prospected research ought to be considered. To counter the potential conflicts researches may encounter while protecting their sampled participants’ health from human right firms, they should consider being solely independent. Society based reviews and developing firm ethical operation principles are among the complementary and distinct strategies worth undertaking to protect participants and researchers. The overall benefit would be the actualization of means to cub drug addictions of all sorts above the one on observation, heroin. More research would look into creating a safer society for the future generations (Feldman, 2008). References Ecker, B., & Ticic, R. (2012). Unlocking the emotional brain: eliminating symptoms at their roots using memory reconsolidation. New York: Routledge. Feldman, R. S. (2008). Essentials of understanding psychology (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kallen, S. A. (2006). Heroin. Detroit: Greenhaven Press/Thomson Gale. Neuroeconomics: Decision Making and the Brain (2 Aufl. ed.). (2012). s.l.: Academic Press Inc. Read More