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Scientists discover brain mechanism behind nicotine withdrawal

Scientists have uncovered a specific brain mechanism that drives nicotine withdrawal symptoms, according to a study published in the journal *Nature*. The research, conducted by teams from the University of California, San Diego, and the Salk Institute, focused on the habenula, a small region in the brain known to be involved in aversion processing. They found that during nicotine withdrawal, there is an increase in the activity of neurons in the medial habenula, which leads to a reduction in dopamine levels, contributing to the negative mood and anxiety experienced by individuals trying to quit smoking. This discovery was made possible by observing the behavior of mice engineered to mimic nicotine addiction and withdrawal. The study suggests that targeting this neural pathway could lead to the development of more effective treatments for nicotine addiction by alleviating withdrawal symptoms, potentially increasing the success rate of smoking cessation efforts.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/science/general/scientists-discover-brain-mechanism-behind-nicotine-withdrawal/ar-AA1ySiVK ]