“Futurists”: biochemistry exposes the risks of addictions in the adolescent brain

The biochemist Katia Gasling was this Friday in the fourth version of “Futuristas”, the side event of Congreso Futuro aimed at children and adolescents.
In a presentation made at the Mirador Interactive Museum (MIM) he spoke about how addictions work in the adolescent brain.
“James Olds was the one who gave the basic signals so that we knew that our behaviors are products of brain function. He is known as the father of modern neuroscience because he installed this valuable information. We know from their studies that our brains have a basic pleasure system that depends on neurons that are in the area of the ventral tegmentum and that use dopamine,” he explained in front of children and adolescents.
The professor of the Catholic University of Chile, started defining what an addiction is, “it is a chronic disease of the brain that is characterized by a compulsive use of drugs or addictive behaviors,” she said.
He also added that “there are numerous addictions that do not involve a drug, for example, video games, the compulsion to buy, overeating, there are many addictive behaviors.”
In that sense, he explained that the risk factors for addiction are age of onset and genetics.
“Most people who are addicted to cigarettes started smoking in their teens, very few people start later,” he explained.
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“The most significant change of the brain is not to increase the size, but to make the connectivity between neurons. The adolescent brain is wonderful, young people have very developed the pleasure system, however, the prefrontal cortex that has to do with our decisions does not develop well, does not make its connectivity until after 20 years. The grace of this is that studies have shown that there is an increase in adolescence to exposure in risk situations and those characteristics are what make it more sensitive to substance abuse or addictive behaviors, so there is a balance that must be taken care of a lot, “he told the attendees.
“Futuristas” was broadcast on the YouTube channel of Congreso Futuro and the social networks of Congreso Futuros, MIM and Explora. In addition, all material generated for the event will be hosted on the www.futuristaschile.cl website.

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Original source in Spanish