I was listening to the podcast of this On Being episode this morning and get to wondering about its application to addiction treatment and recovery. (The first 15 minutes or so cover the really relevant concepts.) The interviewee is Adele Diamond, an educator, researcher and scientist who focuses on early childhood and the role of executive … Continue reading Recovering executive function
Tag: executive function
Cognitive performance of opioid maintenance vs. abstinence
A new study finds lower cognitive functioning in maintenance patients compared with abstinent former users. It also found no difference between methadone patients and buprenorphine patients. Background To compare the cognitive performances of maintenance patients (MAIN), abstinent ex-users (ABST) and healthy non-heroin using controls (CON). Methods Case control study of 125 MAIN (94 … Continue reading Cognitive performance of opioid maintenance vs. abstinence
a thousand pasts and no future
"Choose [your memories] carefully. Memories are all we end up with ... You'll have a thousand pasts and no future." --The Secret Behind Their Eyes (film) A friend shared this On Point episode with me and made a connection between it and resentments. This matter of appropriate, helpful, deliberate forgetting is very fascinating. We've talked before … Continue reading a thousand pasts and no future
Top Posts of 2011 #12 – Addiction redefined
The American Society of Addiction Medicine has issue a new definition of addiction. The short version good, but the long version is REALLY good. Here are some of the new elements, some of them are followed by my responses: Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Nothing new … Continue reading Top Posts of 2011 #12 – Addiction redefined
Willpower
Steven Pinker reviews a new book titled Willpower: What is this mysterious thing called self-control? When we fight an urge, it feels like a strenuous effort, as if there were a homunculus in the head that physically impinged on a persistent antagonist. We speak of exerting will power, of forcing ourselves to go to work, … Continue reading Willpower
Addiction redefined
The American Society of Addiction Medicine has issue a new definition of addiction. The short version good, but the long version is REALLY good. Here are some of the new elements, some of them are followed by my responses: Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Nothing new … Continue reading Addiction redefined
Cultivating executive function
A few months ago I was listening to this episode of Being on an education researcher who believes that the development of executive function should be a central focus in classroom education. The conversation was fascinating and I kept thinking that this could represent an important developmental task in early recovery and treatment. (We know … Continue reading Cultivating executive function
Addiction and free will
This one slipped by me late last year. It offers a great description of the neurobiological processes involved in addiction. It also tries to tackle frequently neglected questions about free will and addiction. All of this is great, but the description of the client with a "secondary" addiction and their intervention (rather, the absence of … Continue reading Addiction and free will
Pediatric Ritalin Use May Affect Developing Brain, New Study Suggests
A new study identifies neurochemical changes from ritalin use: Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. The study is among the … Continue reading Pediatric Ritalin Use May Affect Developing Brain, New Study Suggests
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