Monday, March 20, 2006

Obsessing about Drugs

The notion that brain chemicals play a powerful -- but hidden -- role in human behavior is at odds with American convictions about free will and choice; but an article in the Washington Post this morning more than suggests that chemical changes, brought by certain prescribed drugs, can lead to impulsivity, and destructive obsessive compulsive behavior like pathological gambling.

New evidence unearthed by scientists at the Food and Drug Administration, Duke University and other centers are looking into the possibility that dopamine, which is associated with a host of addictive behaviors, may turn some patients into obsessive pleasure seekers.

In a related matter, AJOB guest bloggers Christina Persaud and Yang Liu, do an excellent post on the ethical issues relating to nootropic and brain enhancement drugs.

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