TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment for drug
addiction is affected by a person's genetic makeup and the
duration of substance abuse, U.S. scientists report. A research
team at the Brookhaven National Laboratory found that drug
addicts who have a certain genetic makeup have lower gray matter
density -- and therefore fewer neurons -- in areas of the brain
that are important for decision-making, self-control, learning
and memory. "This research shows that genes can influence the
severity of addiction," study co-author Nelly Alia-Klein, a
medical scientist, said in a Brookhaven news release. "The
results suggest that addicted individuals with low MAOA
[monoamine oxidase A] genotype may need a different kind of
treatment than other addicted individuals who carry the high
MAOA genotype." She said that additional study is needed before
treatment strategies should change. "However, addiction
treatment professionals and others who manage addicted
individuals, such as probation officers and judges, should be