A B.C. neuroscientist has received a $2.5-million grant to research magnetic stimulation to treat substance-use disorders.
Nanaimo含羞草研究社檚 Travis Baker, an assistant professor at Rutgers University-Newark, is working with robot-assisted transcranial magnetic stimulation technology to alter the brain含羞草研究社檚 response to addictive substances.
The technology applies precisely directed magnetic pulses to alter the brain含羞草研究社檚 reward-response circuitry. It targets the anterior cingulate cortex 含羞草研究社� the portion of the human brain that, when stimulated, releases dopamine, the hormone which produces the sense of well-being and pleasure and motivation to repeat the behaviour.
In cases of addiction, that part of the brain can become hyper-stimulated and create an overwhelming desire to seek out the addictive substance or behaviour.
含羞草研究社淸It] is really sensitive to these drug cues, so it creates this bias in the system含羞草研究社卟菅芯可鐫 Baker said. 含羞草研究社淲e know that [transcranial magnetic stimulation] has the ability to increase and decrease neural activity 含羞草研究社� so if it has potential to do that, would I be able to increase and decrease reward-related activity?含羞草研究社�
The $2.5 million grant from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse 含羞草研究社� part of the National Institutes of Health 含羞草研究社� will cover two phases of Baker含羞草研究社檚 research over five years. The first phase of the grant will help him fine-tune the targeting of the system to optimize the stimulation or inhibiting of the reward response.
The second phase will test the method on smokers by applying stimulation while they perform a task for a monetary reward, then replaying the scenario, but applying an inhibiting protocol when they perform a task for a drug-related reward. Baker hopes to reverse the smokers含羞草研究社� bias to a preference for money over nicotine.
含羞草研究社淭he whole point of this grant is to try and figure out where on the surface of the skull 含羞草研究社� or circuits of the brain 含羞草研究社� to put this current,含羞草研究社� he said.
He sees the potential for the results of his work, not as a stand-alone cure for addiction, but as an additional aid in treatment.
Baker was 22 when he decided his future wasn含羞草研究社檛 working in sawmills or oil rigs where he含羞草研究社檇 been working, and to go to university to follow his longtime passion for psychology and the sciences.
He graduated from Vancouver Island University with a bachelor含羞草研究社檚 degree in psychology in 2004 before moving on to University of Victoria where earned his masters degree in science and his PhD in cognitive neuroscience in 2012. He did post-doctoral work at the Montreal Neurological Institute until 2016 when he went to the U.S. to search out opportunities to continue his research and is now an assistant professor at Rutgers University-Newark含羞草研究社檚 Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences.
含羞草研究社淚 found a really good position here at Rutgers University,含羞草研究社� Baker said. 含羞草研究社淚 was able to start up my own lab and get all the toys I wanted to carry on with the research that I含羞草研究社檇 been doing up to that point.含羞草研究社�
He said his inspiration for the work came through someone close to him who has suffered from drug addiction, and he has always been interested to read about philosophy, the human brain and similar subjects. It was in his first semester studying psychology at VIU that he realized he was where he belonged and he set about learning and absorbing as much as he could 含羞草研究社� he credits professors Tony Robertson and Elliott Marchant with guidance that helped set him on his career path.
This summer, Baker he hopes to return home to Vancouver Island to visit his family whom he hasn含羞草研究社檛 been with since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a nice place to be,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 miss the Island, that含羞草研究社檚 for sure.含羞草研究社�
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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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