Ep. 24 - Memory and the Neuroscience of Addiction

Humans naturally seek out novelty and new experiences, and for some people that can lead to drug addiction. Repeated exposure to drugs can create powerful, persistent memories, and these drug-related memories can lead to addictive behavior and relapse, even after years of sobriety.

In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Barbara Sorg talks about what happens in the brain when we have new experiences, evidence showing that drug addiction is a chronic brain disease, and how understanding the neuroscience of memories might help treat addiction. She also describes her own lab's work with using animal models of addiction to weaken memories associated with cocaine.

The talk Memory and the Neuroscience of Addiction was given at the Alberta Rose Theatre in December 2016.

Visit our website to see some of the pictures mentioned during the talk.

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Thanks to Graham Tully and Stephen Perry for sound production.

As always, a final thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song Mandelbrot Set as our theme music.