Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published a new study today that reveals an area of the brain that has the ability to regulate the urge to consume opiates, which act as pain relievers.
According to Kan, the researchers found among laboratory animals that activation of the nerve cells in a specific area of the brain, called the claustrum, decreased the consumption of a painkiller called fentanyl, while the paralysis of those cells resulted in an increase in the consumption of the drug.
The claustrum area of the brain is a small and thin structure located under the cerebral cortex and is connected to a large number of areas in the cerebral cortex and other areas of the brain.
In a series of experiments, it was clearly found that the claustrum is a target for intervention in fentanyl addiction, since it regulates the urge to consume it in laboratory animals.