Essay Example: Comparison of Treatment Methods for Alcohol

The habit of drinking alcohol starts with the urge to reduce anxiety or induce euphoria. As a person is introduced to the cycle of alcoholism progresses from trial or experimentation and precedes to social drinking. With sustained and advancing social drinking, a person may progress to become an addict. At the point of addiction, a person loses control over his drinking. The person adopts a lifestyle that significantly revolves around drinking. Often alcohol addicts cannot control the effects of alcohol on their selves as individuals. Against their will, alcohol affects significant aspects of their lives including family, friends, work, spirituality, and finances. In extreme cases, all the spheres of life might be affected, but in most cases, at least sphere is seriously damaged (Bagshaw & Benar, 2010). As the social aspects of addiction take ground, a person genetic makeup is altered by alcohol. Since alcohol is a mind-altering substance, continued and sustained used restructures the biological makeup and conditions the person to adopt a cycle that adheres to a constant supply of alcohol. At the point where, one loses the ability to stop drinking at will, the person is regarded as an addict. Often, the significant others come in at that point and seek medical attention and rehabilitation services for the person.

To treat the diseases of addiction, experts in the field have been engaging in innumerable researchers are dedicated to determine the effects of alcohol, come up with responsive treatment programs and improve the exists methods. Medics have reinforced various treatment methods, and this paper seeks to discuss two of these methods. The focus is creating a comparison of the electroencephalographic (EEG) approach to the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in treating alcoholism (Moeller, Siniatchkin, & Gotman, 2013).

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

The FMRI uses the technology of neuroimaging to understand the neuropathology of alcoholism. The technology has various techniques and ranging from direct monitoring of the physiologic, biochemical and metabolic effects that alcohol causes in a person (Cunningham, 2008). Some techniques impact the extent of the effects that heavy alcohol intake causes especially to the brain structure and function.

Techniques of FMRI are based on the treatment model. It involves measurement of electromagnetic signals which are detectable over a radio antenna. The nuclei of endogenous molecules produce a strong magnetic field when placed in a magnetic field, and it becomes magnetic too. The technique then uses the magnet produced in the nucleus to create visual images within the cells for easier observation.

Often the technology utilizes signal that originates from signals of hydrogen in the water and examples include amino acids, lipids, and alcohol. The molecule is then tracked to observe metabolic activity in tissues, and for alcohol, the focus is on the brain. In this technique, there is no exposure to radioactive objects for tracking. The process can be repeated severally with the same participant as it doesnt pose any risks whatsoever on the subject. Therefore, the method is useful in tracking changes in a single individual over time.

The technique can be used to identify and characterize the effects of alcohol using various application. The use of direct measurement of alcohol present in the brain. Pharmacodynamics use this approach to track changes that happen in the brain only. Research indicates contradictory results and hence makes it questionable whether or not it is possible to measure the exact amount of alcohol in the brains using this method (Sakhai, Morisot, & Ron, 2017). Researchers provide possible explanation including the argument that some of the hydrogen nuclei in some ethanol molecules have characteristics that make them undetectable.

Researchers also may choose to assess the structural changes caused by chronic use of alcohol as compared to a brain that doesnt use alcohol. Effects are observed on specific parts of the brain including the hippocampus or corpus callosum (Ullsperger, 2010). Also, the general changes in the brain tissue and its size. Using fMRI, researchers measure the rate of blood flow in the brain and brain function. The observation may help track the brain activity when experiencing cravings.

Using the fMRI technology, it is possible to identify levels of alcohol in the brain, studying the brain function when under the influence of alcohol and identify changes in the brain structure that are caused by alcohol. With this information, treatment is enhanced and tailored to produce more successful results.

EEG Technology

In EEG, application of biofeedback is embrace to help patients with alcoholism diseases stay sober. It can also be used to treat alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. It is used as a reference guide to efficacy criteria proposed by experts in the field. EEG employs the concepts of alpha and theta training. Since alcoholism results in serious impairment of personas behavioral and cognitive functions. The impairment alters the brain activity that EEG detects.

The approach employs the use of indecent feedback passed to the patient using words and in low-frequency alpha and theta wave. The patient has their eyes closed as the procedure happens and they are slowly induced into a hypnagogic state. Often the patient is taught the amount and kinds of imagery to use once they in get absorbed into the comatose state. Such imagery would include a strong will to stay sober or holding on to happiness. A person is conditioned to be assertive, and the result indicates that EEG has recorded high levels of abstinence.

Comparison of EEG and fMRI

Both methods are meant for treatment of alcoholism. EEG has been recording high rates for alcohol patients and was tried on Marijuana patients but didnt record as much success. However, it is used for a patient will alcoholism and other co-occurring substance-related disorders. In EEG, the focus is on measuring electric potentials at the scalp originating from the electrical current originally. However, the taken after some time it measures generated an action potential. EEG measures a combination of currency from millions of neurons. The EEG contains high temporal resolutions which are used to realign the dependent frequencies and hence cause changes in cognitive processes and elicit a new waveform for various tasks. In the fMRI, measurements are focused on changes in blood flow in the neural activity (Ullsperger, 2010). The magnetic properties of oxygenated hemoglobin are distinct from the that of non-oxygenated hemoglobin. The changes can be traced by tracking the patterns as fired neurons increase. The extent to which distortion of the magnetic field occurs is measured using fMRI, and this captures the whole brains changing patterns.

References

Bagshaw, A. P., & Benar, C. (2010). Scanning Strategies for Simultaneous EEG-fMRI Recordings. Simultaneous EEG and fMRI, 85-94. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372731.003.0005

Cunningham, K. (2008). Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Why we like to drink: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the rewarding and anxiolytic effects of alcohol. F1000 - Post-publication peer review of the biomedical literature. doi:10.3410/f.1108243.564261

Moeller, F., Siniatchkin, M., & Gotman, J. (2013). Simultaneous EEG and fMRI Recordings (EEG-fMRI). fMRI, 269-281. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-34342-1_20

Sakhai, S. A., Morisot, N., & Ron, D. (2017). Altered sensitivity to the anxiolytic and rewarding properties of alcohol in mice which carry the BDNF valine 68 to methionine polymorphism. Alcohol, 60, 232-233. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.02.309

Ullsperger, M. (2010). EEG-Informed fMRI Analysis. Simultaneous EEG and fMRI, 153-160. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372731.003.0010