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Chinese herbal medicine is effective in treating some addictions using, for example, aural acupuncture. Its application outside of China is limited due to a lack of clinical trials and 'scientific' evidence. U'finer(TM) is one of the first herbal remedies to undergo clinical trials, and is so far demonstrating a remarkable ability to improve brain function, restore physical health and enhance recovery from opiate addiction. The drug's pioneer Dr Wei Wang explains his methods and the drug's unique ability to treat the body and mind.
Little is known about the effects of heroin on brain function.Animal studies show that dopamine neurotransmission is reduced in the striatum (an area of the brain associated with movement and learning) during opiate abstinence in rats. Clinical studies also show that long-term opioid use can affect blood flow patterns in the brain. Lasting decrements in living human brain dopamine density have also been found in studies of methamphetamine and methcathinone users.
More detailed studies conducted in post mortem show that dopaminergic activity and dopamine transporter (DAT) levels are decreased in the nucleus accumbens (area of the brain associated with reward, pleasure and addiction) of chronic heroin users. Recently, imaging of DAT with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shown brain changes of patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and chronic substance dependence.
Using modern technology such as SPECT and the radiotracer 99mTc-TRODAT-1 my research team conducted 'Neuroimaging Studies of Brain Corpus Striatum Changes among Heroin Dependent Patients Treated with Herbal Medicine, U'finer(TM) Capsule'.
Sample
We selected 21 healthy right-handed1 volunteers and 43 heroin-dependent patients.All 21 volunteers were in good general health as reported from physical and nervous examinations. None had a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
The patient group consisted of 43 heroindependent patients with a 2-11 year history of heroin addiction.There was no significant age difference between patient and control groups.
The patient group underwent physiological detoxification for more than 10 days and...