Becoming addicted todrugsorsexcauses change to the brain that can still be seen even after death . Aside from helping forensic researcher see out how their “ clients ” might have go and died , the implications of this discovery also shed light on why addicts find it so unmanageable to kick their habit , even if they ’ve been clean for a while .

When we indulge in highly pleasurable bodily process like have sex or taking drug , a protein calledFosBbecomes active in the region of the brain that make up the so - called reward circuit . After combining with other protein , FosB binds to receptor site that encourage the grammatical construction of certain neural genes , which in turn change the action of the relevant nerve cell .

However , previous studies have depict that when people developaddictions , the constant stress placed on FosB cause it to undergoepigenetic change , meaning its familial grammatical construction becomes interpolate by the addition of certain molecule to its DNA . As a result , it ferment into a slightly different protein known as DeltaFosB.

This is in particular dangerous because DeltaFosB is more stable than FosB , so it persists in the brain for a longer period . Consequently , it produces much longer - lasting changes in neural activity , which is what leads to craving and dependency .

In a new study that appear in theJournal of Addiction Research and Therapy , a team of scientists examined the brains of 15 recently asleep heroin addicts , and regain that DeltaFosB could still be check in the mastermind regions responsible for for pleasure and memory nine 24-hour interval after decease .

They surmise that it may die hard for even longer in live subjects , which sheds some light on why recover addicts so often continue to feel craving even after they have discontinue using a drug , and why so many at last relapse .

Study co - author Monika Seltenhammer explained in astatementthat this could have logical implication for the ontogeny of raw scheme to treat those attempt to get over an addiction . “ If the addictive craving persists in the brain for month , it is very significant to allow for draw out after - care and corresponding psychological documentation , ” she say .