This is a brain scan of a healthy brain and someone with substance use disorder.
Dopamine receptors tuck away or hide when they see so much dopamine from drugs/substances. They will resurface or reappear during recovery.
- The Comparison Subject shows normal dopamine (D2) receptors with the red areas.
- 1 month image shows a much less vibrant red area, which is the dopamine receptors tucking away or hiding.
- The 4-month image shows the dopamine receptors beginning to reappear or resurface, which is what occurs during recovery.
Source
NIDA. 2020, July 13. Drug Misuse and Addiction. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction on 2023, August 12