This 2X2 design experiment shows the resting state of the fMRI scan of the same five protracted abstinent Heroin addicts one hour after receiving an acute dose of Placebo or NAAT. The scan represents the effect of an acute dose of NAAT on the caudate-accumbens-putamen brain region. Notice in the blue circles that there is a strong activation of the dopamine reward site. Moreover, NAAT induced a “normalization” of the putamen region-purple circles. It is hypothesized that NAAT caused dopaminergic agonistic activation of dopamine D2 receptors promoting enhanced reward and normalization (Modified: Liu et al. [unpublished]; Blum et al. 2011).
