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Speaker: Dr. Katia Gisling, Biochemist, PhD in Pharmacology at Saint Louis University (USA), Professor at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Member of the Chilean Academy of Sciences. November 2017 Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease characterized by the compulsive use of addictive substances despite their adverse effects. Regardless of their composition, it has been shown that all (addictive) drugs increase the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the regions of the brain related to motivation (reward system). This was announced by Dr. Katia Gisling - a specialist in stress and addictions - during the 5th Conference on Scientific Culture at the Andrés Bello University. On this occasion, she also referred to the risk factors, the neuro-molecular bases of the different addictions and their consequences, which have been recreated in various animal models. Research that the expert of course shared with the audience. Like the one that links alcohol consumption and neurogenesis, that is, with the generation of new neurons. “In the adult brain, we have very little generation of new neurons, but there is a very important area where this occurs called the hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area of the brain that is fundamental for our memory and our learning. And what this experiment showed is that there was a decrease in new neurons in those mice that were drinking alcohol excessively for more than eight weeks,” explained the academic.