Teen Brain Might Get Hooked Easier on OxyContin

HealthDay, September, 2008 by Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter

Adolescents -- or at least adolescent mice -- are more likely than adults to become addicted to OxyContin, a widely prescribed opioid painkiller.

The authors of a study published Sept. 10 in Neuropsychopharmacology believe this may have to do with adolescents' heightened sensitivity to the "high" brought on by the drug.

But this in no way should be taken to mean that the drug, whose generic name is oxycodone, does not have a legitimate place in pain management.

"It's a proven research fact that people who use opioids, which are the most effective pain-relieving medication, on a regular basis do not get addicted and do not abuse them," said Anna Ratka, chair and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the Texas A&M Health Science Center's Irma Lerma Rangel College...

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