The Agency's Posts

'Bent' Review: A Charming Addition To NBC's Comedy Roster: This is the time of year when networks begin clearing out old inventory in preparation for the....
Read More>

'Titanic 3D':: Billy Zane was supposed to be talking about "Titanic" but he digressed a bit:....
Read More>

Madonna keeps pop crown: Despite a few lackluster reviews -- and a very public feud with house producer Deadmau5....
Read More>

'Game Of Thrones' Premieres To Massive Ratings: Second season premiere of 'Thrones' far outpaces Sunday night rivals 'Mad Men' and 'The Killing'....
Read More>

The Chocolate Diet?: Frequent chocolate eaters tend to weigh less, a new study found. Chocolate may not be as....
Read More>

'Hunger Games' Wins Box Office: Earns $61.1M, Bests 'Wrath Of The Titans': LOS ANGELES -- "The Hunger Games" is still the first item on the menu for movie....
Read More>

Country Music Awards: The 47th Academy of Country Music Awards became a mini-reality show of its own on Sunday in Las....
Read More>

SAG and AFTRA members give thumbs up to merger: Creating Hollywood's largest entertainment union, members of the Screen Actors Guild and the....
Read More>

Stuff actors think but don't say: Shit Actors Think But Don't Say from Alison Brie
Read More>

This year, It's IDOL chasing THE VOICE: A couple of weeks ago on “The Voice,” during one of the battle rounds, Adam Levine....
Read More>

FRUGAL-NOMICS: Budgeting on an irregular income: The AGENCY was recently introduced to BRANDYZE, who's 'resourceful-living' website,....
Read More>

DARK SHADOWS: On set with Tim Burton: Reporting from London — There’s a night and day difference between the soundstages....
Read More>

Putting the app in therapy: Smartphone applications offer to help lift your mood. Your smartphone: It's not just for....
Read More>

An armory of costumes for 'Wrath of the Titans': In a Hollywood obsessed with futuristic CG effects, Simon Brindle does things the old-school....
Read More>
How Tanning Changes the Brain
Posted on: 03/18/12
Share/Save/Bookmark
 The brains of frequent tanners may be similar to those of addicts.


People who frequently use tanning beds experience changes in brain activity during their tanning sessions that mimic the patterns of drug addiction, new research shows.

Scientists have suspected for some time that frequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation has the potential to become addictive, but the new research is the first to actually peer inside the brains of people as they lay in tanning beds.

What the researchers found was that several parts of the brain that play a role in addiction were activated when the subjects were exposed to UV rays. The findings, which appear in the coming issue of the journal Addiction Biology, may help explain why some people continue to tan often despite awareness about risks such as skin cancer, premature aging and wrinkles.

“What this shows is that the brain is in fact responding to UV light, and it responds in areas that are associated with reward,” said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and an author of the study. “These are areas, particularly the striatum, that we see activated when someone is administered a drug or a high-value food like sugar.”

Despite all the public warnings about skin cancer, tanning remains as popular as ever, with nearly 30 million Americans tanning indoors every year, and more than a million visiting tanning salons on an average day. Frequent users say they simply enjoy the way they look with darker skin.

But in recent years, scientists also began to wonder whether deliberately ignoring the potentially lethal side effects of regular UV exposure was a sign that the motivation for frequent tanners was more than skin-deep. Could habitual tanning be an addictive behavior?

A study in 2005 did show that a large proportion of sunbathers met the psychiatric definition of a substance abuse disorder, based on their answers to a variation of a test often used to help diagnose alcohol addiction.

But Dr. Adinoff and his colleagues decided to go a step further. They recruited a small group of people from tanning salons who said that they liked to tan at least three times a week and that maintaining a tan was important to them. The frequent tanners agreed to be injected with a radioisotope that allowed researchers to monitor how tanning affected their brain activity.

On one occasion, the study subjects experienced a normal tanning session. But on another occasion, the researchers used a special filter that blocked only the UV light, although the tanners weren’t told of the change.

Brain images later showed that during regular tanning sessions, when the study subjects were exposed to UV rays, several key areas of the brain lighted up. Among those areas were the dorsal striatum, the left anterior insula and part of the orbitofrontal cortex – all areas that have been implicated in addiction. But when the UV light was filtered out, those areas of the brain showed far less activity.

The researchers also found evidence that the tanners appeared to know — on a subconscious level, at least — when they had undergone sham tanning sessions and not received their usual dose of UV rays. The tanners, questioned after each session, expressed less desire to tan after the real sessions, indicating they had gotten their fill. But on days when the tanners were unknowingly deprived of the UV rays, their desire to tan after the session remained as high as it was before the session began.

“They all liked the session where they got the real UV light,” said Dr. Adinoff. “There was some way people were able to tell when they were getting the real UV light and when they were not.”

Dr. Adinoff said the research suggests that some people appear addicted to tanning, a finding bolstered by the fact that many longtime tanners have a difficult time stopping or even just cutting back on tanning sessions. He said the research was inspired by a colleague, based on her experiences with dermatology patients.

“She approached me because of her concern about young adults who were coming to see her with these beautiful bronze tans,” he said. “And she would cut out skin cancers, and they would immediately go back to tanning.”

COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal