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Intraoperative methadone offers promise to reduce need for pain medications during recovery

Patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery who are treated with methadone during the procedure require significantly less intravenous and oral opioids to manage postoperative pain, reports a new study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

24 Apr 2017

Scientists find that increased risk of psychosis from cannabis use is relatively low

The research, published in the journal, Addiction, also showed for the first time that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that for patients who already have schizophrenia, cannabis makes their symptoms worse.

20 Apr 2017

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Rather than being considered a miracle pill that magically takes away pain, prescription opioids are increasingly being seen as a precursor to heroin addiction and the cause of potentially deadly overdoses themselves.

19 Apr 2017

Cigarette accompanied by alcohol provides more pleasure to young adults than marijuana

Young adults get more pleasure from smoking cigarettes while they are drinking alcohol than they do while using marijuana, according to a new UC San Francisco study.

18 Apr 2017

Medication-assisted treatment reduces negative health outcomes for pregnant women with OUD

Medication for addiction treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine or methadone is an appropriate and accepted treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD), according to a research review and update in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

17 Apr 2017

Gambling addicts have poor ability to assess and adapt to high risk situations, fMRI study finds

You've been losing all night, and now another bad hand. So why raise? Gambling addiction is a mental disorder characterized by excessive risk-taking despite negative results. Scientific studies using functional MRI -- fMRI, a method of looking at active areas of the brain -- have previously shown that addicts have altered activity in brain regions related to risk and reward, making them prone to prefer risky choices.

17 Apr 2017

Study investigates differences between heavy and light drinkers

Heavy drinkers develop behavioral tolerance to alcohol over time on some fine motor tasks, but not on more complex tasks, according to a study led by a Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System researcher. While heavy drinkers showed less impairment than light drinkers on a rote fine motor test over time, they did not perform better on a test involving more short-term memory, motor speed, and more complex cognitive processing.

14 Apr 2017

Injection drug use linked to increase in immune activation, says researcher

The use of heroin and other illicit drugs has been shown to trigger a response from the body's immune system.

13 Apr 2017

Study finds depression and SUD to be strongest risk factors for prescription opioid overdose

Individuals suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) or depression are among those at highest risk for a serious prescription opioid overdose, according to a study published in Pain Medicine.

13 Apr 2017

Excessive smartphone use leads to social isolation and personal, workplace problems

Excessive smartphone use leads to problems, and females are especially susceptible to addiction, according to new research from Binghamton University- State University of New York.

12 Apr 2017

'Love hormone' could hold key to treating drug addicts, say experts

Experts say oxytocin, a key hormone made naturally by the brain, could hold the key to treating drug addicts and help them avoid relapse.

12 Apr 2017

Point/Counterpoint: Experts debate how to control exploding opioid epidemic

Two experts with opposing views squared off on the hotly debated topic of how best to control the exploding opioid epidemic in the U.S.- with increasing regulation of physician prescribing practices or by better educating patients and doctors.

12 Apr 2017

Researchers identify 26 novel genes linked to intellectual disability

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Queen's University have identified 26 new genes linked to intellectual disability. Currently most patients with intellectual disability receive no molecular diagnosis, which significantly affects their health and shortens their lifespan.

11 Apr 2017

Researchers design first light-activated drug for treatment of pain

A team of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona has participated in the design of the first light-activated drug -the JF-NP-26, for the treatment of pain, according to a research with animal models published in the journal eLife.

11 Apr 2017

Study reveals that 25% of women with prenatal opioid addiction are not being treated

A new study by Queen's University researcher Susan Brogly (Surgery) has revealed that 25 per cent of women suffering from a prenatal opioid dependence were not being treated for their addiction.

5 Apr 2017

X-ray study sheds new light on promising drug target

Researchers hope to design a new generation of drugs against an array of deadly diseases. The task, however, is costly, arduous and often ineffective. One of the key challenges is understanding a particular class of proteins adorning cell surfaces, which are the targets of the majority of pharmaceutical drugs.

5 Apr 2017

Hebrew University announces launch of new Center for conducting research on cannabinoids

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced the launch of a Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research.

5 Apr 2017

Oxytocin system may be key target for developing medications to treat opioid addiction

A new review of published research indicates that the oxytocin system—a key player in social reward and stress regulation—is profoundly affected by opioid use.

5 Apr 2017

Pharmaceuticalization of today’s sleep

The pharmaceuticalisation of sleep, put simply, refers to the ways in which sleep becomes a site for manipulation or augmentation through pharmaceutical use. There are different ways in which sleep can be pharmaceuticalised – for example we can use pharmaceuticals to induce sleep, to consolidate broken sleep, or to prevent or delay sleep.

4 Apr 2017

Noninvasive dTMS technique helps obese people lose weight by changing gut microbiota composition

A new study finds that a noninvasive electromagnetic brain stimulation technique helps obese people lose weight, partly by changing the composition of their intestinal bacteria—the so-called gut microbiota.

4 Apr 2017

Addiction News and Research

Intraoperative methadone offers promise to reduce need for pain medications during recovery

Scientists find that increased risk of psychosis from cannabis use is relatively low

How physicians can prevent opioid abuse while providing adequate pain relief

Cigarette accompanied by alcohol provides more pleasure to young adults than marijuana

Medication-assisted treatment reduces negative health outcomes for pregnant women with OUD

Gambling addicts have poor ability to assess and adapt to high risk situations, fMRI study finds

Study investigates differences between heavy and light drinkers

Injection drug use linked to increase in immune activation, says researcher

Study finds depression and SUD to be strongest risk factors for prescription opioid overdose

Excessive smartphone use leads to social isolation and personal, workplace problems

'Love hormone' could hold key to treating drug addicts, say experts

Point/Counterpoint: Experts debate how to control exploding opioid epidemic

Researchers identify 26 novel genes linked to intellectual disability

Researchers design first light-activated drug for treatment of pain

Study reveals that 25% of women with prenatal opioid addiction are not being treated

X-ray study sheds new light on promising drug target

Hebrew University announces launch of new Center for conducting research on cannabinoids

Oxytocin system may be key target for developing medications to treat opioid addiction

Pharmaceuticalization of today’s sleep

Noninvasive dTMS technique helps obese people lose weight by changing gut microbiota composition

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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