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New study shows that menstrual cycle may have an effect on nicotine cravings

The menstrual cycle appears to have an effect on nicotine cravings, according to a new study by Adrianna Mendrek of the University of Montreal and its affiliated Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.

5 Jan 2015

Elements Behavioral Health acquires Park Bench Group Counseling

Elements Behavioral Health, a leading nationwide provider of addiction and mental health treatment programs, announced today that it has acquired Park Bench Group Counseling, located in Southeastern New Jersey.

31 Dec 2014

Overeaters Anonymous offers support for people struggling with food addiction

It's that time of year again – another New Year, another New Year's resolution. For many people, dealing with compulsive eating issues and the pressure to shed unwanted weight, the New Year can often be a stress trigger that leads to guilt, depression, embarrassment and even more eating and unwanted pounds.

30 Dec 2014

Intriguing small molecule directs activity of key ‘clock proteins’

In research published in Nature Communications, Thomas Burris, Ph.D., chair of pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University, reports intriguing findings about a small molecule that directs the activity of key "clock proteins," offering the potential to manage circadian rhythm and treat problems that are associated with its dysfunction, like sleep and anxiety disorders.

24 Dec 2014

Eating habits and brain chemistry: an interview with Dr Kevin Hall

Several times every day, we choose when, where, what, with whom, and how much to eat. Many of these eating decisions have become automatic and don’t require cognitive effort.

22 Dec 2014

Study explores prevalence of Internet addiction and its effect on quality of life

Internet addiction is an impulse-control problem marked by an inability to inhibit Internet use, which can adversely affect a person's life, including their health and interpersonal relationships.

22 Dec 2014

Origins Behavioral Healthcare agrees to acquire two addiction treatment centers from Caron

A major deal in the substance abuse recovery industry will mean new treatment options for people struggling with addiction. Origins Behavioral Healthcare and Caron Treatment Centers announced today an agreement in which Origins will acquire two addiction treatment centers owned and operated by Caron: Hanley Center in West Palm Beach and Gate Lodge in Vero Beach, Fla.

21 Dec 2014

Secrets of success for pioneering research revealed

The British Pharmacological Society has announced the secrets of success for pioneering research along with the outcome of its annual 'Putting UK Pharmacology on the Map' vote. The vote selects sites of special scientific interest linked to achievements in pharmacology based on a ballot of MPs, peers and senior members of the scientific community.

18 Dec 2014

Emerging evidence suggests electronic cigarettes can help smokers quit

New Cochrane review finds emerging evidence that smokers who use electronic cigarettes can stop or reduce their smoking.

17 Dec 2014

New intervention combines social media with behavioral psychology to encourage more HIV testing

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can be valuable in the fight against HIV in the United States, where research has demonstrated they can prompt high-risk populations to request at-home testing kits for the virus that causes AIDS, suggesting a way to potentially boost testing rates.

17 Dec 2014

Methamphetamine use may increase Parkinson's disease risk

In addition to incurring serious dental problems, memory loss and other physical and mental issues, methamphetamine users are three times more at risk for getting Parkinson's disease than non-illicit drug users, new research from the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare shows.

17 Dec 2014

UR researchers on track to solve mystery of weight gain

University of Rochester researchers believe they're on track to solve the mystery of weight gain - and it has nothing to do with indulging in holiday eggnog.

12 Dec 2014

Researchers find that one in six Ontario adults reports a history of TBI

Nearly seventeen per cent of adults surveyed in Ontario said they have suffered a traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for five minutes or required them to be hospitalized overnight, according to new research. These same adults also reported more substance use, smoking and recent psychiatric distress.

11 Dec 2014

Laws limiting alcohol outlet density may reduce intimate partner violence

Communities with fewer places to buy or drink alcohol also tend to have lower rates of intimate partner violence, new evidence suggests.

11 Dec 2014

Research links increase in sudden cardiovascular death with consumption of cocaine

A joint piece of research conducted by the UPV/EHU, the Basque Institute of Forensic Medicine, and the Biomedical Research Centre Network into Mental Health of the Carlos III Institute of Health links, for the first time, the increase in sudden cardiovascular death with the recent consumption of cocaine. In people in the 19-49 age bracket this risk is quadrupled.

11 Dec 2014

E-cigarettes not as addictive as tobacco cigarettes

E-cigarettes appear to be less addictive than cigarettes in former smokers and this could help improve understanding of how various nicotine delivery devices lead to dependence, according to researchers.

10 Dec 2014

Novel drug target could lead to better antipsychotic medications

Scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have identified a novel drug target that could lead to the development of better antipsychotic medications.

10 Dec 2014

Doctors prescribe fewer opioids for pain as prescription drug abuse rises

Nine in 10 primary care physicians say that prescription drug abuse is a moderate or big problem in their communities and nearly half say they are less likely to prescribe opioids to treat pain compared to a year ago, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

9 Dec 2014

Cellular mechanisms of alcohol dependence: an interview with Dr Sanna, TSRI

In the brain there are both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. These are molecules that are released from nerve endings in the brain and in the periphery and either excite or inhibit other nerve cells, also known as neurons.

8 Dec 2014

New study finds that military culture enables use of tobacco for stress relief

Military culture perpetuates the notion that using tobacco provides stress relief, a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds. But other stress relievers, such as exercise or taking meditation breaks, could be more valuable and effective than smoking breaks and avoid the health risks of tobacco.

7 Dec 2014