Opioids News and Research

RSS

An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Study finds large racial/ethnic differences in use of medication for OUD during pregnancy

Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic women with opioid use disorder are significantly less likely to receive or to consistently use any medication to treat their opioid use disorder during pregnancy than their white non-Hispanic counterparts, according to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital.

27 May 2020

Majority of people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside use cannabis for therapeutic reasons

Most people at high risk of overdose in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside who use cannabis do so for pain relief and other therapeutic reasons--and they may be at lower risk of overdosing on opioids as a result, suggests new research published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.

26 May 2020

Legal Cannabis hemp oil helps reduce chronic neuropathic pain in mice

Researchers examine the effectiveness of consuming hemp oil extracted from the whole Cannabis plant using a chronic neuropathic pain animal model.

20 May 2020

New study may eliminate dangerous side effects of drugs used for treating various conditions

Psychedelics such as LSD and magic mushrooms have proven highly effective in treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorders, but medical use of these drugs is limited by the hallucinations they cause.

20 May 2020

A minimally invasive approach to managing pain without opioids

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin (UW) are adopting a minimally invasive, safer approach to electrically treating pain directly at the source as part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.

19 May 2020

Biomechanical footwear reduces pain associated with knee osteoarthritis

Wearing shoes specifically designed with a novel sole (biomechanical footwear) significantly reduces the pain associated with knee osteoarthritis.

12 May 2020

Brief intervention effective in preventing increased and riskier drug use

Individuals who used drugs occasionally reported less use six months after a motivational interview with a health professional, while individuals who did not receive the intervention reported more use.

11 May 2020

Study: Scant proportion of hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder receive treatment

Despite a national opioid-related overdose epidemic that continues to claim tens of thousands of lives annually, a new nationwide study shows that a scant proportion of hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder receive proven life-saving medications both during and after they're discharged.

8 May 2020

Study: Financial incentive can dramatically increase physicians’ training in opioid treatment medication

A new study shows that a financial incentive can dramatically increase the number of emergency department physicians trained to prescribe a potentially life-saving medication that prevents patients from fatal opioid overdose.

6 May 2020

Long-term buprenorphine treatment can improve health care outcomes

A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that long-term buprenorphine treatment is associated with improvements in health care outcomes.

6 May 2020

The medical consequences of anabolic-androgenic steroid use in men

A paper published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, provides a careful analysis of the medical consequences of anabolic-androgenic steroid use in men.

30 Apr 2020

Pharmacy-level barriers limit treatment for opioid use disorder in Appalachian Kentucky

A new study led by University of Kentucky researcher April Young and Emory University researcher Hannah Cooper shows that a number of pharmacies in the Appalachian region of Kentucky are limiting the dispensing of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.

28 Apr 2020

Lawmaker pushing mental health reform: It’s ‘more needed than ever’

During the first week of school closures in San Jose, state Sen. Jim Beall's office received more than a dozen phone calls from distressed parents and caregivers.

28 Apr 2020

Researchers develop new method for remotely stimulating activity in deep brain regions

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed a promising method for remotely stimulating activity in deep brain regions, advancing understanding of how molecules act in the brain and paving the way for better cancer treatments and therapies for other diseases.

27 Apr 2020

Gut microbiome influences pattern of activation in rat’s brain during opioid addiction

When Sierra Simpson was in college, she was sick for a year with recurring fevers and vomiting. Her doctors couldn't figure out what she had. Suspecting a bacterial infection, they tried treating her with high doses of antibiotics.

27 Apr 2020

Study: Multidimensional approach works best for tackling nonmedical drug use

Health practitioners are constantly developing new ways to help those with drug and alcohol addictions wean themselves from their substance of choice.

25 Apr 2020

Vaping, opioid addiction accelerate coronavirus risks, says NIDA director

In 2018, opioid overdoses claimed about 47,000 American lives. Last year, federal authorities reported that 5.4 million middle and high school students vaped. And just two months ago, about 2,800 cases of vaping-associated lung injuries resulted in hospitalizations; 68 people died.

24 Apr 2020

Coronavirus crisis opens access to online opioid addiction treatment

Opioid addiction isn't taking a break during the coronavirus pandemic.

23 Apr 2020

Antibiotics linked to increased risk of opioid abuse

Taking antibiotics alongside opioids may increase the risk of opioid abuse, according to research in rats recently published in eNeuro.

22 Apr 2020

Mason receives $500,000 USDA grant to implement Rural Opioid Telehealth Project

The George Mason University College of Health and Human Services has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement the Rural Opioid Telehealth Project, which will serve an estimated 177,000 rural, low-income residents of Virginia and West Virginia.

21 Apr 2020