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.

Knowing opioid use following cesarean delivery can inform individualized prescriptions

Knowing the amount of opioids taken following cesarean section surgery and before discharge can inform individualized prescriptions and cut down on unnecessary, leftover pills that could be used for non-medical purposes, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

9 Mar 2020

New route for total synthesis of tetrodotoxin

In Japan, puffer fish is considered a delicacy, but the tickle to the taste buds comes with a tickle to the nerves: fugu contains tetrodotoxin, a strong nerve toxin.

6 Mar 2020

Researchers identify mechanism that explains why women experience more pain than men

Imagine taking a pill to control your pain and, instead, the medication actually increases the pain you feel.

5 Mar 2020

New step towards the development of non-addictive painkillers

Opioid-containing painkillers are virtually indispensable in clinical practice and are typically used in postoperative patients and patients undergoing cancer treatment.

3 Mar 2020

New multipronged program helps surgeons reduce opioid prescriptions by two-thirds

Opioid prescriptions have been a known driver of the opioid epidemic, and it's now known that opioid prescriptions that last longer than five days are a risk factor for longer-term opioid use.

2 Mar 2020

Average age of first drug use among teens is rising, study shows

The average age at which teens and young adults start using drugs has been rising, according to a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

2 Mar 2020

New step-by-step framework to assist providers treating older patients with chronic pain

Pain management can be safely optimized with a plan that balances the risks and benefits of treatments, according to a commentary in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Treating chronic pain is best achieved when pharmacologic strategies and nondrug therapies are used at the same time.

2 Mar 2020

AI model can distinguish between types of back pain by scouring doctors' notes

Mount Sinai researchers have designed an artificial intelligence model that can determine whether lower back pain is acute or chronic by scouring doctors' notes within electronic medical records, an approach that can help to treat patients more accurately, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in February.

28 Feb 2020

Readers and tweeters dive into debate over ‘Medicare for All’

Your criticism about former Vice President Joe Biden’s "Medicare for All" cost estimates is spot-on but leaves out important savings.

28 Feb 2020

They fell in love helping drug users. But fear kept him from helping himself.

She was in medical school. He was just out of prison.

27 Feb 2020

New strategies to incorporate social determinants of health into patient records

Incorporating social determinants of health into a patient's health records is an area of significant interest for health systems, but many are finding the integration to be challenging.

26 Feb 2020

Opioid prescription for chronic non-cancer pain increased in the last two-and-a-half decades

The number of people with chronic non-cancer pain prescribed an opioid medicine worldwide increased in the last two-and-a-half decades.

25 Feb 2020

Proactive outreach can be an effective way to improve long-term opioid use disorder care

Proactive outreach, including knocking on the doors of individuals who recently overdosed on opioids, can be an effective way to engage more people who have opioid use disorder with long-term care, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

20 Feb 2020

Study: About 8% of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol few weeks before birth

About 8 percent of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol two to four weeks before birth, according to a new study.

20 Feb 2020

Levitating human blood may lead to faster, more reliable disease detection

New research from the UBC's Okanagan campus, Harvard Medical School and Michigan State University suggests that levitating human plasma may lead to faster, more reliable, portable and simpler disease detection.

20 Feb 2020

Fighting against treatment-resistant opioid use disorder

Similar to treatment resistant depression, there is a subpopulation of those addicted to opioids who do not respond to standard opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments.

19 Feb 2020

Scientists use toxin from rattlesnake venom for chronic pain

Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is the largest venomous snake in North America, reaching 8 feet and weighing up to 10 pounds. In the past, medical experts believe that the toxin in rattlesnake venom, crotoxin, is a promising compound for the treatment of chronic pain.

18 Feb 2020

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin.

16 Feb 2020

Coronavirus tests public health infrastructure in the heartland

Every weekday at noon since Jan. 27, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams gathers his outbreak response team for a meeting on coronavirus.

13 Feb 2020

No quick fix: Missouri finds managing pain without opioids isn’t fast or easy

Missouri began offering chiropractic care, acupuncture, physical therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for Medicaid patients in April, the latest state to try an alternative to opioids for those battling chronic pain.

13 Feb 2020

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Knowing opioid use following cesarean delivery can inform individualized prescriptions

New route for total synthesis of tetrodotoxin

Researchers identify mechanism that explains why women experience more pain than men

New step towards the development of non-addictive painkillers

New multipronged program helps surgeons reduce opioid prescriptions by two-thirds

Average age of first drug use among teens is rising, study shows

New step-by-step framework to assist providers treating older patients with chronic pain

AI model can distinguish between types of back pain by scouring doctors' notes

Readers and tweeters dive into debate over ‘Medicare for All’

They fell in love helping drug users. But fear kept him from helping himself.

New strategies to incorporate social determinants of health into patient records

Opioid prescription for chronic non-cancer pain increased in the last two-and-a-half decades

Proactive outreach can be an effective way to improve long-term opioid use disorder care

Study: About 8% of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol few weeks before birth

Levitating human blood may lead to faster, more reliable disease detection

Fighting against treatment-resistant opioid use disorder

Scientists use toxin from rattlesnake venom for chronic pain

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Coronavirus tests public health infrastructure in the heartland

No quick fix: Missouri finds managing pain without opioids isn’t fast or easy

Shaping the Future of Neuroscience: A Conversation with Atlas Antibodies on the MolBoolean™ and the Impact of SfN 2024

How the Arts Reshape Brain Function: Susan Magsamen on the Future of Neuroaesthetics

Inside the Alzheimer's Association: Dr. Heather Snyder on Driving Research and Collaboration

Latest News