Substance Abuse News and Research

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Exercise alters brain's dopamine system to help treat addiction, study finds

New research by the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions has identified a key mechanism in how aerobic exercise can help impact the brain in ways that may support treatment -; and even prevention strategies -; for addiction.

25 May 2018

Children and adolescents growing up in extreme societal conditions more likely to resort to violence

Children and adolescents who grow up with one or more of these environmental risk factors are likely to resort to violence, aggression and crime as adults, irrespective of an underlying mental illness.

24 May 2018

Opioid overdoses are rising faster among Latinos than whites or blacks. Why?

The tall, gangly man twists a cone of paper in his hands as stories from nearly 30 years of addiction pour out: the robbery that landed him in prison at age 17; never getting his high school equivalency diploma; going through the horrors of detox, maybe 40 times, including this latest bout, which he finished two weeks ago. He’s now in a residential treatment unit for at least 30 days.

17 May 2018

Study identifies factors associated with substance use treatment engagement

About 22 million Americans are substance dependent (illicit drugs and alcohol), which interferes with routine life and requires treatment. Yet, only 2.5 million of these Americans participate in treatment services.

17 May 2018

Reversing an overdose isn’t complicated, but getting the antidote can be

A few months ago, Kourtnaye Sturgeon helped save someone’s life. She was driving in downtown Indianapolis when she saw people gathered around a car on the side of the road. Sturgeon pulled over, and a man told her there was nothing she could do: Two men had overdosed on opioids and appeared to be dead.

16 May 2018

Study lays foundation for treating drug, alcohol addicts with noninvasive brain stimulation

In a study investigating the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation for drug addiction, researchers at Medical University of South Carolina are the first to demonstrate that the noninvasive brain stimulation technique can dampen brain activity in response to drug cues in chronic alcohol users and chronic cocaine users.

15 May 2018

Prenatal marijuana use can have consequences on infants' weight and behavior

Smoking during pregnancy has well-documented negative effects on birth weight in infants and is linked to several childhood health problems.

10 May 2018

Study determines delays and obstacles to getting treatment for substance use disorders

For patients with substance use disorders seen in the emergency department or doctor's office, locating and accessing appropriate treatment all too often poses difficult challenges.

9 May 2018

Research shows prevalence, health-care utilization, and costs of alcohol-related cirrhosis

More than one-third of cirrhosis cases are related to alcohol, a seven-year national study of more than 100 million privately insured people has found.

4 May 2018

Denial of mental health care contributes to greater suicide risk among transgender people

A study co-authored by Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Executive Director of the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy & Research at the Silver of Social Work at New York University, has found that transgender people who are denied access to mental health treatment experience a higher risk of substance abuse and attempted suicide.

3 May 2018

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has identified factors that may increase the risk of drug overdose in adolescents and young adults. In their report published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the researchers describe finding that more than a quarter of those seeking treatment at Addiction Recovery Management Service, an MGH-based outpatient substance-use-disorder treatment program for youth ages 14 to 26, had a history of at least one overdose.

24 Apr 2018

Women who find purpose and meaning in life less likely to have anxiety, study shows

People who feel in control of their lives and who find purpose and meaning in life are less likely to have anxiety disorders even when going through the toughest times, according to a study led by the University of Cambridge.

24 Apr 2018

New automated text messaging service may help combat opioid epidemic

A new automated text messaging service may curb opioid abuse and reduce the likelihood of relapse while also decreasing treatment costs, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Epharmix, a St. Louis-based digital health company.

17 Apr 2018

People with TBI have increased risk of developing dementia

Sustaining a traumatic brain injury is associated with an increased risk of developing both dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a nationwide study of 2.8 million people over 36 years, published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

12 Apr 2018

Smartphone addiction leads to high levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety

Smartphones are an integral part of most people's lives, allowing us to stay connected and in-the-know at all times. The downside of that convenience is that many of us are also addicted to the constant pings, chimes, vibrations and other alerts from our devices, unable to ignore new emails, texts and images.

11 Apr 2018

Substance Abuse News and Research

Exercise alters brain's dopamine system to help treat addiction, study finds

Children and adolescents growing up in extreme societal conditions more likely to resort to violence

Opioid overdoses are rising faster among Latinos than whites or blacks. Why?

Study identifies factors associated with substance use treatment engagement

Reversing an overdose isn’t complicated, but getting the antidote can be

Study lays foundation for treating drug, alcohol addicts with noninvasive brain stimulation

Prenatal marijuana use can have consequences on infants' weight and behavior

Study determines delays and obstacles to getting treatment for substance use disorders

Research shows prevalence, health-care utilization, and costs of alcohol-related cirrhosis

Denial of mental health care contributes to greater suicide risk among transgender people

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

Women who find purpose and meaning in life less likely to have anxiety, study shows

New automated text messaging service may help combat opioid epidemic

People with TBI have increased risk of developing dementia

Smartphone addiction leads to high levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety

Miniature injectable biosensor could offer continuous, long-term alcohol monitoring

Medicaid minus stigma: In Indian country, it’s part of the fabric of life

Staying alive: How to fight an opioid addiction

Study estimates economic costs of child sexual abuse in the U.S

Omissions on death certificates lead to undercounting of opioid overdoses

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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