Addiction News and Research

RSS

Addiction experts seek to understand why people engage in 'extreme' drinking

It's a health crisis often hidden in plain sight. While binge drinking behaviors -- drinking alcohol to a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08% or higher -- have been studied before, relatively little research has focused on people's behaviors and the consequences surrounding "extreme" drinking, or drinking alcohol to a blood alcohol concentration level of more than 0.16%.

7 Apr 2021

Majority of Americans with resolved drug problem report significant personal achievements

Addiction is associated with social exclusion, loss of access to resources, and general disengagement from civic life.

6 Apr 2021

New mini-microscope enables imaging of complex brain functions in freely moving mice

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering and Medical School have developed a unique head-mounted mini-microscope device that allows them to image complex brain functions of freely moving mice in real time over a period of more than 300 days.

5 Apr 2021

Mice study points to a promising treatment for relieving colitis pain without side effects

A targeted opioid that only treats diseased tissues and spares healthy tissues relieves pain from inflammatory bowel disease without causing side effects, according to new research published in the journal Gut.

31 Mar 2021

A brain signature predicts compulsive cocaine-seeking behavior in rats

A team of neurobiologists at the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université) has just shown that within a population of rats it can predict which will become cocaine addicts.

31 Mar 2021

Neuroscape Psychedelics Division at UCSF to advance psychedelics research and therapies

Psychedelics research in support of brain health is getting a major boost this month with the formation of the Neuroscape Psychedelics Division at the University of California, San Francisco.

30 Mar 2021

Strengths-based approach may attribute to positive outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder

One of the biggest longitudinal research studies of its kind in the world led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) suggests that positive outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more common than previously thought.

30 Mar 2021

Naloxone can save lives but stigma is preventing its use among newly abstinent opioid users

Opioids are the main driver of fatal drug overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in 46,802 deaths in 2018, usually because the person stops breathing.

26 Mar 2021

Anabolic-androgenic steroids can have deleterious effects on the brain

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), a synthetic version of the male sex hormone testosterone, are sometimes used as a medical treatment for hormone imbalance. But the vast majority of AAS is used to enhance athletic performance or build muscle because when paired with strength training.

25 Mar 2021

Study reveals the incidence of structural abnormalities in the developing brain

A large study of brain MRI scans from 11,679 nine- and ten-year-old children reviewed by UC San Francisco neuroradiologists identified potentially life-threatening conditions in 1 in 500 children, and more minor but possibly clinically significant brain abnormalities in 1 out of 25 children.

22 Mar 2021

Inherited behaviors, traits that appear during adolescence may be related to adult cannabis use

While some youth experiment with marijuana but don't go on to long-term use, others develop a problematic pot habit that continues into adulthood.

22 Mar 2021

Habitual gamblers use already proven strategies to maximize rewards

In their pursuit of maximum reward, people suffering from gambling disorder rely less on exploring new but potentially better strategies, and more on proven courses of action that have already led to success in the past.

18 Mar 2021

Online platforms can increase drug overdose

HSE University researchers together with specialists from the Humanitarian Action Charitable Fund (St. Petersburg) and the University of Michigan School of Public Health (USA) studied the specifics of remote work with Russian people who use drugs to reduce the harm of drug use.

16 Mar 2021

Study uncovers how the brain learns from subconscious stimuli

Researchers uncovered for the first time what happens in animals' brains when they learn from subconscious, visual stimuli. In time, this knowledge can lead to new treatments for a number of conditions.

15 Mar 2021

The boom in out-of-state telehealth threatens in-state providers

When the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation began offering telehealth services in Montana in early February, the nation's largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider promised quality care for far-flung residents without their even having to leave home.

15 Mar 2021

Researchers explore brain network differences between autistic and neurotypical control males and females

Around three times as many males are diagnosed with autism than females. This suggests that biological sex factors may play a role in the development and presentation of autism.

13 Mar 2021

New BCGA guidance outlines the dangers posed by laughing gas

National trade body, British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA), has produced new guidance outlining the dangers posed by abuse of nitrous oxide.

11 Mar 2021

Recuperation spaces help reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations among homeless individuals

A new study shows that providing a non-acute care space after hospital discharge for patients with COVID-19 who are experiencing homelessness helped reduce hospitalizations and keep inpatient beds available for those requiring acute care.

10 Mar 2021

Study highlights the 'clear benefit' of using e-cigarettes daily to quit smoking

A new study published Tuesday 10 March, No Smoking Day, from King's College London highlights the 'clear benefit' of using e-cigarettes daily in order to quit smoking, and supports their effectiveness when compared to other methods of quitting, including nicotine replacement therapy or medication.