Addiction News

June 12, 2024

Top Headlines

Myelination in the Brain May Be Key to 'Learning' Opioid Addiction

June 5, 2024 — Scientists have found that the process of adaptive myelination, which helps the brain learn new skills, can also promote addiction to ...

Internet Addiction Affects the Behavior and Development of Adolescents

June 4, 2024 — Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new ...

Tiny Worm Helps Uncover Long-Lasting Prenatal Effects from Amphetamines

May 30, 2024 — During pregnancy, the effects of therapeutical doses of amphetamine have been investigated on birth outcomes in humans. However, a thorough investigation of the mechanisms underlying the long-term effects of embryonal exposure to addictive doses of ...

Psychedelic Drug-Induced Hyperconnectivity in the Brain Helps Clarify Altered Subjective Experiences

May 23, 2024 — A new study shows that the use of psilocybin, a compound found in the widely known 'magic mushrooms,' initiates a pattern of hyperconnectivity in the brain linked to the ego-modifying effects and ...

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Could Taking Certain Drugs Reduce Risk of Ruptured Brain Aneurysm?

June 5, 2024 — A new study suggests that people who take a few common drugs may have a decreased risk of having a bleeding stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. The results do not prove that these drugs reduce ...

Exercise Spurs Neuron Growth and Rewires the Brain, Helping Mice Forget Traumatic and Addictive Memories

May 20, 2024 — Researchers have found that increased neuron formation and the subsequent rewiring of neural circuits in the hippocampus through exercise or genetic ...

Researchers Say Future Is Bright for Treating Substance Abuse Through Mobile Health Technologies

May 8, 2024 — Despite the high prevalence of substance abuse and its often devastating outcomes, especially among disadvantaged populations, few Americans receive ...

Faster Approach for Starting Extended-Release Naltrexone to Treat Opioid Use Disorder Shown Effective

May 8, 2024 — Starting people with opioid use disorder on extended-release, injectable naltrexone (XR-naltrexone) within five to seven days of seeking treatment is ...

A Common Pathway in the Brain That Enables Addictive Drugs to Hijack Natural Reward Processing

Apr. 18, 2024 — Researchers have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that allows cocaine and morphine to take over natural reward processing ...

A Deep Dive Into the Genetics of Alcohol Consumption

Apr. 5, 2024 — Some people have genes that protect them from alcohol abuse. An examination of databases at 23andMe reveal that those same alcohol-protective variants have associations with conditions and behaviors ...

Even Moderate Alcohol Usage During Pregnancy Linked to Birth Abnormalities

Apr. 2, 2024 — Researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter ...

Risk Factors for Faster Aging in the Brain Revealed in New Study

Mar. 27, 2024 — Researchers have used data from UK Biobank participants to reveal that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution and alcohol intake are the most harmful out of 15 modifiable risk factors for ...

Mar. 27, 2024 — The couple that drinks together might live longer together, too, says a University of Michigan ...

Low Social Status Increases Risk of Health Problems from Alcohol Problems

Mar. 20, 2024 — Men and women with lower income or education levels are more likely to develop medical conditions related to alcohol abuse compared to similar individuals with a higher socioeconomic status, ...

Unregulated Sales of a Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Endanger Public Health

June 10, 2024 — Americans' interest in a potentially harmful 'magic mushroom' is soaring, according to a new study. The scientists suggest that the growing market for Amanita muscaria may be sparked ...

Methods to Quit Smoking Effective Regardless of Mental Health History

June 4, 2024 — Researchers conducted a survey to study how mental health relates to methods people use to quit smoking, also known as smoking cessation aids. While the number of adults who smoke cigarettes has ...

New Study Highlights Significant Increases in Cannabis Use in United States

May 23, 2024 — A new study assessed cannabis use in the United States between 1979 and 2022, finding that a growing share of cannabis consumers report daily or near-daily use and that their numbers now exceed those ...

Understanding Youth Nicotine Use to Prevent Initiation and Escalation

May 1, 2024 — Using multiple nicotine products can be associated with higher levels of nicotine dependence among youth and increased mortality in adults, compared with the use of one product alone. Researchers ...

Crackdown on Illicit Drugs Detects Rise in 'Designer' Drug Substitutes

Mar. 25, 2024 — As authorities crack down on illicit drugs, experts have issued an alert on the use of the synthetic stimulant pentylone, as new research finds a 75% increase in detections across ...

Laws That Punish Drug Use During Pregnancy Likely Lead to Worse Health Outcomes for Families, Study Finds

Mar. 18, 2024 — Contrary to some claims, laws that criminalize or otherwise punish drug use during pregnancy are more likely to worsen rather than improve health outcomes. The study is the first to systematically ...

Delta-8-THC Use Reported by 11% of 12th Graders in 2023

Mar. 12, 2024 — Approximately 11% of 12th-grade students across the United States reported past-year use of delta-8- tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, or delta-8 for short), according to an analysis of data from ...

'Study Drugs' Set the Stage for Other Drug Use and Mental Health Decline

Mar. 11, 2024 — Taking 'study drugs' like Adderall without a diagnosis is not only dangerous in itself, but can lead to other drug use and a decline in mental health, according to new ...

Link Between Adversity, Psychiatric and Cognitive Decline

Mar. 1, 2024 — Scientists have been examining the relationship between childhood adversity, and psychiatric decline as well as adult adversity and psychiatric and cognitive ...

Continued Cocaine Use Disrupts Communication Between Major Brain Networks

Feb. 28, 2024 — New research provides new insights into the brain processes underlying cocaine addiction. The findings are crucial for developing new therapeutics and identifying an imaging marker for cocaine use ...

Cannabis Use Linked to Increase in Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

Feb. 28, 2024 — More frequent use of cannabis was associated with higher odds of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, finds new ...

Modifying Brain Molecule Relaxin-3 Can Potentially Reduce Side Effects in Treating Anxiety, Depression and More

Feb. 20, 2024 — A team of researchers has found a potential way to treat conditions like depression and anxiety with fewer side ...

New Study Reveals Dynamic Impact of Nicotine on Brain Regions Responsible for Reward and Aversion

Feb. 13, 2024 — A new study sheds light on the intricate interplay of brain regions involved in nicotine's effects on the human ...

A Closer Look at Cannabis Use and Binge Eating

Feb. 13, 2024 — New research examined how often people experiencing binge eating are also using cannabis recreationally, and whether patients who use cannabis experience more severe eating disorder symptoms or ...

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs May Be Linked to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Feb. 7, 2024 — The drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may also be associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study does not prove that erectile dysfunction ...

Researchers Uncover Potential Non-Opioid Treatment for Chronic Pain

Jan. 31, 2024 — A new approach to treating neuropathic pain is making a key step forward. Neuropathic pain is among the most difficult types of pain to alleviate and current treatments are often ineffective. ...

Removing Largest Serving Sizes of Wine Decreases Alcohol Consumption, Study Finds

Jan. 18, 2024 — Across 21 licensed premises in England, removing the largest individual serving size of wine from the menu reduced the volume of wine sold, according to a new ...

Reduced Drug Use Is a Meaningful Treatment Outcome for People With Stimulant Use Disorders, Study Shows

Jan. 10, 2024 — Reducing stimulant use was associated with significant improvement in measures of health and recovery among people with stimulant use disorder, even if they did not achieve total abstinence. This ...

Scientists Give New Insight Into a Molecular Target of Alcohol

Jan. 8, 2024 — By investigating a molecule in the brain tied to cellular communication, scientists uncover important information about the proteins that do -- and do not -- influence alcohol drinking ...

Drugs Used to Treat Type 2 Diabetes Reduce Alcohol Cravings, Use in Individuals With Obesity

Jan. 8, 2024 — An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol ...