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Knowing when and how to taper off opioid dosage crucial to safe pain management

Many healthcare providers today try to avoid administering or prescribing opioid pain medications when possible because of the narcotics' addictive properties. But for some patients, opioid medications remain the most effective, most appropriate treatment for their subjective pain complaints.

20 Sep 2019

Review highlights medication underuse in the treatment of opioid use disorder

Though research shows that medication-assisted treatment can help people who are addicted to opioids, the three drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are underused, according to a review of current medical data on opioid addiction in the U.S.

19 Sep 2019

Teenage vaping rate doubles in two years

A new study has found that teenage vaping rates have doubled, revealing the largest recorded increase for 44 years.

19 Sep 2019

Camouflaged vaping devices are hoodwinking parents and schools

In yet another twist for worried parents: Meet the vaping hoodie. This high school fashion mainstay — defined by a hood with drawstrings — is now available as a vaping device, ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. Including in the classroom.

19 Sep 2019

Doctors and nurses with addictions often denied a crucial recovery option

Dr. Wesley Boyd, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, has spent years working with state programs that help doctors, nurses and other health care workers who have become addicted to opioids get back on their feet professionally.

19 Sep 2019

Alarming number of life-threatening heart infections related to drug abuse

As the nationwide opioid epidemic continues, more young people are developing a life-threatening heart infection that can result from drug abuse.

18 Sep 2019

UVA leads statewide effort to fight opioid crisis

The University of Virginia School of Medicine is leading a statewide effort to battle the opioid crisis and reduce the number of people dying from it.

18 Sep 2019

Social isolation in adolescence disrupts brain development, mice study shows

Female mice housed alone during adolescence show atypical development of the prefrontal cortex and resort to habitual behavior in adulthood, according to new research published in eNeuro.

From Society for Neuroscience 17 Sep 2019

Positive childhood experiences can negate harmful health effects in traumatized children

New research shows just how important positive childhood experiences are for our long-term health -- especially for those who experience significant adversity as a child.

17 Sep 2019

New study identifies focus points to prevent opioid overdose deaths

A new study identifies specific locations where medication and harm reduction services for people with opioid use disorder should be available in order to have the greatest impact on reducing opioid overdose deaths.

16 Sep 2019

Vapers seek relief from nicotine addiction in — wait for it — cigarettes

Lucas McClain started smoking cigarettes in high school but switched to vaping after he heard e-cigarettes were a safer alternative.

13 Sep 2019

Reducing opioid overdose risk in incarcerated women after prison release

More than 75 percent of incarcerated women in Oregon's state prison system require treatment for a substance use disorder.

11 Sep 2019

Teens with severe opioid use disorder can be treated with medications

Teens who misuse prescription or illicit opioids might benefit from opioid treatment medications, according to a new study led by a Yale researcher.

11 Sep 2019

Developing next generation treatment to counteract opioid addiction

There are many moments in the human experience when tragedy elicits not only compassion, but inspiration. When Mike Zhang heard the story of a mother whose son died of an opioid overdose just one month after the teenager's introduction to the drug at a party, the Virginia Tech researcher wanted to help.

11 Sep 2019

Scientists unveil key brain cells that suppress drug cravings

Illicit drug use has been linked to disability, death, and the risk for many diseases. But more, it is associated with risks to the person’s family, friends, and the community.

10 Sep 2019

Study offers hope for people suffering from chronic pain

When you experience severe pain, like breaking or shattering a bone, the pain isn't just felt at the sight of the injury.

9 Sep 2019

Study finds alarming risk for people coming off chronic opioid therapy

With a huge push to reduce opioid prescribing, little is known about the real-world benefits or risks to patients.

6 Sep 2019

Mesh electronics could make brain stimulation the new therapeutic norm

Implantable brain electrodes have been around for quite some time now, both for diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric conditions like Parkinson’s disease. However, one limitation of conventional probes is their size and rigidity, compared to the soft, gelatinous consistency of the brain.

6 Sep 2019

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Waiting for the Trump health plan

President Donald Trump has been promising to reveal a new health plan since early this year. That hasn't happened yet. Now, there is a debate about whether having a plan for Democrats to criticize would help or hurt the president's campaign.

5 Sep 2019

Social networking sites addiction reduces nurses' performance

Addiction to social networking sites reduces nurses' performance and affects their ability to concentrate on assigned tasks, according to a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

5 Sep 2019