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Study uncovers how the brain flexibly switches communication routes

When we recall something familiar or explore a new situation, the brain does not always use the same communication routes.

16 Sep 2025

An HIV outbreak in Maine shows the risk of Trump’s crackdown on homelessness and drug use

Penobscot County, Maine, is grappling with the largest HIV outbreak in the state's history. Home to Bangor, a city of roughly 32,000, the county has identified 28 new cases over nearly two years.

16 Sep 2025

Researchers receive new funding to advance promising therapy for multiple sclerosis

A Canadian-led international research team, spearheaded by Dr. Fang Liu at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has received nearly $800,000 US ($1,137,868 CAD) in new funding to advance a promising therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS).

15 Sep 2025

Genetic study shows dual GIPR/GLP1R action curbs binge alcohol use

Researchers used drug-target Mendelian randomization to test whether genetically proxied activation of GLP1R and GIPR influences alcohol-related behaviors. They found that GIPR, especially when combined with GLP1R, was linked to lower binge and heavy drinking, healthier food preferences, improved liver markers, and reduced coronary artery disease risk.

15 Sep 2025

Study identifies thalamic pathway that reinforces alcohol seeking in withdrawal

What compels someone to keep engaging in alcohol use, even if it damages their health, relationships and wellbeing? A new study from Scripps Research offers an important clue: a small midline brain region plays a key role in how animals learn to continue drinking to avoid the stress and misery of withdrawal.

13 Sep 2025

Acupuncture improves pain and function in older adults with chronic low back pain

According to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), older Americans with chronic low back pain who received acupuncture had greater improvement in physical function and reduced pain than those who received usual medical care only, generally prescribed medications or physical therapy.

13 Sep 2025

Treating opioid use disorder during incarceration improves post-release outcomes

A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that individuals who received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) while incarcerated were significantly more likely to continue treatment six months after release than those who did not receive MOUD.

11 Sep 2025

Black adolescents in Canada face barriers to mental health care access

Black adolescents with mental distress are less likely to use mental health services than their White peers, and Black girls are the least likely to access care, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241733.

9 Sep 2025

Can gaming strengthen the brain’s attention pathways?

Research reveals structural brain differences in action gamers, with greater cortical thickness and connectivity in regions vital for visuospatial processing.

8 Sep 2025

Semaglutide may one day be used to treat cocaine addiction

A drug already prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity may one day be used to treat cocaine addiction. In animal studies, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found that semaglutide reduced both cocaine use and relapse.

5 Sep 2025

Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in blue states

The Trump administration is taking its immigration crackdown to the health care safety net, launching Medicaid spending probes in at least six Democratic-led states that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status.

5 Sep 2025

Too much caffeine may worsen stress for students hooked on studying

Findings suggest that caffeine intake can worsen anxiety and depression in students, emphasizing the need for balanced consumption and mental health support.

5 Sep 2025

Weight loss medication semaglutide reduces cocaine seeking behavior in animal study

Scientists have found that the diabetes/weight loss drug Semaglutide, sold commercially under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, significantly reduces cocaine-seeking behaviour in rats.

4 Sep 2025

California CA Bridge program expands opioid treatment across most emergency departments

A comprehensive study shows that California's CA Bridge program has successfully implemented opioid use disorder treatment services across more than 80% of the state's emergency departments, reaching over 165,000 patients and providing nearly 45,000 instances of buprenorphine treatment from July 2022 through December 2023 alone.

2 Sep 2025

Many pharmacies still do not stock buprenorphine despite eased prescribing rules

Faced with a worsening drug crisis, policymakers in recent years have made it much easier for doctors to prescribe the highly effective opioid addiction treatment buprenorphine.

2 Sep 2025

Medicaid expansion boosts access to opioid use disorder treatment

Medicaid plays a key role for giving people with opioid-use disorder access to treatment, according to a Rutgers Health study.

2 Sep 2025

New study supports personalized restart of methadone for opioid use disorder

A new study from University of Colorado Anschutz and Denver Health researchers, published today in JAMA Network Open, introduces a more individualized approach to restarting methadone treatment for people with opioid use disorder.

28 Aug 2025

Hormone therapy type may influence postmenopausal cognitive health

The type of estradiol-based hormone therapy taken during and after menopause, such as patches or pills, may be associated with differences in memory performance, according to a study published on August 27, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Aug 2025

Using cannabis to self medicate linked to higher risk of paranoia

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in partnership with the University of Bath, has found that the reasons why a person chooses to use cannabis can increase their risk of developing paranoia.

27 Aug 2025

Columbia study urges federal recognition of public health nurses

After 140 years of vital, often invisible service, public health nurses (PHNs) deserve formal recognition as a distinct occupation, says a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

27 Aug 2025

Addiction News and Research

Study uncovers how the brain flexibly switches communication routes

An HIV outbreak in Maine shows the risk of Trump’s crackdown on homelessness and drug use

Researchers receive new funding to advance promising therapy for multiple sclerosis

Genetic study shows dual GIPR/GLP1R action curbs binge alcohol use

Study identifies thalamic pathway that reinforces alcohol seeking in withdrawal

Acupuncture improves pain and function in older adults with chronic low back pain

Treating opioid use disorder during incarceration improves post-release outcomes

Black adolescents in Canada face barriers to mental health care access

Can gaming strengthen the brain’s attention pathways?

Semaglutide may one day be used to treat cocaine addiction

Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in blue states

Too much caffeine may worsen stress for students hooked on studying

Weight loss medication semaglutide reduces cocaine seeking behavior in animal study

California CA Bridge program expands opioid treatment across most emergency departments

Many pharmacies still do not stock buprenorphine despite eased prescribing rules

Medicaid expansion boosts access to opioid use disorder treatment

New study supports personalized restart of methadone for opioid use disorder

Hormone therapy type may influence postmenopausal cognitive health

Using cannabis to self medicate linked to higher risk of paranoia

Columbia study urges federal recognition of public health nurses

Lab Matters host Harriet Gould on building a more connected lab community

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

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