Addiction News and Research

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Chronic overeating plays fundamental role in obesity epidemic

The causes of obesity are complex and individual, but it is clear that chronic overeating plays a fundamental role. But when this behaviour becomes compulsive and out of control, it is often classified as "food addiction" - a label that has generated considerable controversy, according to a McMaster University psychiatrist and obesity researcher.

23 Dec 2009

Researchers mix active drug and placebo to maximize drug benefits for efficient treatment

Researchers used the placebo effect to successfully treat psoriasis patients with one quarter to one half of their usual dose of a widely used steroid medication, according to an early study published online today in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

23 Dec 2009

Bourbon causes a worse hangover than vodka

Many alcoholic beverages contain byproducts of the materials used in the fermenting process. These byproducts are called "congeners," complex organic molecules with toxic effects including acetone, acetaldehyde, fusel oil, tannins, and furfural. Bourbon has 37 times the amount of congeners that vodka has. A new study has found that while drinking a lot of bourbon can cause a worse hangover than drinking a lot of vodka, impairment in people's next-day task performance is about the same for both beverages.

19 Dec 2009

BDSI's BEMA Buprenorphine Phase 2 study meets primary efficacy endpoint

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. announced that the primary efficacy endpoint was achieved in the Company’s Phase 2 pain study assessing the efficacy and safety of BEMA Buprenorphine. The positive results follow BDSI’s March 2009 announcement of favorable Phase 1 study results.

17 Dec 2009

CIHR experts offer suggestions for stress-free holiday

The holiday season is synonymous with joy, family and sharing, but it can also mean anxiety, melancholy and illness. With the recent economic downturn and the H1N1 pandemic, many Canadians are facing higher stress levels, sleepless nights and health problems.

17 Dec 2009

Roche's P2X3 receptor program for chronic pain licensed to Afferent Pharmaceuticals

Roche announced today it has licensed its P2X3 receptor program aimed at developing first-in-class treatments for chronic pain to Afferent Pharmaceuticals. Afferent was co-founded by Anthony Ford, Ph.D., Pappas Ventures, and Third Rock Ventures, and is focused on developing compounds that treat chronic pain by targeting a novel biological pathway.

16 Dec 2009

TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

A gene involved in some forms of intellectual disability has been identified by scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as published this month in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The gene is called TRAPPC9.

16 Dec 2009

Also in Global Health news: Drug trafficking in Kenya; violence in S. Sudan; Uganda bill; sleeping sickness

Drug trafficking and use are fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, according to a recent report by the U.N. Security Council, the Nation reports. "A statement from the council's Presidency currently … states that Afghan heroin was being imported, causing a dramatic increase in heroin addiction and spreading HIV/AIDS in the slums of Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya's two main cities," the newspaper writes.

15 Dec 2009

Proposed national alcohol policies emphasise economic benefits of alcohol trade and positive health impacts

A recent comparison of proposed national alcohol policies in Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Botswana shows that the drinks industry has assumed a significant and detrimental role in designing national alcohol policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

15 Dec 2009

More support for FDA ban on flavored cigarettes

New research showing that thrill-seeking teenagers are especially susceptible to fruit-flavored cigarettes is in line with the recent ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2009. According to the FDA, the ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking, which is the leading preventable cause of death in America.

15 Dec 2009

HealthEast Mental Health and Addiction Services receives $800,000 charitable gift by V.K. Arrigoni Foundation

HealthEast Mental Health and Addiction Services premier program is the beneficiary of an $800,000 charitable gift by V.K. Arrigoni Foundation. This generous gift gives chemically dependent patients, without insurance or who are underinsured, access to the HealthEast inpatient services at St. Joseph's Hospital in downtown St. Paul and outpatient services at both St. Joseph's Hospital and St. John's Hospital in Maplewood.

15 Dec 2009

Study provides new insight on teens’ addiction to drug abuse

It is common knowledge that smoking is a health risk but why do teens become addicted to smoking more easily than adults? In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000 Biology, Neil Grunberg looks into why adolescents are more prone to substance abuse.

14 Dec 2009

CAMH offers tips for holiday-related stress

The holiday season is filled with festivities and family gatherings, but for some people this season can also be very stressful. Sometimes we need help to cope or stay safe and healthy.

13 Dec 2009

Researchers identify individualized treatments for pathological gambling

Pathological gambling can be successfully treated with medications that decrease urges and increase inhibitions, according to researchers at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

10 Dec 2009

Tobacco prevention and cessation programs: States cut funding by more than 15%

The states are collecting record amounts of revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but have cut funding for programs to reduce tobacco use by more than 15 percent in the past year, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

10 Dec 2009

ACNP 2009 to feature research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction

The 2009 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting will feature innovative research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction.

10 Dec 2009

New protein discovery may serve as potential marker of drug addiction

Scientists are adding additional brush strokes to the revolutionary new image now emerging for star-shaped cells called astrocytes in the brain and spinal cord. Their report, which suggests a key role for astrocytes in morphine's ability to relieve pain and cause addiction, appears online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

10 Dec 2009

Rats exposed to passive smoking become dependent on nicotine, reveals study

Rats passively exposed to tobacco smoke become dependent on nicotine, according to a new study by Dr. Adrie Bruijnzeel and colleagues from the University of Florida in the US. Their findings of how rats' brains respond to exposure to tobacco smoke have implications for the study of the effects of tobacco smoke on the human brain even from passive exposure to other smokers, and for future studies testing new treatments for tobacco addiction. Their work has just been published online in Springer's journal Psychopharmacology.

9 Dec 2009

Discovery of new compounds may dispel cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction

Sarah Steele and Langtian "Ren" Yuan were both self-admittedly inexperienced Duke freshmen in the spring of 2006. But then they followed helpful directions of an assistant chemistry professor, added their own patience and ingenuity, and ended up identifying compounds that might allay the powerful cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction.

9 Dec 2009

Most antidepressant medications raise serotonin levels and miss key target of clinical depression

A key brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - is highly elevated during clinical depression yet is unaffected by treatment with commonly used antidepressants, according to an important study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study has important implications for our understanding of why antidepressants don't always work.

9 Dec 2009

Addiction News and Research

Chronic overeating plays fundamental role in obesity epidemic

Researchers mix active drug and placebo to maximize drug benefits for efficient treatment

Bourbon causes a worse hangover than vodka

BDSI's BEMA Buprenorphine Phase 2 study meets primary efficacy endpoint

CIHR experts offer suggestions for stress-free holiday

Roche's P2X3 receptor program for chronic pain licensed to Afferent Pharmaceuticals

TRAPPC9 as gene may be associated with intellectual disability world-wide, scientists identify

Also in Global Health news: Drug trafficking in Kenya; violence in S. Sudan; Uganda bill; sleeping sickness

Proposed national alcohol policies emphasise economic benefits of alcohol trade and positive health impacts

More support for FDA ban on flavored cigarettes

HealthEast Mental Health and Addiction Services receives $800,000 charitable gift by V.K. Arrigoni Foundation

Study provides new insight on teens’ addiction to drug abuse

CAMH offers tips for holiday-related stress

Researchers identify individualized treatments for pathological gambling

Tobacco prevention and cessation programs: States cut funding by more than 15%

ACNP 2009 to feature research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction

New protein discovery may serve as potential marker of drug addiction

Rats exposed to passive smoking become dependent on nicotine, reveals study

Discovery of new compounds may dispel cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction

Most antidepressant medications raise serotonin levels and miss key target of clinical depression

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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