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Study reveals neural processes behind morphine's pain relief

In a study published in Science, researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe the neural processes behind how morphine relieves pain. This is valuable knowledge because the drug has such serious side effects.

29 Aug 2024

Massachusetts monthly gamblers report rising problems and negative attitudes

In the latest of three online gambling surveys conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, monthly gamblers in Massachusetts reported an increase in gambling intensity and gambling harms. In addition, their attitudes toward gambling have grown more negative.

29 Aug 2024

North Carolina's residential opioid treatment services lack evidence-based approaches

A new study of organizations that claim to provide residential opioid substance use services in North Carolina found that only 12% of the organizations were licensed by the state to provide residential substance use treatment. What's more, only about a quarter of the organizations even allowed patients to access the only treatment for opioid use disorder proven to reduce overdose deaths.

29 Aug 2024

Psychedelics: A new hope for substance abuse treatment

Study explores the history and current state of psychedelic research for treating substance abuse disorders, highlighting challenges like restrictive policies, lack of funding, and the need for recognition of traditional and modern therapeutic practices.

28 Aug 2024

Recreational drug users three times more likely to experience repeat cardiovascular events

New research presented at this year's ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (30 Aug – 2 Sept) shows that, among patients admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU), those with a recent history of recreational drug use are three times more likely than those with no history to experience a repeat serious cardiovascular event within one year.

28 Aug 2024

NIH funds study on psychedelics' potential to treat methamphetamine addiction

John McCorvy, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW); Adam Halberstadt, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Director of the UCSD Center for Psychedelic Research; and Kevin Murnane, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience and Director of Basic Science Research for the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSU Health Shreveport, were recently awarded a five-year, $2.4 million research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to uncover critical insights into how psychedelics could be used as a therapeutic to treat methamphetamine addiction.

27 Aug 2024

Public voices often ignored in states’ opioid settlement money decisions

The conversation wasn't sounding good for Kensington residents on June 20. The Philadelphia neighborhood is a critical center of the nation's opioid crisis, and the city had decided to spend $7.5 million in opioid settlement money to improve the quality of life there.

27 Aug 2024

Renewed interest in psychedelics as potential addiction therapies

After years of being seen as dangerous "party drugs," psychedelic substances are receiving renewed attention as therapies for addiction -- but far more research is needed, according to a new special series of articles in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, published at Rutgers University.

26 Aug 2024

Study highlights mental health benefits of COVID-19 vaccination

Findings indicate COVID-19 vaccination reduces mental health illness incidence, particularly among those with prior mental health issues and older adults.

26 Aug 2024

GPePV neurons identified as key players in controlling cocaine addiction behaviors

Researchers examine how GPePV cells regulate cocaine-induced behaviors through interactions with ventral tegmental area dopamine cells.

25 Aug 2024

Trump drastically inflates annual fentanyl death numbers

Former President Donald Trump claimed at a recent campaign rally that more than 300,000 Americans are dying each year from the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl, and that the number of fentanyl overdoses was the "lowest" during his administration and has skyrocketed since.

23 Aug 2024

Exploring opioid prescription trends in chronic cough treatment

Chronic cough, with symptoms lasting more than eight weeks, affects approximately one in 10 adults. Cough is among the most common reasons for seeking medical care in the United States, yet chronic cough is difficult to treat. One of the largest studies of chronic cough and one of the first to explore the use of opioids, which are known to suppress cough, to treat these patients, has found that 20 percent of patients with chronic cough received a prescription for a cough suppressant containing an opioid.

23 Aug 2024

Playing video games for a couple of hours a day can improve mental health

Researchers investigate the impact of video gaming on psychological health in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

22 Aug 2024

The lingering mental health effects of severe COVID-19

A new study that examined health data on 18 million people reveals a higher incidence of mental illnesses for up to a year following severe COVID-19 in unvaccinated people. Vaccination appeared to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental illnesses. The University of Bristol-led study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on August 21st, 2024, investigated associations of COVID-19 with mental illnesses according to time since diagnosis and vaccination status.

22 Aug 2024

Exploring the impact of xylazine on wound care needs

The animal tranquilizer xylazine is increasingly found in the illicit opioid supply nationwide, leading to severe wounds among people who use drugs. New research led by a University of Pittsburgh physician-scientist and published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence seeks to understand the wound care experiences of this population.

22 Aug 2024

Simplified smoking test proves reliable for predicting abstinence in cancer patients

Data from nearly 6000 smokers with cancer show that it may be easier to predict who will stop smoking than was previously thought.

20 Aug 2024

Harris-Walz ticket sharpens contrast with Trump-Vance on health care

Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate is making health care a front-burner issue in the final sprint to the November presidential election.

19 Aug 2024

NIH initiative empowers Native American communities in public health research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a program that will support Native American communities to lead public health research to address overdose, substance use, and pain, including related factors such as mental health and wellness.

15 Aug 2024

Study shows how segregated communities face challenges in filling OUD medications

Patients with a prescription for an opioid use disorder medication may have a tough time getting it filled if their pharmacy is in a community that's racially and economically segregated, according to a new study led by scientists at Oregon State University and Johns Hopkins University.

14 Aug 2024

Study reveals how salt-based nicotine and menthol flavors influence e-cigarette use in young adults

Study found that salt-based nicotine and menthol flavoring in e-cigarettes significantly increase nicotine levels and positive experiences among young adults, potentially heightening addiction risks.

14 Aug 2024