Substance Use Disorder News and Research

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UB researchers analyze pandemic-related shifts in alcohol sales across 16 U.S. states

An analysis of data from 16 U.S. states suggests that the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic saw increases in wine and spirit sales, accompanied by notable changes in the relationship between alcohol sales and people's visits to businesses that sell alcohol.

15 Dec 2021

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes is elevated in people with a psychiatric disorder

A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)) finds that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is elevated in people with a psychiatric disorder compared with the general population.

30 Nov 2021

Research on psychedelics could lead to new treatments for mental illness

One in five U.S. adults will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, according to the National Alliance of Mental Health. But standard treatments can be slow to work and cause side effects.

24 Nov 2021

As overdose deaths soar, DEA-wary pharmacies shy from dispensing addiction medication

When Martin Njoku saw opioid addiction devastate his West Virginia community, he felt compelled to help. This was the place he'd called home for three decades, where he'd raised his two girls and turned his dream of owning a pharmacy into reality.

9 Nov 2021

CDC launches complementary education campaigns to save more lives from drug overdose

To save more lives from drug overdose, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched four complementary education campaigns intended to reach young adults ages 18-;34 years.

30 Oct 2021

'Theta activity' in the brain found to be divergent for people with mental health conditions

A new review of current literature, conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London, has found that irregular responses in the brain to challenging tasks and mistakes could be key to understanding common links between abnormal behaviors in a range of mental illness and cognitive disorders.

28 Oct 2021

Case Western Reserve secures $16 million to understand the relation between substance use and HIV

The use of opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine and other stimulants is the second-most-common cause of exposure to HIV among those in the United States diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS.

25 Oct 2021

Mental health problems are common among smokers and adults with substance use disorders, study finds

Mental health problems are common among adults who smoke cigarettes and those with substance use disorders, illustrating a need for treating smoking and mental health problems together, according to a new study by Indiana University.

21 Oct 2021

Study highlights major role of polysubstance use in drug overdose risk

Even as the opioid epidemic dominated national attention over the past decade, the rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine, methamphetamine and other stimulants tripled, a new study in veterans suggests.

21 Oct 2021

Neuroscientists discover specific brain circuit that triggers cocaine relapse in mice

Relapse is a common feature of addiction recovery – two in three patients treated for substance use disorder in the United States relapse within 12 months, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Oct 2021

Prescriptions for prenatal substance use disorder treatment fell in US during COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers have shown that the number of prescriptions filled out for a treatment associated with improved pregnancy outcomes among individuals with substance use disorder declined in the United States as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continued.

12 Oct 2021

6 months to live or die: How long should an alcoholic liver disease patient wait for a transplant?

The night before Brian Gorzney planned to check into rehab for alcohol use, he began vomiting blood. First at 2 a.m. Then 5. And again at 11.

12 Oct 2021

Study finds increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in people with substance use disorders

An analysis of electronic health records of nearly 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States found that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection among vaccinated patients with substance use disorders was low overall, but higher than the risk among vaccinated people without substance use disorders.

6 Oct 2021

New SBIR award helps Temple scientists to explore the therapeutic potential of novel cannabis analog

More than 20 percent of adults in the United States live with chronic pain. For many affected individuals, long-term physical discomfort negatively impacts overall well-being, leading to reduced work output and increased anxiety and depression.

29 Sep 2021

U-M lab receives $13.2 million NIDA grant to optimize interventions for substance abuse disorders

A University of Michigan lab focused on developing cutting-edge methods to inform effective interventions for drug abuse, HIV and other chronic conditions has been awarded a $13.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

28 Sep 2021

Withdrawal from psychostimulants alters functional architecture and patterns in the brain

Addictive psychostimulants, from nicotine in cigarettes to illicit drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, affect different regions of the brain. The same is believed true during withdrawal; finding a common brain pathway has proved elusive.

27 Sep 2021

Hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder die at a rate comparable to heart attack patients

Hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder died at a rate comparable to those who suffered heart attacks within a year of hospital discharge, according to a new study from Oregon Health & Science University.

15 Sep 2021

Collaborative program uses peer recovery coaches to guide people with substance use disorder

About 90% of Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder don't get it. West Virginia University researchers have developed a program that allows people who have already walked the path of substance use disorder through recovery to be their guides to a healthier life.

31 Aug 2021

A single glass of wine can raise the drinker’s risk for atrial fibrillation

A single glass of wine can quickly – significantly – raise the drinker's risk for atrial fibrillation, according to new research by UC San Francisco.