Addiction News and Research

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Study examines brain link to STI/HIV sexual risk

Data show that young adult women in the United States have high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that increase their risk of HIV. Though epidemiologic and behavioral factors for risk have been studied, we know very little about brain factors that may be linked to STI/ HIV sexual risk.

27 Jan 2020

Recognizing the signs of overdose and knowing how to respond can save lives

Every day nearly 200 people die from an overdose of drugs or from alcohol poisoning, with opioids responsible for the majority.

26 Jan 2020

UCI-led study reveals link between early life adversity and opioid addiction

Individuals with a history of early life adversity are disproportionately prone to opioid addiction. A new UCI-led study reveals why.

24 Jan 2020

Opioid dependence produces permanent changes in the brains of rats

Approximately one-quarter of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, with five to 10 percent developing an opioid use disorder or addiction.

24 Jan 2020

APRNs have expanded roles in national response to opioid crisis

As we enter a new year and a new decade, many states have enacted legislation affecting the roles of advanced practice registered nurses in terms of practice authority, reimbursement, and prescriptive authority, according to the 32nd Annual Legislative Update in the January issue of The Nurse Practitioner, published by Wolters Kluwer.

24 Jan 2020

New neuromodulation device may help prevent migraine

If your bank account balance looks nail-bitingly low and you won't get paid for days, you might agonize over every dollar you spend. Maybe you'll scrutinize grocery-store ads more closely than usual or brew your own coffee instead of ordering it from a barista.

24 Jan 2020

Despite new doubts, ‘hotspotting’ help for heavy health care users marches on

A highly publicized approach to lowering health costs failed to pass rigorous study this month, but hospitals, insurers and government health programs don't intend to give up on the idea.

24 Jan 2020

Cannabis use disorder more common in adults with pain

A new study published in the journal American Journal of Psychiatry reports that the use of cannabis for non-medical indications is much more common in adults who have pain than in others. This includes those who use marijuana very often or heavily enough to be considered to have a problem with dependence.

22 Jan 2020

Quitting smoking: Going it alone is not the best approach

We live in an era of self-empowerment. But when it comes to quitting smoking, going it alone isn't the best approach.

22 Jan 2020

Pain management program uses new approach to reduce narcotic prescriptions after surgery

Surgeons at Houston Methodist Hospital are stemming the tide of addiction to prescription opioids by managing patients' pain after surgery.

22 Jan 2020

Study: Non-medical cannabis use is more common in adults suffering from pain

A new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that non-medical cannabis use--including frequent or problematic use--is significantly more common in adults with pain than in those without pain.

22 Jan 2020

Study: A majority of US physicians receive marketing payments for stimulant medications

Results of a new study show that a large number of physicians in the US may have received marketing payments from pharmaceutical companies that produce stimulant medications.

22 Jan 2020

Increasing opioid addiction in the US but young addicts being missed

Opioid addiction has been increasing over the last decade or so in the US, with many deaths occurring as a result of opioid overdose. As a result, many programs have been set up to deal with this addiction using medications like buprenorphine. This is one of the three approved drugs that are used for this condition, and the most useful one.

21 Jan 2020

FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing except in the youngest group

An analysis of national data on buprenorphine use found that treatment with the FDA-approved medication for opioid addiction is increasing in all age groups except the young (age 15-24 years), in whom use of the medication is decreasing.

21 Jan 2020

Collaborative project to address the local opioid epidemic

The University of Arizona is partnering with the Tucson Police Department, CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness, and Pima County as part of a three-year, $1.47 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant to route people with opioid use disorders toward treatment instead of jail.

21 Jan 2020

Media reports focus on treatments involving opioids and cannabis for chronic pain

New Zealand media reports on chronic pain are focusing on treatments involving opioids and cannabis at the expense of best practice non-drug treatments, researchers have found.

17 Jan 2020

Most youths do not get timely addiction treatment after opioid overdose

A study of more than 4 million Medicaid claims records during a recent seven-year period concludes that less than a third of the nearly 3,800 U.S. adolescents and young adults who experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose got timely (within 30 days) follow-up addiction treatment to curb or prevent future misuse and reduce the risk of a second overdose.

17 Jan 2020

Researchers find potential new target for treating drug addiction

New University of Minnesota Medical School research discovers a novel potential target for treating drug addiction through "the hidden stars of the brain."

16 Jan 2020

Alcohol dependence results in remodeling of functional architecture in rodent’s brain

Employing advanced technologies that allow whole brain imaging at single-cell resolution, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that in an alcohol-dependent mouse model, the rodent brain's functional architecture is substantially remodeled.

14 Jan 2020

Sugar intake influences brain reward circuitry

The idea of food addiction is a very controversial topic among scientists. Researchers from Aarhus University have delved into this topic and examined what happens in the brains of pigs when they drink sugar water. The conclusion is clear: sugar influences brain reward circuitry in ways similar to those observed when addictive drugs are consumed.

14 Jan 2020