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Psilocybin study explores new treatment for cocaine use disorder

Albert Arias, MD, chief of addiction psychiatry at Carilion Clinic, has received an award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to research how psilocybin, a psychedelic compound being studied for several psychiatric and substance use disorders, can offer a new approach for people with cocaine use disorder.

4 Sep 2026

Social media messages could empower parents to prevent teen vaping

Parents are an important line of defense against teen vaping, yet many lack the knowledge and tools needed to recognize vaping products, understand their risks and prevent their children from using them.

31 Aug 2026

Loneliness can reprogram the brain to increase alcohol use

Loneliness can reprogram the brain in ways that push alcohol consumption, reports a new preclinical study led by Northwestern University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

25 Aug 2026

Real-world study shows Oregon psilocybin services relieve mental health symptoms

People participating in an Oregon Health & Science University-led study of state-regulated psilocybin services reported relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder - with almost two-thirds declaring the experience to be among the most meaningful of their life.

19 Aug 2026

New CapuchinAI system automates cognitive testing of wild primates

Scientists created an AI system that uses facial recognition and real-time, touchscreen testing to automate cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild.

29 Jul 2026

Individualized treatment speeds recovery for babies with opioid withdrawal

A major new study shows that individualized treatment for babies born with opioid withdrawal can speed recovery and reduce time spent in the hospital.

24 Jul 2026

Federal nicotine reduction strategy could boost productivity and save lives

Implementing a federal nicotine reduction strategy may prevent millions of premature deaths, boost productivity, and significantly close smoking disparity gaps for individuals with major depression, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

16 Jul 2026

Long-term study proves brain stimulation safely restores touch

What if people who have lost the ability to feel their hands could get that sense back - not through a prosthetic glove, but through tiny pulses of electricity delivered directly to the brain?

16 Jul 2026

Low-nicotine cigarettes do not cause increased compensatory smoking

People who switch to cigarettes with dramatically reduced nicotine levels are unlikely to smoke more cigarettes or inhale more smoke to compensate for the lower nicotine content, according to a new study led by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and published in JAMA Network Open.

15 Jul 2026

New study explores health effects of hookah smoking methods

Hookah is often seen as a cleaner alternative to smoking cigarettes, but researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are launching a new study to put that assumption to the test.

7 Jul 2026

Digital rewards program targets smoking cessation during pregnancy

A new award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse will advance a smartphone-based treatment aimed at helping pregnant individuals quit smoking.

29 Jun 2026

Anti-inflammatory molecule reduces excessive alcohol consumption in female mice

The drugs that keep rheumatoid arthritis in check may one day help people stop drinking. A new Scripps Research study shows that an anti-inflammatory molecule, already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat autoimmune diseases, reduces excessive alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent female mice.

29 Jun 2026

NIH funding supports development of AI tools to prevent HIV, hepatitis C and overdose

Natasha Martin, DPhil, professor and vice chief of Global Public Health in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, has been awarded a five-year, $5.6 million Avant-Garde Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), one of the most prestigious and competitive NIH research awards.

23 Jun 2026

Natural molecule erucamide helps slow progressive retinal degeneration

Many conditions that cause vision loss share a common feature: the gradual breakdown of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye.

22 Jun 2026

Genetic study links liver enzyme to compulsive cocaine addiction

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have completed a massive genetic study that identifies key biological drivers of cocaine addiction, uncovering a potential new target for treatment that resides in the liver rather than the brain.

11 Jun 2026

Teenage risk-taking linked to lower baseline dopamine levels

Teenage risk-taking, such as experimentation with alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and other substances, may reflect a compensatory response to lower baseline dopamine, the brain chemical for reward activity, suggests a new University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, published today in Nature Communications.

11 Jun 2026

Acupuncture improves muscle function recovery in stroke patients

Paralysis on one side of the body is common after stroke. A new study in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics demonstrates that acupuncture can significantly improve muscle function recovery in patients who experienced a stroke, with this recovery correlating to increases in grey matter volume in certain regions of the brain related to cognitive-motor integration.

3 Jun 2026

Falling fentanyl deaths drive historic drop in American drug overdoses

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that U.S. overdose death rates declined dramatically between 2023 and 2024, marking the first recorded drop in all four waves of the nation's overdose crisis.

2 Jun 2026

E-cigarette flavors and device type drive the biological effects of vaping

People who vape regularly show altered activity in 3,124 genes across the genome compared with people who do not smoke or vape.

1 Jun 2026

Innovative platform bridges the gap between OUD treatment and HIV prevention

People with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While there are effective interventions that can substantially reduce HIV incidence and opioid overdose, like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), many patients still face barriers to accessing and staying engaged in care.

22 May 2026