Addiction News and Research

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New ways to treat substance abuse, neurological diseases and mental illnesses

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found a way to change alcohol drinking behavior in rodents, using the emerging technique of optogenetics, which uses light to stimulate neurons.

7 Jan 2014

People with severe mental illness may have higher risk for substance use

People with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have a higher risk for substance use, especially cigarette smoking, and protective factors usually associated with lower rates of substance use do not exist in severe mental illness, according to a new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

5 Jan 2014

Molecule produced by brain acts as natural defence mechanism against cannabis

Two INSERM research teams led by Pier Vincenzo Piazza and Giovanni Marsicano (INSERM Unit 862 "Neurocentre Magendie" in Bordeaux) recently discovered that pregnenolone, a molecule produced by the brain, acts as a natural defence mechanism against the harmful effects of cannabis in animals.

3 Jan 2014

Controlling tobacco marketing may reduce number of smokers by one-third

Tripling taxes on cigarettes around the world would reduce the number of smokers by one-third and prevent 200 million premature deaths from lung cancer and other diseases this century, according to a review published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Jan 2014

UPV/EHU-University study shows that weekend alcohol consumption may affect DNA

A preliminary study led by a UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researcher in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Nayarit, in Mexico, indicates that weekend alcohol consumption may affect DNA.

30 Dec 2013

Study explains how nicotine exploits body's cellular machinery to promote addiction

A study in The Journal of General Physiology helps explain how nicotine exploits the body's cellular machinery to promote addiction. The findings could lead to new therapies to help people quit smoking.

30 Dec 2013

New Jersey ranked last in efforts to control smoking and tobacco use by children

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a coalition of public health organizations, has ranked New Jersey 51 in the nation, including Washington D.C., in protecting children from smoking and tobacco use.

27 Dec 2013

Experts to share insights on the integration of science, psychotherapy and spirituality

Neuroscience is the new buzzword in the world of psychotherapy, yet distinguishing between true innovation and mere speculation can be difficult. In a new program at the 2014 iaedp Symposium in St. Petersburg, Florida (February 26-March 2), keynote speakers, Carolyn Costin, MFt, MA, MEd, CEDS and Joan Borysenko, PhD, will share their insights on the integration of science, psychotherapy and spirituality.

27 Dec 2013

Variation in oxytocin receptor gene influences face recognition skills, study finds

New findings suggest the oxytocin receptor, a gene known to influence mother-infant bonding and pair bonding in monogamous species, also plays a special role in the ability to remember faces. This research has important implications for disorders in which social information processing is disrupted, including autism spectrum disorder. In addition, the finding may lead to new strategies for improving social cognition in several psychiatric disorders.

24 Dec 2013

Smokers who want to stop smoking are more likely to succeed if they see specialist

Smokers in England who want to stop smoking are three times more likely to succeed if they see a trained advisor than if they try by themselves, according to a new study published online today in the medical journal Addiction.

23 Dec 2013

Neuroscience researchers discover gene that controls response to cocaine

UT Southwestern neuroscience researchers have identified a gene that controls the response to cocaine by comparing closely related strains of mice often used to study addiction and behavior patterns.

22 Dec 2013

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Using a computational model of addiction, a literature review and an in silico experiment, theoretical computer scientist Yariv Levy and colleagues suggest in a new paper this week that rehabilitation strategies coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies are more helpful than drug-plus-talk therapy alone when helping people overcome addiction.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers receive 3 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute awards from PCORI

Research teams at Group Health Research Institute have been approved for funding awards by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study opioid therapy and asthma-and to help expand a health data network that will be part of PCORnet: the National Patient-Centered National Clinical Research Network.

20 Dec 2013

DCC gene involved in adolescent brain development may play a role in mental health vulnerability

As many parents of mentally ill adults will confirm anecdotally, the first symptoms of "something not quite right" with their children begin to appear during the teen years. It is known that during this teenaged phase of brain development, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression and drug addiction.

17 Dec 2013

Researchers hope for a pharmacological solution to treat cocaine addiction

Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that a method of biologically manipulating certain neurocircuits could lead to a pharmacological approach that would weaken post-withdrawal cocaine cravings. The findings have been published in Nature Neuroscience.

17 Dec 2013

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

Teens who were heavy marijuana users -- smoking it daily for about three years -- had abnormal changes in their brain structures related to working memory and performed poorly on memory tasks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine- study.

16 Dec 2013

Psychologist offers tips to cope with stress during holiday season

Do you feel more stressed during the holiday season? While this time of year can be a time of joy, many people can also find it stressful. Between family and work gatherings, holiday financial pressures and consumer overload, the holiday season can certainly take a toll. And what if you're alone at this time of togetherness?

16 Dec 2013

Prescription drug misuse and driving after using drugs on the rise among Ontario students

Alcohol consumption and smoking among Ontario students in grades 7-12 is at an all-time low; however recreational use of over-the-counter drugs is on the rise. Prescription drug misuse and driving after using drugs also remain elevated according to the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

16 Dec 2013

Researchers gain better understanding of neurochemical basis of addiction with optogenetics

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers are gaining a better understanding of the neurochemical basis of addiction with a new technology called optogenetics.

16 Dec 2013

Study: Electronic cigarettes may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine

Electronic cigarettes, when used indoors, may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine, according to a study led by Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and published by the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

13 Dec 2013

Addiction News and Research

New ways to treat substance abuse, neurological diseases and mental illnesses

People with severe mental illness may have higher risk for substance use

Molecule produced by brain acts as natural defence mechanism against cannabis

Controlling tobacco marketing may reduce number of smokers by one-third

UPV/EHU-University study shows that weekend alcohol consumption may affect DNA

Study explains how nicotine exploits body's cellular machinery to promote addiction

New Jersey ranked last in efforts to control smoking and tobacco use by children

Experts to share insights on the integration of science, psychotherapy and spirituality

Variation in oxytocin receptor gene influences face recognition skills, study finds

Smokers who want to stop smoking are more likely to succeed if they see specialist

Neuroscience researchers discover gene that controls response to cocaine

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Researchers receive 3 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute awards from PCORI

DCC gene involved in adolescent brain development may play a role in mental health vulnerability

Researchers hope for a pharmacological solution to treat cocaine addiction

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

Psychologist offers tips to cope with stress during holiday season

Prescription drug misuse and driving after using drugs on the rise among Ontario students

Researchers gain better understanding of neurochemical basis of addiction with optogenetics

Study: Electronic cigarettes may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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