Amphetamine News and Research

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Researchers map global use of illicit drugs via wastewater samples

A seven-year project monitoring illicit drug use in 37 countries via wastewater samples shows that cocaine use was skyrocketing in Europe in 2017 and Australia had a serious problem with methamphetamine.

23 Oct 2019

Researchers find behavioral, biological similarities between compulsive overeating and addiction

Does yo-yo dieting drive compulsive eating? There may be a connection. According to Boston University School of Medicine researchers the chronic cyclic pattern of overeating followed by undereating, reduces the brain's ability to feel reward and may drive compulsive eating.

17 Oct 2019

Non-medical use of prescription amphetamines for ADHD linked to hospitalization, fatal outcomes

New findings on the serious adverse outcomes associated with non-medical use (NMU) of prescription amphetamines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were recently published in the September 2019 issue of the Journal of Attention Disorders.

30 Aug 2019

Mother calls for protein shake regulation after daughter dies

A mother is calling on the health industry to regulate sales of protein powder and supplements after her daughter died in 2017 due to a protein-heavy diet.

15 Jul 2019

Early contact with needle-exchange program can have a protective effect against hepatitis C

People who inject drugs and who are female, homeless or amphetamine users often share needles and syringes, and consequently run a higher risk of infection hepatitis C virus infection that affect the liver.

3 Jun 2019

Expanding scope of stimulants to better treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

A comprehensive new review of the expanding scope of stimulants available to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder serves as a valuable guide to clinicians as they choose from among the many new drug formulations and technologies available to treat this complex disorder.

22 May 2019

Microextraction gets an eco-friendly makeover in new cannabis study

Researchers have successfully demonstrated that IT-SPME coupled to nano-LC is an adequate analytical method for the characterization of cannabis traces.

15 May 2019

ADHD drug raising risk of psychosis

A new study has found that teenagers and youngsters who are treated with amphetamines such as Adderall are at a greater risk of developing psychosis compared to patients who are on other drugs such as Ritalin. The results of the study were published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Mar 2019

Fingermark imaging for identification of drugs

In a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue in NANO, researchers from Zhejiang have uncovered a novel method of using nanocarrier-based biological fluorescent probes for detecting amphetamine and ketamine in latent fingermark, in a bid to combat drug abuse.

15 Mar 2019

Mutant mice administered with cocaine failed to exhibit hyperactivity, shows study

Cocaine is a highly addictive psychostimulant that induces complex molecular, cellular and behavioral responses. Despite various approaches and years of pre-clinical studies, effective, mechanism-based therapies to assist with cocaine misuse and dependence are still sorely lacking.

16 Jan 2019

Change in short-term beliefs related to dopamine function, study shows

For the first time, scientists have been able to image brain activity when people change their short-term beliefs, and to relate this brain activity to dopamine function in humans.

9 Oct 2018

ADHD patients have increased risk of developing Parkinson's and other similar diseases

While about 11 percent of children (4-17 years old) nationwide have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the long-term health effects of having ADHD and of common ADHD medications remains understudied.

12 Sep 2018

Drug overdose continues to be a significant cause of death in Australia

A new report has come up with alarming numbers of deaths due to drug overdose among Australians. The report states that common sedatives and sleeping pills may be responsible for over 142 deaths each month due to their overdose.

27 Aug 2018

Amphetamine regimen does not improve post-stroke motor recovery

A pilot clinical trial exploring the benefit of d-amphetamine combined with physical therapy for stroke patients found no evidence that the regimen improved post-stroke motor recovery.

27 Aug 2018

Illicit drug use is higher during celebratory events, may be worse than previously thought

America's drug problem may be even worse than officials realize. And illicit drugs are consumed at a higher rate during celebratory events. Those are just two of the conclusions scientists have drawn from recent studies of drug residues in sewage.

20 Aug 2018

Study finds increase in number of calls to US Poison Control Centers about ADHD medication exposures

A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that there were more than 156,000 calls to US Poison Control Centers regarding exposures to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medications among children and adolescents 19 years of age and younger from January 2000 through December 2014, averaging 200 calls each week or 29 calls per day.

21 May 2018

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has identified factors that may increase the risk of drug overdose in adolescents and young adults. In their report published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the researchers describe finding that more than a quarter of those seeking treatment at Addiction Recovery Management Service, an MGH-based outpatient substance-use-disorder treatment program for youth ages 14 to 26, had a history of at least one overdose.

24 Apr 2018

New study provides clues about how ADHD drugs affect healthy brains

A new study shows that healthy people who take attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs experience a surge in the neurotransmitter glutamate in key parts of the brain. And that increase in glutamate is associated with subsequent changes in positive emotion.

14 Mar 2018

Pharmaceutical pollution can make aquatic microbial communities resistant to drugs

In urban streams, persistent pharmaceutical pollution can cause aquatic microbial communities to become resistant to drugs. So reports a new study published today in the journal Ecosphere.

9 Jan 2018

VTT-originated Spectral Engines creates portable device for rapid screening of suspected drugs

Spectral Engines, a growth company that originated at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is about to launch a portable drug screening device police patrols can use for rapid and cost-efficient on-site screening of suspected drugs.

30 Oct 2017