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Cognitive training may help end hijacking of imagination by drugs of abuse

The growing numbers of new cases of substance abuse disorders are perplexing. After all, the course of drug addiction so often ends badly. The negative consequences of drug abuse appear regularly on TV, from stories of celebrities behaving in socially inappropriate and self-destructive ways while intoxicated to dramatization of the rigors of drug withdrawal on "Intervention" and other reality shows.

28 Jan 2011

HIV drug used by drug abusers in a deadly concoction

In a sad and rather ironic situation in South Africa, where many are fighting a battle against HIV/AIDS with shortage of Anti-retrovital drugs, there is a new drug craze. South Africa has the world’s largest population of HIV infected citizens - nearly 6 million.

27 Jan 2011

New study reveals illicit HGH use among young American male weightlifters

A new study published in The American Journal on Addictions reveals that illicit use of HGH has become common among young American male weightlifters.

21 Jan 2011

Australia’s child abuse rates fall but foster care rates rise: Report

Statistics show that the total number of Tasmanian children in state care has risen by 60% in six years. This is the second highest number of children per 1,000 in child protection in the Australia. This means more children are being removed from their families for issues such as substance abuse, mental health and family violence.

20 Jan 2011

Pisgah to scale-up patent-pending form of hydrocodone

As Pisgah Laboratories, Inc. continues development of its lead abuse deterrent opioid product, it will soon begin scale-up of its patent-pending form of hydrocodone. Pisgah has developed a specialized salt form of hydrocodone which imparts abuse deterrent properties to a dosage product. Pisgah will manufacture its hydrocodone salt for clinical trials in their FDA / DEA registered facility.

19 Jan 2011

Only half of adolescents affected with severely impairing mental disorders receive treatment

A recent study by Merikangas and colleagues published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) shows that only half of adolescents that are affected with severely impairing mental disorders ever receive treatment for their disorders.

19 Jan 2011

Researchers create biyouyanagin compound library

Using chemical compounds found in a Japanese plant as a lead and the clever application of ultraviolet light, a Scripps Research Institute team has created a unique library of dozens of synthetic compounds to test for biomedical potential. Already, one of the compounds has shown great promise in inhibiting replication of HIV particles and fighting inflammation.

19 Jan 2011

Time-lapse technique can show cellular-level changes within deep brain regions: Study

Changes within deep regions of the brain can now be visualized at the cellular level, based on research on mice, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Published Sunday in Nature Medicine, the study used a groundbreaking technique to explore cellular-level changes over a period of weeks within deep brain regions, providing a level of detail not possible with previously available methods.

19 Jan 2011

Study highlights lack of treatment for adolescents with severe mental disorders

A recent study by Merikangas and colleagues published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry shows that only half of adolescents that are affected with severely impairing mental disorders ever receive treatment for their disorders.

19 Jan 2011

Australian drug survey reveals teenage drug use trends

According to the latest national drug survey, ‘2008 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey’, more school students use the drug ecstasy, but fewer of them smoke. The report came out this Tuesday.

18 Jan 2011

Huge falloff in teens' recalled exposure to drug abuse prevention messages

The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study (MTF) – the largest survey on teen drug abuse tracking over 46,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders – found a huge falloff in teens' recalled exposure to drug abuse prevention messages over the past seven years. The new data from the MTF study have been released at a time when teens themselves report finding the drug-prevention messages to be effective.

13 Jan 2011

NIDA awards Scripps Research, University of Pennsylvania $8.2M grant to develop tobacco addiction treatment

The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have been awarded approximately $8.2 million over five years to develop novel compounds that could eventually become drug candidates for the treatment of tobacco addiction. Of the funds awarded, $5.7 million will go to Scripps Research, and $2.5 million to the University of Pennsylvania.

12 Jan 2011

Unique vaccine produces long-lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice

Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Cornell University have produced a long-lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a unique vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

5 Jan 2011

Safe vaccine protects mice against effects of cocaine

Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

5 Jan 2011

Researchers develop unique vaccine that produces long-lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice

5 Jan 2011

Vaccine blocks cocaine high in mice - human trials likely

Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.

4 Jan 2011

Ketamine tried on college students in experiments sparks outrage

Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University designed experiments to investigate treatment methods for schizophrenia. Like schizophrenics who sometimes believe that external objects have become part of their body, injection of ketamine – an anesthetic agent also produces similar feelings. Ketamine is a hallucinogenic drug.

22 Dec 2010

Earlier ART initiation should be highest priority for global expansion of HIV patient care

Earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy should be the highest priority for global expansion of HIV patient care. This finding, from a paper published in this week's PLoS Medicine, should help resource-limited nations to phase in the implementation of the new 2010 WHO recommendations for HIV treatment. "Immediate scale-up of the entire WHO guideline package may be prohibitively expensive in some settings," said lead author Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.

22 Dec 2010

NAHN and Partnership at Drugfree.org join to address teen drug and alcohol use in the Hispanic community

The Partnership at Drugfree.org today announced a new strategic partner to help support the organization's outreach to address teen drug and alcohol use within the Latino and Spanish-speaking community and equip Hispanic parents with tools from prevention to treatment of drug and alcohol abuse. The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) has joined with the national nonprofit to provide bilingual resources to Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers and help promote the group's online tools and resources across various NAHN communication channels.

22 Dec 2010

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

An Anglo-American team of researchers have made a medical breakthrough after identifying a large collection of nerve proteins that are involved in around 130 brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and autism.

20 Dec 2010