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Study highlights impact of diet on brain neurochemistry

Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that prolonged exposure to a high fat diet is correlated with changes in the brain chemical dopamine within the striatum, a critical component of the brain's reward system. The authors measured 'real-time' changes in dopamine levels after rats consumed a high fat diet for either 2 or 6 weeks.

13 Jul 2010

Study: Small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction

A specific and remarkably small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction-and may also protect humans, according to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published today in the journal Nature.

9 Jul 2010

MicroRNA-212 plays key role in determining vulnerability to cocaine addiction: Study

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have found that a particular type of genetic material plays a key role in determining vulnerability to cocaine addiction and may offer an entirely new direction for the development of anti-addiction therapies. In animal studies, the scientists found that a molecule called microRNA-212 was increased in the brains of test animals that had extended access to cocaine.

8 Jul 2010

ASA provides tips to help parents protect children from over-the-counter drug abuse

In recent years, a growing and potentially life-threatening trend known as Robo tripping, the abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medications, has emerged among America's youth. As the Society representing the front-line physicians responsible for treating patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who have overdosed on over-the-counter medications, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has developed information to help parents recognize the signs of Robo tripping and to prevent overdose and longer-term health complications.

8 Jul 2010

LSUHSC awarded $4M grant to study cannabinoid treatment for HIV infection

Patricia Molina, MD, PhD, Professor and Head of Physiology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has been awarded a $4 million grant over five years by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health to study how cannabinoids, the principal psychoactive component of marijuana, produce subtle changes in gene activity that affect how a person responds to HIV infection.

8 Jul 2010

Method of suicide attempt predicts subsequent successful suicide: Study

The method used for a suicide attempt is highly significant for the risk of subsequent successful suicide, reveals a long-term study from Karolinska Institutet. The results may be of help in acute risk assessment following a suicide attempt.

7 Jul 2010

Drug use debilitates sexual response: Study

Sharing a bottle of red wine may seem like the best recipe for a romantic interlude. However, the evening may not turn out as planned according to a Concordia University study, which evaluated the effect of a wide range of drugs, including alcohol, on sexual behaviour. The findings, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, definitively show that despite our preconceived notions, use of many recreational drugs can cause a loss in that lovin' feeling.

7 Jul 2010

UCLA School of Dentistry awarded NIH grant to study methamphetamine's oral, dental health consequences

The abuse of methamphetamine - a powerful and highly addictive psychostimulant that is toxic to the nervous system - has reached epidemic proportions in many parts of the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that more than 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, while more than 1.4 million are habitual users.

30 Jun 2010

Teenage girls more likely to perceive potential benefits of drug and alcohol use

Survey data released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and MetLife Foundation found that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to perceive potential benefits from drug use and drinking, making teen girls more vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse.

29 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 29, 2010

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Sarah Rose Nordgren works 25 to 30 hours a week as a waitress at an upscale restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also tutors high- schoolers on their college entrance essays and has an editorial internship at a book publisher. But if something were to go seriously wrong with her health, she'd be in trouble because none of her three jobs offers health insurance" (Kaiser Health News).

29 Jun 2010

Ahead of International AIDS Conference, health experts call for scientifically-based drug policies

Ahead of the International AIDS Conference, scheduled to kick off July 18, health experts on Monday called for a rethinking of international drug policies to incorporate greater scientific evidence and increase access to HIV prevention, treatment and care, the Associated Press reports (6/28).

29 Jun 2010

Kansas doctor and wife found guilty of prescribing painkillers, causing deaths

"A federal jury Thursday found a Kansas doctor and his wife guilty of conspiring to profit from illegally prescribing painkillers to dozens of patients who later died, in a case highlighting medical treatment of chronic pain sufferers and prescription drug abuse."

28 Jun 2010

CHMP adopts positive opinion on pending MAA for SYCREST sublingual tablets

Merck announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion on the pending Marketing Authorization Application for SYCREST (asenapine) sublingual tablets. The CHMP has recommended that the European Commission grant a marketing authorization for SYCREST for the treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. The CHMP did not support an indication for the treatment of schizophrenia.

25 Jun 2010

Individuals get involved in alcohol or drug related accidents during summer holidays

As the days grow longer and hotter, some chemical dependency professionals have their own name for summer: substance abuse season, because that's when individuals who abuse or are addicted to alcohol, prescription medications and drugs get involved in alcohol or drug related accidents during the summer holidays.

24 Jun 2010

Study recommends women to avoid drug abuse during prenatal and breastfeeding periods

Give up smoking, do not drink more than three cups of coffee per day, do not take any kind of drug, or if you do, take it as long as possible before feeding your baby. These are some of the recommendations contained in a study produced by Spanish researchers on methods for detecting medicines and drugs in breast milk. The study shows that the risk from substances such as alcohol is still not well understood.

24 Jun 2010

TheraQuest launches new analgesic product pipeline

TheraQuest Biosciences, Inc., a clinical stage pain management company today unveiled its analgesic product pipeline. TheraQuest also announced the launch of its new corporate website at http://www.theraquestinc.com.

23 Jun 2010

Mobile, supervised drug use units considered cost effective: Report

Drug abuse experts believe Melbourne needs a mobile, supervised drug injecting van. This is mainly due to the geographical spread of drug abusers in the region.

22 Jun 2010

Three leading scientists gather to discuss Improved Strategies for Pre-clinical Cardiac Testing

Three leading scientists in the field of cardiac safety in pre-clinical drug development are gathering to discuss Improved Strategies for Pre-clinical Cardiac Testing in a free webinar on June 23 at 11:00 a.m. EDT, sponsored by the Drug Safety Council.

22 Jun 2010

Montana Governor visits Cannabis Science's latest acquisition

Cannabis Science, Inc., a pioneering U.S. biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products, is pleased to report that Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer visited its latest acquisition, Montana Pain Management in Missoula, yesterday. Governor Schweitzer observed, "You are doing it right."

19 Jun 2010

Proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans doubles: SAMHSA

A new study reveals that between 1992 and 2008 the proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans (aged 50 and older) nearly doubled -- from 6.6 percent of all admissions in 1992 to 12.2 percent in 2008. The study, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, also shows a sharp rise during this period in the proportion of older Americans admissions related to illicit drug abuse -- even though alcohol abuse is still the leading cause for admissions involving this age group.

17 Jun 2010

Drug Abuse News and Research

Study highlights impact of diet on brain neurochemistry

Study: Small fragment of RNA appears to protect rats against cocaine addiction

MicroRNA-212 plays key role in determining vulnerability to cocaine addiction: Study

ASA provides tips to help parents protect children from over-the-counter drug abuse

LSUHSC awarded $4M grant to study cannabinoid treatment for HIV infection

Method of suicide attempt predicts subsequent successful suicide: Study

Drug use debilitates sexual response: Study

UCLA School of Dentistry awarded NIH grant to study methamphetamine's oral, dental health consequences

Teenage girls more likely to perceive potential benefits of drug and alcohol use

First Edition: June 29, 2010

Ahead of International AIDS Conference, health experts call for scientifically-based drug policies

Kansas doctor and wife found guilty of prescribing painkillers, causing deaths

CHMP adopts positive opinion on pending MAA for SYCREST sublingual tablets

Individuals get involved in alcohol or drug related accidents during summer holidays

Study recommends women to avoid drug abuse during prenatal and breastfeeding periods

TheraQuest launches new analgesic product pipeline

Mobile, supervised drug use units considered cost effective: Report

Three leading scientists gather to discuss Improved Strategies for Pre-clinical Cardiac Testing

Montana Governor visits Cannabis Science's latest acquisition

Proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans doubles: SAMHSA

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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