Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Experts use tools from artificial intelligence to rapidly identify substances that cause overdose deaths

An automated process based on computer algorithms that can read text from medical examiners' death certificates can substantially speed up data collection of overdose deaths – which in turn can ensure a more rapid public health response time than the system currently used, new UCLA research finds.

9 Aug 2022

Researchers unravel a novel molecular target of eicosapentaenoic acid

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an essential nutrient belonging to the omega-3 group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). As the human body cannot synthesize PUFAs, dietary supplements containing EPA are required for normal physiological functions. Found abundantly in natural sources like fish, hemp oil, and linseed oil, EPA is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective activities.

9 Aug 2022

Tribe embraces recreational marijuana sales on reservation where alcohol is banned

In a growing number of U.S. states, people can both drink alcohol and legally smoke recreational marijuana. In others, they can use alcohol but not pot. But on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the opposite is true: Marijuana is legal, but booze is banned.

8 Aug 2022

Music festivals embrace overdose reversal drugs, but fentanyl testing kits remain taboo

A 26-year-old was found dead at his campsite during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2019. The toxicology report linked his death to a grim trend that has only worsened since.

3 Aug 2022

Study suggests an approach for promoting more equitable interpersonal treatment

Coaching patients to voice their concerns about their medical care and advocate for themselves can offset physicians' racial bias so it doesn't lead to inferior experiences for Black patients, a University of Michigan-led analysis found.

3 Aug 2022

Administering low-dose buprenorphine intravenously may be a quick way to treat patients with substance use disorders

Overdose deaths involving opioids continue to be a major public health crisis, killing 1,280 people in Baltimore City in 2020, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have developed a new way to treat patients with substance use disorders intravenously by administering small doses of buprenorphine, a prescription drug used to treat opioid use disorder.

1 Aug 2022

Prenatal opioid exposure may cause long-term neurological or behavioral effects later in a child's life

While infants exposed to opioids during their mother's pregnancy have been linked to adverse health outcomes, a new study at the University of Missouri has found prenatal opioid exposure could trigger long-term neurological or behavioral effects later in a child's life.

29 Jul 2022

Future wave of opioid-involved overdose deaths will spike in rural and urban areas

Over the past 21 years of opioid overdose deaths-;from prescription drugs to heroin to synthetic and semisynthetic opioids such as fentanyl-;geography has played a role in where opioid-involved overdose deaths have occurred, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

28 Jul 2022

Oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex revealed

A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research reveals the oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex, a component present in the brain which is involved in the analgesic and addictive effects of certain opioids.

22 Jul 2022

Pain control method has revolutionized the experience for bone marrow donors, reduced the need for opioids

Sharing gifts is a favorite way to sustain connection across peoples and cultures worldwide, but with bone marrow donation the gift-giving act is accompanied by uncomfortable side effects to the donor, making it a truly selfless expression of kindness.

19 Jul 2022

Study: Prescribing rate of non-opioid pain medications increased after 2016 CDC guideline

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a guideline for prescribing opioids to patients experiencing chronic pain in 2016, the prescribing rate of non-opioid pain medication increased each year above and beyond what would be expected based on the preexisting trends, a new study finds.

15 Jul 2022

Prescribing lower quantities of opioids may effectively control postoperative pain after knee surgery

Prescribing smaller quantities of opioid medication appears to be as effective in controlling postoperative pain after knee surgery as higher quantities and may help to limit the number of opioids prescribed and possible diversion of unused prescription opioid medication, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine 2022 Annual Meeting

15 Jul 2022

Psilocybin microdosing associated with mood and mental health improvements

The latest study to examine how tiny amounts of psychedelics can impact mental health provides further evidence of the therapeutic potential of microdosing.

11 Jul 2022

Scientists uncover neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice

An international team of scientists has identified the neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice.

7 Jul 2022

Study reports how opioids cause gastric inflammation

Opioids are the gold standard for treatment of chronic and acute pain; however, their use may result in significant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

6 Jul 2022

Crowdsourced data on overdoses pinpoints where to help

Men lined up outside the Corner of Hope, a homeless resource center, eyeing free supplies on plastic shelves inside a white van.

5 Jul 2022

Low-cost intervention could easily be used to right-size opioid prescribing after surgery

A small tweak to hospitals' prescribing systems might make a big difference in reducing risk from leftover opioid pain medication, while still making sure surgery patients get relief from their post-operation pain, a new study suggests.

30 Jun 2022

What you need to know about monkeypox

The World Health Organization said June 25 that monkeypox wasn't yet a public health emergency of international concern. More than 4,500 cases have been reported worldwide, with more than 300 in the U.S. And with public health officials unable to follow all chains of transmission, they're likely undercounting cases.

29 Jun 2022

Researchers assess the evidence basis for medications used to treat spine-related pain in older adults

Spine-related pain is increasingly common in older adults. While medications play an important role in pain management, their use has limitations in geriatric patients due to reduced liver and kidney function, comorbid medical problems and polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat medical conditions).

28 Jun 2022

Study uncovers a new, specific target for developing treatments for cocaine addiction

Researchers have found that blocking certain acetylcholine receptors in the lateral habenula (LHb), an area of the brain that balances reward and aversion, made it harder to resist seeking cocaine in a rat model of impulsive behavior.