Articles tagged with Drug Addiction
Researchers have made significant discoveries about the molecular mechanisms underlying addiction, memory formation, and brain plasticity. A key molecule called AP1 has been found to play a crucial role in controlling synaptic changes, which are more extensive than previously thought and resemble those induced by real experience.
A brain-imaging study has shed light on the reasons behind inhalant abuse by revealing how toluene moves into the brain rapidly and affects reward centers. The study shows that toluene spreads more generally to the entire brain before clearing the body, which may explain its addictive potential.
A functional polymorphism within the m-opioid receptor gene has been linked to an increased risk of substance abuse, including alcohol and other substances. The study found that individuals with this genetic variation were more likely to develop addiction and engage in risky behavior.
Researchers found that certain drugs, including alcohol and cocaine, increase beta endorphin levels in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region influencing addiction. This discovery may lead to the development of medications targeting this system to help individuals overcome addiction.
A University of Michigan study found that female rats exposed to estrogen and cocaine showed increased sensitization, leading to faster craving and lower doses. The effects persisted even after the hormone was removed.
Researchers found that topiramate, an anticonvulsant drug, can block nicotine-triggered changes in brain chemistry. The study suggests that topiramate has potential for treating nicotine addiction by reducing the neurochemical activity associated with pleasure and reward.
Researchers report a successful heroin-assisted treatment programme that reduces infections, mental disorders, and crime among chronically addicted heroin addicts. The six-year study found 86% of patients remained in the programme for three months, with improved social functioning and reduced illicit drug use.
A low-dose nicotine patch was found to be effective in controlling the severity and frequency of motor tics in children with Tourette's syndrome. The study showed that patients with active nicotine patches did better than those with control patches, even when receiving reduced doses of haloperidol.
Neuroscientists identified brain regions activated by eating chocolate's rewarding and aversive aspects, offering insights into addiction and eating disorders. The study provides a novel model for understanding addiction using primary reinforcers like fat and sweet.
Researchers found that using rewards with naltrexone significantly improved treatment retention and naltrexone compliance. Patients who earned vouchers for drug-free behavior saw an increase in these outcomes.
A team of researchers at Northeastern University has discovered a specific molecular change in the brain that causes people to crave higher dosages of drugs over time. The finding could lead to more effective treatments for heroin addicts and cancer patients with chronic pain.
A Yale study shows that combining newer antipsychotic drugs with a nicotine patch leads to nearly triple the success rate in quitting smoking for schizophrenic patients. The study found that this combination was particularly effective in reducing carbon monoxide levels, a by-product of cigarette smoke.
The Walking A Good Path calendar is an inspirational and educational resource developed by NIDA and American Indian organizations. The calendar shares current science-based information on drug abuse, addiction, prevention, and treatment, highlighting the health risks and effective strategies for Native American communities.
Yale researchers found that early life stress enhances vulnerability to drug addiction. Rat pups separated from their mothers experienced increased self-administration of cocaine as adults. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions for children with early life traumas.
A study has shown that two new medications, LAAM and buprenorphine, are effective in treating heroin addiction, with all three medications dramatically reducing heroin use. The research found that patients on these medications had a 90% drop in heroin use and were more likely to stay in treatment.
Researchers discovered that nicotine uses a mechanism responsible for learning and memory to enhance neural connections and induce an enduring memory trace. This finding suggests new targets for drugs designed to block nicotine craving.
A study published by Emory University researchers found that a naturally occurring neurotransmitter called CART peptide produces behaviors associated with cocaine and methamphetamine. The finding suggests a role for the brain chemical in modulating or mediating the actions of drugs and potentially treating addiction.
Researchers discovered a new approach to treating schizophrenia by creating medications that only last intermittently in the brain, reducing prominent side effects. This breakthrough opens doors to significant changes in how schizophrenia is treated and could lead to more effective medications with better tolerability.
A study combining disulfiram (Antabuse) with buprenorphine found that participants who received both experienced longer periods of cocaine abstinence and achieved continuous abstinence sooner than those receiving only buprenorphine. No significant differences were observed in opiate abstinence between the two groups.
A study found that 80% of children with severe explosive temper and mood variations responded positively to divalproex, an anti-convulsant medication. The treatment improved behavior and responses in these children, who are often isolated from peers due to their disorders.
A NIDA-supported survey found that two-thirds of NYC clinicians are willing to provide methadone maintenance treatment in their offices. This could expand access to treatment for the 600,000 diagnosed heroin addicts in the US who currently receive fewer than 20% of treatment.
The UCSF Department of Psychiatry is using a $7.9 million grant to study creative ways to treat complex, substance-abusing patients in community settings. The research will focus on four areas, including computer-based interventions for smokers and HIV-positive heroin addicts.
A new study from Washington University in St. Louis reveals a clear tendency among college students to become addicted to more than one common substance or activity, with exercise yielding the highest level of addiction and strong connections between certain activities and self-esteem. The study found large correlations within and betw...
Researchers have identified two brain chemicals, delta-FosB and GluR2, as major contributors to the addiction process. The study found that delta-FosB increases sensitivity to cocaine reward by activating genes involved in glutamate receptors, leading to compulsive behavior.
A French medical researcher claims that moderate caffeine consumption does not lead to addiction, but rather increases alertness and energy. However, high doses of caffeine can trigger functional activity in the brain's reward system, leading to potential negative effects such as anxiety and depression.
Researchers mapped brain regions affected by cocaine and found that addiction is linked to the right side of the brain. The study used a powerful brain-imaging technique to map frontal-lobe regions associated with cocaine's effects in 20 cocaine addicts.
A new Johns Hopkins study suggests better ways of taking LAAM, a drug similar to methadone, by increasing dosage frequency and reducing side effects. The study found significant reductions in heroin use among participants, with over 80% staying with the treatment, and increased patient adherence due to its longer-acting benefits.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is hosting a two-day national conference to discuss the latest scientific research on nicotine addiction. The conference will highlight the behavioral and neurobiological bases of nicotine addiction, as well as state-of-the-art treatment strategies and prevention methods.
A study discovered that individuals carrying a genetic variant in the CYP2A6 enzyme break down nicotine more slowly, leading to greater resistance to nicotine addiction. This finding suggests that medications targeting the enzyme may help prevent and treat nicotine addiction.
A study by INFORMS shows that introducing difficult-to-reuse syringes, also known as DTRs, into the current needle population does not reduce HIV rates among addicts. In fact, it increases the risk of exposure to infectious needles due to increased reuse of regular syringes.
The center will bring together leading cellular and molecular neuroscientists to focus on addiction from an interdisciplinary approach. It aims to understand how addicting drugs act on receptors and disrupt normal communication between nerve cells in the brain, with the ultimate goal of finding new therapeutic approaches for addiction.
Researchers at Emory University have synthesized a compound called RTI-113 that targets the same dopamine transporters as cocaine, with potential to treat addiction and eating disorders. The medication reduces self-administration in monkeys and shows promise in managing urge for 'out-of-control' drug-seeking behaviors.
The study uses fMRI to map brain activity in response to cocaine, revealing a broader range of brain structures involved than previously thought. The nucleus accumbens and amygdala play key roles in the reward system, with the former associated with reinforcement and the latter with incentive.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered a protein called Homer that strengthens the link between drug addiction and long-term memory. The study found that Homer binds to nerve cells' message-receiving structures, potentially leading to new treatments for addiction.
The Brookhaven National Lab has been named a Drug Addiction Study Center, focusing on brain chemistry and imaging techniques to develop new treatments. Research will study cocaine, heroin, nicotine, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, aiming to understand the biological bases of addiction.