Feature Channels: Addiction

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New research from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York reveals that repeated exposure to cocaine decreases the activity of a protein necessary for normal functioning of the brain’s reward system, thus enhancing the reward for cocaine use, which leads to addiction. Investigators were also able to block the ability of repeated cocaine exposure, to induce addiction. The findings, published online April 22 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, provide the first evidence of how cocaine changes the shape and size of neuron rewards in a mouse model.

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Patients with addictive disorders who take methadone or other opioid medications for pain will experience heightened sensitivity to pain, known as hyperalgesia, and new research published in The Journal of Pain shows that the condition does not improve over the course of treatment.

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Anti-tobacco television advertising helps reduce adult smoking, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy -- but some ads may be more effective than others.

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Substance use is considerably more stigmatized than smoking or obesity, according to a new study by Albright College.

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To curb employees’ on-the-job substance use and intoxication, bosses need to do more than just be around their employees all day, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

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Youth with parental separation anxiety also at decreased risk.

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Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have found that when they deplete a smoker’s self control, smoking a cigarette may restore self-control.

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Participating in an online March Madness bracket or fantasy sport league is harmless fun for most people, but for someone with a gambling addiction, it can be a dangerous temptation. “Now, with states entertaining the possibility of increasing revenue through legalizing internet gambling, it is even more important to pay attention to groups that may be vulnerable to problem gambling, particularly youth,” says Renee Cunningham-Williams, PhD, gambling addictions expert and associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. “Internet gambling provides youth with increased opportunities to gamble, which is particularly concerning because this generation is arguably the most technologically savvy of any generation in history.”

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Now a group of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has discovered that a tiny molecule in the fly’s brain called neuropeptide F governs this behavior—as the levels of the molecule change in their brains, the flies’ behavior changes as well.

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A single injection of cocaine or methamphetamine in mice caused their brains to put the brakes on neurons that generate sensations of pleasure, and these cellular changes lasted for at least a week, according to research by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

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The risk of abusing drugs is greater – even for adopted children – if the family environment in which they are raised is dysfunctional, according to a new study conducted by a collaborative team from Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden.

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Middle- and high-school students who bully their classmates are more likely than others to use substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, a new study found.

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RTI International has added a collection of substance abuse and addiction-related measures to an online toolkit aimed at helping researchers better understand the relationships between genetics, health, disease and environment.

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New Johns Hopkins research suggests that providing housing contingent on drug abstinence to inner-city opioid abusers leaving a detoxification program significantly increases their chances of remaining drug free six months later.

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Patients taking opioid analgesics for chronic pain who are not substance-dependent or addicted can frequently experience cravings to take more medication, but this behavior is not associated with pain levels or spikes in pain intensity, according to research reported in The Journal of Pain, the peer-review journal of the American Pain Society

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A Journal of Addiction Medicine (JAM) study was cited in a recent Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) series highlighting an emerging problem in addiction therapy: the diversion and misuse of the medication buprenorphine. The official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, JAM is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Cigarette smoke has long been considered the main risk factor for heart disease. But new research, to be presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, shows that nicotine itself can contribute to the disease process.

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A new report shows 7.5 million children under age 18 (10.5 percent of this population) lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. According to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 6.1 million of these children live with two parents—with either one or both parents experiencing an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

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A new book, "Tobacco Capitalism", by Washington University in St. Louis anthropologist Peter Benson, PhD, examines the impact of the transformation of the U.S. tobacco industry on farmers, workers and the American public. The book reveals public health threats, the impact of off-shoring, and the immigration issues related to tobacco production, specifically in rural North Carolina.

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Adolescents who are "internet addicts" may also be at increased risk of substance abuse, suggests a study in the March issue of Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Data could lead to better advice for primary-care doctors struggling with a rising tide of older adult patients still in throes of youthful bad habits.

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A study of a controversial housing project that allows chronically homeless people with severe alcohol problems to drink in their apartments found that during their first two years in the building residents cut their heavy drinking by 35 percent.

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An outpatient clinic founded on evidence-based treatments has opened at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions (CNRA) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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Drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

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UCLA researchers have identified how a component of an ancient Chinese herbal anti-hangover medicine called dihydromyricetin, isolated from the plant Hovenia, counteracts acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms.The research team determined that dihydromyricetin may provide a molecular target and cellular mechanism to counteract alcohol intoxication and dependence, leading to new therapeutic treatments.

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Smokers planning to kick the habit may have more success if they begin using a cessation medication several weeks before they actually try to quit.

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Romantic partners are a powerful influence. But a new study conducted by Dalhousie University researchers has revealed that dating couples may have more influence over each other than you think – especially when it comes to binge drinking.

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New study provides support for a bi-directional pathway between non-medical prescription opioid use and opioid-use disorder due to non-medical use and several mood anxiety disorders

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Admission rates for the treatment of alcohol, heroin, and cocaine abuse have decreased—rates for marijuana abuse treatment have increased during the same time frame.

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An attentive, nurturing mother may be able to help her children better resist the temptations of drug use later in life, according to a study involving the University of Adelaide.

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The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) has published a 2012 Membership Directory to help those who must quickly identify sources of help for individuals with psychiatric and addictive disorders.

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Approximately half of all energy drink-related emergency department visits by patients aged 18 to 25 involved the additional use of alcohol or other drugs.

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Discovering when and why students smoke might lead to the development of better intervention methods, according to researchers at the University of Missouri. In an article published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, the researchers showed that partying, drinking and work prompted college students to recall their smoking experience, and that smoking occurred most often at the start of the semester and on weekends.

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A new study of teens undergoing substance abuse treatment finds helping others helps the adolescent helper by reducing cravings for alcohol and drugs, a major precipitator of relapse.

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Substance use is widespread among adolescents in the United States, particularly among those of Native American, white, Hispanic and multiple race/ethnicity, and these groups are also disproportionally affected by substance-related disorders, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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College students who have served in the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely than their non-veteran peers to use tobacco, drink in excess and engage in other behaviors that endanger their health and safety, according to a study that appeared in the latest issue of American Journal of Health Promotion.

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A nationally honored University of Cincinnati doctoral student’s research is published this month by the American Psychological Association.

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A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that differences in brain activation in individuals with a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to their inability to recognize modest levels of alcohol intoxication. Their findings could provide the potential to identify individuals who are at risk for developing an alcohol-use disorder before it develops – in essence, providing a marker for this vulnerability.

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A new publication, Strategizer 55—Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide, outlines available evidence-based community prevention strategies shown to decrease the consequences associated with alcohol outlet density, the concentration of bars, restaurants serving alcohol, and liquor and package stores in a given geographic area.

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A new study that examined responses to stimulants is the first to demonstrate that caffeine reinforcement prospectively predicts the positive effects of another drug.

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Men in treatment on average go longer between first use and first admission for treatment than do women. A new report shows that among the 669,000 adults admitted for substance abuse treatment for the first time last year, an average of 15.6 years had elapsed since the first time they started using the substance they were primarily being treated for. The study, Length of Time from First Use to Adult Treatment Admission, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), indicates that while the average time between first use of a substance of abuse and first treatment for it may vary by type of substance and demographic groups, in almost all cases it involves a lag time of several years.

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If you cover drug addiction or alcoholism on your beat or have an interest in these and related social topics for future story opportunities, you don’t want to miss the upcoming Addiction Studies Program for Journalists November 10 and 11. Registration is open to a total of 20 qualified working journalists.

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The National Quit & Recovery Registry at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute allows scientists to observe methods used by addicts to quit and provides encouragement to those who struggle with addiction.

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Delaying the age when kids try alcohol or smoking decreases the likelihood that they will become dependent later in life. A new study of Communities That Care, a prevention system developed by University of Washington researchers, shows that tenth graders in towns using they system were less likely to have tried drinking or smoking. Delinquent behavior decreased too.

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Social media websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, may reveal information that could identify underage college students who may be at risk for problem drinking, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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University of Adelaide researchers have found that immune cells in your brain may contribute to how you respond to alcohol.

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The drinking habits of a romantic partner’s friends are more likely to impact an adolescent’s future drinking than are the behaviors of an adolescent’s own friends or significant other, according to a new study in the October issue of the American Sociological Review.

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When does abstinence trump getting high? Daily call-in study aims to determine what makes users of the most commonly consumed illicit drug -- marijuana -- stop or cut back.

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An enzyme that appears to play a role in controlling the brain's response to nicotine and alcohol in mice might be a promising target for a drug that simultaneously would treat nicotine addiction and alcohol abuse in people, according to a study by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco.

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Information researchers at the University of Arkansas have found evidence that suggests dangerous mobile phone usage while driving may be attributed to obsessive-compulsive disorder traits rather than addiction. The findings have significant policy implications because most legislation prohibiting mobile phone usage while driving – which generally has failed – has relied on research that links dangerous and excessive usage to addictive traits.