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addiction

This shows a boy and a girl, and their brains.

·November 21, 2025·6 min read

Early Brain Activity Differences Predict Addiction Risk in Boys vs Girls

A large-scale analysis of nearly 1,900 children found that those with a family history of substance use disorder show early differences in how their brains transition between activity states, long before any drug exposure. Girls with family history showed increased transition energy in introspective networks, suggesting greater difficulty shifting out of internal, stress-linked states.

This shows a person holding a joint and a glass of scotch.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 19, 2025·7 min read

Cannabis Blunts Alcohol Cravings

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial shows that cannabis with active THC reduces immediate alcohol cravings and lowers drinking levels in heavy-drinking young adults. After smoking THC, participants not only drank less, they waited longer before taking the first sip and reported lower urges to drink.

This shows a man holding a wine glass against a psychedelic backdrop.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 10, 2025·4 min read

Psychedelics Calm Stress Circuits to Reduce Alcohol Drinking

New research shows that psilocin, the active metabolite of the psychedelic psilocybin, may reduce alcohol consumption by calming stress-sensitive neurons in the central amygdala. In female mice exposed to long-term alcohol use, psilocin dampened the hyperactivity of these neurons, temporarily reducing drinking.

This shows a man and a glass of whiskey.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 28, 2025·4 min read

Gene That Controls How Sensitive You Are to Alcohol Discovered

Researchers have discovered that a gene called CHRNA3 plays a key role in determining alcohol sensitivity, helping explain why some people tolerate alcohol better than others. When this gene was mutated, subjects were slower to avoid alcohol and consumed more of it, showing reduced sensitivity to its calming effects.

This shows a person running and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 21, 2025·5 min read

High-Intensity Exercise May Protect Against Cocaine Addiction

A new study shows that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more effective than moderate exercise at protecting adolescent lab animals from cocaine use. Animals exposed to HIIT developed a preference for non-drug environments and an aversion to cocaine, linked to increases in ΔFosB, a molecular switch involved in addiction.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 12, 2025·6 min read

Stress Relief Brain Circuit May Drive Alcohol Relapse

A new study highlights how the brain learns to keep alcohol addiction going, not for pleasure but to escape withdrawal stress.

This shows a featured brain and a cannabis leaf.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 26, 2025·4 min read

High-THC Cannabis Linked to Psychosis and Addiction

A systematic review of nearly 100 studies found that high-THC cannabis products are linked to negative mental health outcomes, particularly psychosis, schizophrenia, and cannabis use disorder. While some therapeutic research hinted at benefits for anxiety and depression, results were inconsistent and often showed potential harm.

This shows a brain surrounded by chains.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·August 22, 2025·5 min read

New Drug Aims to Block Pain Without Addiction Risks

Chronic pain affects millions, but opioid medications bring high risks of dependence and side effects. Researchers have now pinpointed specific neurons in the amygdala that make pain feel unpleasant, opening the door to drugs that ease suffering without shutting down normal sensation.

This shows a brain with a neutral network spreading from the PFC. A drink glass is behind the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 16, 2025·5 min read

Boosting Prefrontal Dopamine Shows Promise in Cutting Alcohol Use

A new study reveals that tolcapone, a dopamine-enhancing drug, strengthens brain circuits involved in self-control while reducing alcohol intake in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The drug boosts activity in the inferior frontal gyrus, part of the prefrontal cortex, which supports inhibitory control.

This shows two people surrounded by smoke at a crossroads, implying quitting smoking could help resolve other addiction issues.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 13, 2025·6 min read

Quitting Smoking May Boost Recovery From Other Addictions

A large-scale U.S. analysis found that adults recovering from alcohol or other drug addictions were significantly more likely to maintain long-term remission if they also quit smoking. Using data from over 2,600 participants in the ongoing PATH Study, researchers discovered that those who went from being current to former smokers had a 42% greater chance of sustaining recovery from their non-tobacco addictions.

This shows the outline of a head and neurons.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 23, 2025·4 min read

Emotional Pain Brain Circuit Drives Cocaine Relapse

A new study reveals that a brain circuit driving negative emotions during cocaine withdrawal plays a key role in relapse. Researchers found that this “anti-reward” network becomes hyperactive during abstinence, amplifying distress and pushing users back toward the drug.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 19, 2025·7 min read

Addictive Screen Use, Not Time, Tied to Teen Suicide Risk

A major new study reveals that teens who develop compulsive patterns of digital use are at higher risk of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and mental health issues. Unlike total screen time, it’s the addictive nature of use—such as distress when not online or using screens to escape—that most strongly predicts poor outcomes.

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addiction

Early Brain Activity Differences Predict Addiction Risk in Boys vs Girls

Cannabis Blunts Alcohol Cravings

Psychedelics Calm Stress Circuits to Reduce Alcohol Drinking

Gene That Controls How Sensitive You Are to Alcohol Discovered

High-Intensity Exercise May Protect Against Cocaine Addiction

Stress Relief Brain Circuit May Drive Alcohol Relapse

High-THC Cannabis Linked to Psychosis and Addiction

New Drug Aims to Block Pain Without Addiction Risks

Boosting Prefrontal Dopamine Shows Promise in Cutting Alcohol Use

Quitting Smoking May Boost Recovery From Other Addictions

Emotional Pain Brain Circuit Drives Cocaine Relapse

Addictive Screen Use, Not Time, Tied to Teen Suicide Risk

Thought Begins Before We’re Born

Genetics Point to a New Type of Suicide Risk

Stress-Like Behaviors Traced to a Single ATP Circuit in the Brain

Psychedelic ‘Ego Death’ Tied to a Collapse in Alpha Brain Waves

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