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addiction

·April 22, 2026·7 min read

Embryonic Pathways Found to Balance the Adult Mind

Researchers discovered that a signaling pathway used in brain development is repurposed in adulthood to balance behavioral persistence and flexibility.

This shows a brain coming out of a cell phone.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 15, 2026·8 min read

Is Social Media Addiction a Clinical Reality?

Following a $6M lawsuit against Meta and Google, researchers argue that while social media impacts brain rewards, it lacks the formal APA criteria to be classified as a clinical addiction.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 13, 2026·5 min read

Enriched Environments Could Blunt Opioid Addiction

New research shows that environmental enrichment reduces fentanyl intake and prevents stress-induced relapse by lowering stress hormones, offering a scalable strategy for addiction treatment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 13, 2026·9 min read

Brain’s Emotion Center Redefines Hazardous Drinking

A reactive amygdala predicts heavy drinking in young men via depressive symptoms, but actually protects young women by fostering "threat avoidance."

This shows the outline of a stressed person and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 31, 2026·9 min read

Direct Link Between Stress and Addiction Found

Researchers discovered a brain pathway linking stress centers directly to habit regions. While stress normally promotes flexibility, alcohol disrupts this circuit, explaining why stress leads to compulsive drinking and relapse.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 30, 2026·6 min read

Metabolites “Rewrite” Brain Genes in Addiction

Researchers found that alcohol metabolites directly regulate gene expression in the brain. The ventral hippocampus is especially sensitive to these epigenetic changes, providing a new molecular target for treating alcohol use disorder.

This shows people walking and smoking in an infographic style.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 29, 2026·7 min read

Nicotine Vapes Outperform Patches and Gum for Quitters

A major overview of 14 systematic reviews confirms that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective for quitting smoking than patches, gum, or behavioral support. Researchers say the evidence is now "clear and consistent."

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·March 20, 2026·10 min read

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Opioid Addictions Share Genetic Roots

It’s in the wiring. A massive study reveals that the genetic risk for addiction is mostly shared across all substances and linked to the brain’s "impulse control" center.

This shows a crowd of people and one person with a thought bubble and a bottle inside it.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 2, 2026·6 min read

Why Socializing Loses to Alcohol in Addiction

New research reveals that activity in the anterior insula primes the brain to choose alcohol over social interaction, offering a new target for addiction treatment.

This shows a brain in a wine glass with a syringe above it. Behind is a strand of DNA.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 21, 2026·7 min read

Mounjaro’s Active Ingredient Slashes Alcohol Intake

From weight loss to sobriety. New research reveals how the active ingredient in Mounjaro "mutes" the brain's reward system to slash alcohol cravings.

This shows a brain with the nucleus accumbens highlighted, showing where the drug activates to prevent opioid relapse behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 13, 2026·7 min read

Glaucoma Drug Repurposed to Block Opioid Cravings and Relapse

An old drug for glaucoma might be the key to stopping opioid relapse. New research shows acetazolamide "resets" the brain's reward center to block cravings.

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

Featured Neuroscience

·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.