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addiction

·May 8, 2026·8 min read

Brain Switch for Action and Stress Identified

By mapping the interaction between the locus coeruleus and the anterior cingulate cortex, researchers found a mechanism that regulates the intensity of the body’s fight-or-flight responses. This discovery offers a transformative roadmap for treating Parkinson’s mobility issues and modulating stress-induced cravings in alcohol use disorder.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 8, 2026·9 min read

Brain Stimulation Boosts Willpower to Quit Smoking

Addiction is a biological imbalance where reward systems overpower self-control. Researchers have demonstrated that using rTMS to stimulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can restore this balance, reducing cigarette use by 11 per day. This "top-down" approach strengthens the brain's ability to resist cravings, offering a promising precision-medicine tool for those struggling to quit smoking.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 7, 2026·9 min read

GLP-1 Drugs Found to Directly Rewire Brain’s Reward System

Researchers have discovered a neural pathway connecting the amygdala to dopamine neurons that allows these weight-loss medications to reduce the desire for rewarding foods, offering a new explanation for their effectiveness and their impact on addictive behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience

·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.