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addiction

This shows a teen sitting against a wall

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 8, 2019·2 min read

Performance-enhancing drugs may increase risk of teen cocaine abuse

Teens who use anabolic steroids are at increased risk of cocaine use disorder, researchers report.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 3, 2019·2 min read

Opioid epidemic is increasing rates of some infectious diseases

The opioid epidemic is fueling a surge in infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and soft tissue infections, researchers report.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 2, 2019·5 min read

Study reveals genes associated with heavy drinking and alcoholism

18 genetic variants have been identified which appear to be associated with alcohol use disorder and heavy drinking. Of these genes, five were overlapped, eight were associated with heavy consumption and five were linked to an increased risk of AUD. The study concluded that while heavy drinking is a risk factor for alcoholism, it is not a sufficient cause of the disorder.

a sad young girl is looking out of a window

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·March 22, 2019·4 min read

Child and adolescent anxiety could be linked to later alcohol problems

Study finds some evidence of a positive link between early life anxiety and later alcohol use disorder. However, there was no consistent link between anxiety in childhood and drinking frequency or binge drinking.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 18, 2019·5 min read

Scientists hunt down the brain circuit responsible for alcohol cravings

Optogenetic inactivation of CRF neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala decreases escalation of alcohol consumption and intensity of withdrawal in rodent models of alcoholism. The findings suggest a potential target for treating excessive drinking in alcohol use disorder.

Two brightly colored brain images are shown side by side.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 5, 2019·5 min read

NIH Study of Brain Energy Patterns Provides New Insights into Alcohol Effects

Neuroimaging research from NIH/NIAAA provides a new method to characterize how brain activity relates to glucose consumption, which could help us understand how alcohol and other substances and activities affect our brains.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 28, 2019·4 min read

Is Alcohol Consumption More Helpful Than Harmful? It Depends on Your Age

Researchers report younger people are more likely to die from alcohol consumption, where as older people are more likely to see health benefits from moderate drinking.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 27, 2019·3 min read

Smoking and Alcohol: Double Trouble for the Brain

A new study reports those with alcohol addiction who also smoke may be at an increased risk of neural damage. The study revealed higher levels of oxidative stress in the hippocampus, and a a decrease in neurotrophic factor in the striatum and frontal cortex in rats exposed to both alcohol and tobacco.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 22, 2019·9 min read

Finding the Elusive Drinking ‘Brake’

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism in the BNST that senses the negative effects of alcohol and modulates the urge to drink. The study reports that when this mechanism doesn't function correctly, we lose the ability to recognize that we have had enough to drink.

Featured Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles Pain

·February 13, 2019·7 min read

Breakthrough in Developing Blood Test for Pain

Researchers have identified biomarkers in the blood which can help determine the severity of a person's pain level. The findings could help doctors to accurately measure pain and stem the opioid crisis.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 13, 2019·4 min read

Drinking and Drug Use Dreams During Recovery Linked to More Severe Addiction History

A new study reports relapse dreams are more common in those with severe clinical histories of addiction. Researchers say the frequency of these relapse dreams decrease as the brain and body adapt to abstinence.