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heroin

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Featured Genetics Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 15, 2020·4 min read

Heroin-Addicted Individuals Have Unique Brain Disturbances Resembling Those of Alzheimer’s

Altered expression of FYN, a gene associated with the production of Tau, was identified in the brains of people addicted to heroin. Findings suggest opioid use can affect the brain in a way that might cause vulnerability in neural systems that can trigger neurodegeneration later in life.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 13, 2019·4 min read

Opiates reduce the brain’s ability to form and maintain synapses

Opiate exposure causes synaptic rewiring in the nucleus accumbens in addition to decreasing dendritic spines. The findings shed light into the neurobiology of opiate relapse.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 30, 2018·4 min read

Dopamine Drives Early Addiction to Heroin

Researchers have identified a significant role dopamine plays in the development of heroin addiction. The study reports dopamine appears to directly cause drug reinforcement and, when dopamine neurons are silenced, mice are less likely to self administer the drug.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 30, 2018·5 min read

Opioid Use Prevalent Among Electronic Dance Music Partygoers

Researchers report 10 percent of people who have attended EDM events have misused opioids in the past 12 months. The number, researchers say, exceeds national averages. Oxycontin was reported to be the most widely misused drug within the scene.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·January 29, 2018·4 min read

Glial Cells Play Key Role in Regulating Motivation for Drug in Heroin Addiction

Researchers report in glial cells, drug induced plasticity can reduce the motivation for heroin. The findings could help develop new treatments for opioid addiction.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 18, 2017·5 min read

New Vaccine Technology Shows Promise as a Tool to Combat the Opioid Crisis

A new vaccine blocks the effects of heroin by preventing the drug from crossing the blood-brain barrier. Researchers believe the vaccine could be helpful in curbing the opioid epidemic.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·November 16, 2017·4 min read

New Painkillers Reduce Overdose Risk

Researchers have developed a new pain killer that is on par with conventional opioids, but does not affect respiration, which is the main cause of opioid overdose.