This is Archived Content. This content is available for historical purposes only. It may not reflect the current state of science or language from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). View current news releases on nida.nih.gov.
NIDA researchers confirm important brain reward pathway
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Details of the role of glutamate, the brain’s excitatory chemical, in a drug reward pathway have been identified for the first time. This discovery in rodents - published today in...
Effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on cries in human infants and rat pups
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Prenatal exposure to cocaine is associated with various neurobehavioral deficits, but there are many confounding factors, including poverty and the mother’s use of other drugs during pregnancy, that make it...
New CME/CE course addresses substance use
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Announcement A new continuing medical education/continuing education course (CME/CE), Talking to Patients About Health Risk Behaviors, adds to a growing body of tools available through the National Institute on Drug...
Engaging High-Risk Youth in Prevention Programs
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Most adults with substance abuse disorders start using drugs during adolescence. Most prevention programs have been designed for younger youth, with programs for older teens—especially those at high risk who...
Impact of Availability on Marijuana Use
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Widening acceptance of and access to medical marijuana in many U.S. states raises questions about how availability of marijuana in communities affects incidence and prevalence of marijuana use. A new...
Using social media to better understand, prevent, and treat substance use
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More than $11 million over three years will be used to support research exploring the use of social media to advance the scientific understanding, prevention, and treatment of substance use...
Impact of Methadone on Brain Cell Development
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Since 1999, there has been a dramatic increase in opioid overdose deaths and addiction to opioid drugs, including both prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin. Increased rates of addiction have...
Role of Brain Nicotinic Receptors in Nicotine and Cocaine Addiction
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Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide yet current FDA-approved anti-smoking agents have been only moderately effective in maintaining abstinence. In addition, cocaine is a powerfully addictive...
Serotonergic and nonserotonergic participation in reward circuitry
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Defining Reward Circuitry Previous research has shown that the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus (DRN) plays a paradoxical role in reward. Although it contains the brain’s largest group of serotonin-producing neurons and...
Unique interaction discovered between brain regions involved in addiction, depression
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NIDA IRP researchers have discovered a unique interaction between a nerve cell in the brain’s ventral tegmental area and the lateral habenula - a pathway implicated in mental health disorders...
Review summarizes research on health effects of K2/Spice
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K2, a popular brand of “Spice” mixture Image courtesy Coolidge Youth Coalition A new article, authored by scientists from NIDA and the University of Maryland, provides an overview of preclinical...
Short video increases HIV testing in emergency department patients who initially declined
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A NIDA-funded study shows that one-third of emergency department patients who initially declined to be tested for HIV changed their minds after watching a 16-minute video. This video described the...
National Drug Facts Week 2015 to begin January 26
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National Drug Facts Week, which brings together teens and scientific experts to shatter persistent myths about drug use and addiction, will be held Jan. 26 through Feb. 1, 2015. Ideas...
Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Affects Brain Development Through Adolescence
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Prenatal exposure to drugs can have long-term detrimental impact on the developing brain. Cocaine, for example, can readily cross the placenta and directly impact critical neurotransmitter systems in the fetal...
Commentary: More research needed into marijuana’s effects on brain development and function
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A journal commentary by Harvard researcher and NIDA grantee Bertha K. Madras stresses the importance of a large scale longitudinal study to better assess the effects of marijuana use on...
Orbitofrontal Cortex Is Key to Insight Abilities Lost in Addiction
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Ability to anticipate likely outcomes of one’s own actions—or insight—is compromised by drug addiction, and this loss of insight may be an important contributor to relapse. Insight has recently been...
Journal issue explores early interventions to prevent risky sexual behaviors related to HIV/AIDS
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A special issue of the journal Prevention Science spotlights six NIDA-funded early interventions (delivered prior to the onset of adolescence) that successfully reduced later health-risking sexual behaviors related to HIV/AIDS...
Early-life Stress Differentially Impacts Reward Circuitry in Mice
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Stressful early-life experiences can have profound effects on lifelong physical and mental health and well-being. Emotional abuse during childhood increases the risk of developing substance abuse and obesity and may...
Regular marijuana users may have impaired brain reward centers
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New research shows that regular marijuana users show impairments in the brain’s ability to respond to dopamine – a brain chemical that is involved in reward, among other functions. Although...
NIH system to monitor emerging drug trends
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An innovative National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) is being developed to monitor emerging trends that will help health experts respond quickly to potential outbreaks of illicit drugs such as...
Passive e-cigarette exposure may urge young adults to smoke
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A new NIDA-funded study shows that being around someone who is using (vaping) an e-cigarette can trigger a desire for tobacco cigarettes in young adults who regularly smoke. This passive...
The Future of Genotyping in Addiction Treatment
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Two recent studies suggest that clinicians may one day be able to use genotyping to personalize treatment for opioid addiction. One study associated a rare variant of the gene for...
New brain imaging dataset now available to enhance reliability and reproducibility
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A new NIDA-supported dataset will now allow researchers to compare their MRI-based scans against more than 10,000 brain images, thereby enhancing reliability and reproducibility. The Consortium for Reproducibility and Reliability...
Social media can influence teens with pro-drug messages
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A new NIDA-funded study analyzed the content and demographic reach of a popular pro-marijuana Twitter handle in 2013 and found that only ten percent of the messages mentioned any risky...
Study compares effectiveness of oral drug tests for recent marijuana use
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A variety of oral drug testing devices are available to determine recent marijuana use. For the first time, a new NIDA study compares the ability of these devices to accurately...
NIDA review summarizes research on marijuana’s negative health effects
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The current state of science on the adverse health effects of marijuana use links the drug to several significant adverse effects including addiction, a review reports. The article, published today...
MDMA can be fatal in warm environments
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A moderate dose of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly, that is typically nonfatal in cool, quiet environments can be lethal in rats exposed to conditions that mimic the...
Small Study Reveals Clinicians’ Widely Varied Use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Information
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Most U.S. states now have prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) available to help physicians identify patients who may be abusing medications such as opioids or who are engaged in doctor...
More Colorado drivers in fatal car crashes testing positive for marijuana
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A new NIAAA- and NIDA-funded study shows an increased number of marijuana-positive Colorado drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes since Colorado’s legalization of medical marijuana in 2009. A similar...
Clarifying the Role(s) of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Cocaine Addiction
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Preclinical studies of cocaine self-administration agree on the importance of medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activation in rodent cocaine seeking but have pointed to distinct, apparently conflicting roles for this structure...
NIH Pain Consortium’s first pain care curriculum improves clinical skills
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Preview of e-learning chronic pain care module, "Edna" An online training module designed for the evaluation and care of chronic pain greatly improved medical student clinical skills, according to a...
NIDA offers tools for talking to teens about marijuana
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Two updated booklets about marijuana for teens and their parents will help families sort out marijuana myths from science-based facts. The revamped tools come from the National Institute on Drug...
The Link Between Early Stress and Drug Abuse May Involve Catecholamines and Delay Discounting
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Life stress is a predictor of risky behaviors such as drug abuse, and a growing body of research suggests that the link may involve elevated activity of the sympathetic nervous...
2014 Avant-Garde Awards focus on strengthening the immune system
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Dr. Jacques Normand describes the 2014 NIDA Avant-Garde awards Watch video With proposals ranging from enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight HIV infection to improving long-term immune health in...
Study of third hand nicotine from e-cigarette exposure wins top NIH Addiction Science Award
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An exploration of third-hand nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes was given the top Addiction Science Award at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)—the world’s largest science competition for...
Early interventions can decrease drug use in young women
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A NIDA-funded study shows that adolescent girls who were involved in the juvenile justice system and participated in Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) showed decreased drug use over a two-year...
Gene variant found to make quitting smoking less likely even when the stakes are high
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Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common cause of sickness and death, and smoking is a major risk factor. Despite efforts of hospitals to encourage quitting in those who have had...
Dr. Joni Rutter to lead NIDA’s genetics and basic science research division
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is pleased to announce that Joni Rutter, Ph.D., has been named Division Director for the Division...
NIDA announces new resources for healthcare providers
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the NIH, is pleased to introduce two new, science-based resources through its NIDAMED initiative to help healthcare professionals manage patients at...
HHS leaders call for expanded use of medications to combat opioid overdose epidemic
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A national response to the epidemic of prescription opioid overdose deaths was outlined yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine by leaders of agencies in the U.S. Department of...
Comprehensive prevention programs successful in decreasing HIV rates in people who inject drugs
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A new NIDA-funded large-scale study shows that comprehensive prevention programs can decrease HIV infection in injection drug users within the criminal justice system. This study analyzed the success of programs...
Antiretroviral Treatment During Incarceration Can Produce Optimal Viral Suppression
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HIV/AIDS prevalence is three times greater in correctional facilities than in the community, and one sixth of the 1.2 million Americans living with the disease spend time in prisons each...
Implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) under the Affordable Care Act
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Untreated substance use disorders (SUDs) place individuals at significantly greater risk for a wide range of diseases and are a significant public health burden, yet only one tenth of Americans...
Web-based intervention strengthens drug abuse treatment
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A new study shows that incorporating the web-based Therapeutic Education System (TES) intervention in the treatment of drug abuse can not only help people stop using drugs, but can also...
Medication can help prevent relapse in cocaine-dependent males
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This image compares relapse rates for drug-addicted patients with those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Relapse is common and similar across these illnesses (as is adherence to medication). Thus...
Targeting delta opioid receptor may reduce pain without causing addiction
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at NIH funded a new study researching the delta opioid receptor (DOR), a pain receptor located under the skin that regulates minor skin...
Novel THC Analogues Hold Promise for the Development of Safer, More Effective Cannabinoid Medications
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Modulation of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and related compounds holds promise for the treatment of conditions including pain, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, glaucoma, and eating disorders. However...
Smoking cessation associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders
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Rates of smoking are disproportionally high in people with psychiatric and substance use disorders. Historically, smoking has often been seen as a form of self-medication in such people, and some...
Weaker brain connections tied to self-control predict cigarette cravings during nicotine withdrawal
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Tobacco control in the United States is often presented as a major public health achievement. The claim is certainly justified: the percentage of adults who report regular smoking has been...
Computer-Assisted Delivery of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Efficacy and durability of CBT4CBT among cocaine-dependent individuals maintained on methadone
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is empirically well supported for treating substance use disorders, but it remains underutilized due to various factors that tend to limit the availability of certified providers in...
NIDA's updated Heroin Research Report now available online
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Due to growing public concern about heroin and its potentially devastating effects, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has updated its online Heroin Research Report. This Report offers the...
Increased HAART coverage associated with a decrease in morbidity, mortality, and transmission of HIV
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In a new NIDA-funded study, expansion of HIV treatment in British Columbia led to improved HIV/AIDS health outcomes and decreased HIV transmission. The Treatment as Prevention strategy, launched by the...
Transition services for drug using, HIV-infected inmates leaving jail should be gender-specific
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A NIDA-funded study shows that HIV-infected women who are released from jail are more likely to abuse cocaine, have co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and to have worse HIV treatment outcomes compared...
New Study Shows Dry, Contaminated Objects May Transmit HCV for Weeks
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An estimated 3.2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The virus is transmitted from person to person via blood, and in the United States such transmission...
Medication may help patients with severe mental illness stay smoke-free
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Smokers with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders are three times more likely to abstain from smoking over the course of a year if they take varenicline. Although varenicline is an FDA-approved...
NIDA’s Dr. Marilyn Huestis chosen for new National Commission on Forensic Science
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Dr. Marilyn Huestis, Chief of the Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section in NIDA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP), has been selected as an ex-officio member of the newly-created National Commission on...
New substance abuse treatment resources focus on teens
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Teens hear about substance abuse resources Resources to help parents, health care providers, and substance abuse treatment specialists treat teens struggling with drug abuse, as well as identify and interact...
Medication Shows Promise for Treating Methamphetamine Addiction
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No medications are currently approved for the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. However, previous research has suggested that medications acting indirectly on the brain’s dopamine reward system via systems using the...
Severe mental illness tied to higher rates of substance use
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People with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have a higher risk for substance use, especially cigarette smoking, and protective factors usually associated with lower rates of...
Research suggests new genetic target to treat cocaine addiction
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NIDA-funded research shows that a specific mutation in the CYFIP2 gene dramatically lowers responses to cocaine in a mouse model. The mutation appears to affect the CYFIP2 protein, a key...
Registration open for Drug Facts Chat Day; 2014 Drug IQ Challenge preview available
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Schools can now register for Drug Facts Chat Day, NIDA’s annual Web chat that connects NIH scientists with teens around the country, at http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/chat/index.php. YouTube embedded video: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1HlsRRjwa2I Drug Facts...
Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful
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The percentage of high-schoolers who see great risk from being regular marijuana users has dropped dramatically in the past 10 years, according to this year’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey...
Three NIH Institutes highlight collaboration for addiction research
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Research laboratory Today marks the website launch for the Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN) initiative. Comprised of representatives from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National...
Stimulant-addicted patients can quit smoking without hindering treatment
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Smokers who are addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine can quit smoking while being treated for their stimulant addiction, without interfering with stimulant addiction treatment. This is according to new research...
New study shows that drug overdose is the leading cause of death in former prisoners
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A new study identifies drug overdose as the leading cause of death in former prisoners, with prescription opioids most commonly involved in these deaths. In addition, women leaving prison had...
New breath test may detect recent marijuana use
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Marijuana causes serious impairment in motor skills, judgment, and perception, which are necessary for operating a vehicle safely. In the past, testing drivers for recent marijuana use has not been...
Dr. Wilson Compton named Deputy Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
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Wilson Compton, M.D., M.P.E., a nationally known expert on the causes and prevention of drug abuse, has been appointed the Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA,)...
NIDA’s Dr. Wilson Compton receives Health and Human Services Meritorious Service Award
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Dr. Wilson Compton and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Dr. Wilson Compton, director of NIDA’s Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research, was one of ten people to receive the Health...
Gene variant may predict whether a person will benefit from nicotine replacement therapies
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NIH-funded research shows that differences in the CYP2A6 gene -- which controls in part how fast nicotine is metabolized -- can predict whether nicotine replacement therapies (nicotine lozenge and/or nicotine...
Medication to treat marijuana addiction may be on the horizon
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Marijuana plant NIDA funded researchers report that kynurenic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the brain that can lessen the effects of THC in animal models of drug abuse...
No added benefit from risk-reduction counseling at HIV testing
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For persons at risk for HIV, brief risk-reduction counseling at the time of a rapid HIV test does not reduce new sexually transmitted infections in a six-month follow-up. This counseling...
NIDA’s drug abuse information for teens goes mobile
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Teens -- and adults who care for them -- can now find answers to questions about drug abuse and addiction more easily, and through smartphones and tablets. Spanish language versions...
NIDA updates its consumer treatment guide in recognition of National Recovery Month
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People seeking addiction treatment for themselves or loved ones will now have an updated resource with questions they should ask potential treatment centers. The revised consumer guide, Seeking Drug Abuse...
National Drug Facts Week 2014 begins January 27
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As the school year begins, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) encourages educators, community groups and parents to begin planning events for the fourth annual National Drug Facts Week...
2013 Avant-Garde Awards explore HIV without AIDS, protective genes
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Dr. Jacques Normand discusses the NIDA Avant-Garde Award program Watch video With proposals ranging from a combined cocaine/HIV vaccine to unlocking the mystery of genes that protect some people from...
NIDA and Lightlake Therapeutics partner to expand access to medication to treat opioid overdose
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NIDA and Lightlake Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for addictions and conducting clinical trials with intranasal naloxone for the treatment of binge eating disorder, have entered into...
Parents and siblings influence future drug risk in different ways
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NIH-funded research using twin and adoption studies shows that siblings exert a greater environmental influence on a person’s risk for future substance use and other related disorders than was previously...
Statement from NIDA Director Nora Volkow on NIDA’s commitment to marijuana research
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As part of its mandate to study drug abuse and addiction, and other health effects of both legal and illegal drugs, NIDA funds a wide range of research on and...
Voluntary Control of Brain Reward Circuitry
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The dopaminergic system is involved in the encoding and processing of reward and reward-dependent learning. The carefully balanced activity of these dopamine neurons is also one of the first functions...
Meditation and Smoking Reduction
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Cigarette smoking results in more than 440,000 deaths in the United States each year, with an additional 8.6 million people suffering from a serious smoking-related illness. Despite the recognition of...
New Research in Mice Provides Further Evidence that Marijuana Harms the Developing Brain
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NIDA-supported researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have found further evidence that marijuana exposure during adolescence, when prefrontal areas of the brain are still maturing, can produce...
Funding Opportunity Announcements for Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN)
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NIDA, NIAAA, and NCI announce the release of 2 new FOAs to promote the goals of Collaborative Research on Addiction at NIH (CRAN; formerly known as functional integration). Its mission...
Research partnership launched to improve juvenile justice prevention and treatment services for drug abuse, HIV
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This week, NIDA launched the Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS). As part of this JJ-TRIALS cooperative, seven research centers will work together...
Special journal edition focuses on integrating brain science with addiction treatment
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PAB special edition focuses on translational research One of the greatest challenges in addiction research is the translation of research findings to practical clinical use. To that end, the Psychology...
Two studies highlight strategies to reduce teen drug use
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Two studies have reported success in reducing teen drug use. One study examined the effectiveness of specific policies that limit teen access to tobacco products (for example, ID requirements, vending...
Cocaine Vaccine Stops Cocaine in its Tracks
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Cocaine addiction is a major problem for which there is no approved pharmacotherapy. One of the novel approaches being explored right now to treat cocaine addiction is based on classical...
Study of “screen time” on mood, memory, and cognition wins top NIH Addiction Science Award
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First place winner of 2013 Addiction Science Award (l-r): Judges and NIDA grantees Dr. Janet Neisewander and Dr. M. Foster Olive, Arizona State University; winner Zarin Ibnat Rahman; and NIDA’s...
Heroin and cocaine vaccines successful in preclinical studies
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Anti-Drug Vaccine Animation Two recent preclinical studies have reported successful tests for vaccines to help overcome heroin or cocaine addiction. For a copy of the study abstract on the heroin...
NIDA and INSERM forge new collaboration on the neuroscience of addiction
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l-r: Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA Director; François Delattre, French Ambassador; and Dr. André Syrota, President and CEO of INSERM On May 7, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and...
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Show Promise at Curbing Abuse, but Need Improvement
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Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have been established in most U.S. states to track prescriptions of opioid analgesics, sedatives, and amphetamine-type stimulants. Abuse of such drugs—especially opioids—has reached epidemic proportions...
NIDA and AstraZeneca partner to develop potential addiction medication
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NIDA and AstraZeneca, a global research-based biopharmaceutical company, have joined efforts to explore a novel medication to treat drug addiction. The scientific partnership will explore a specific molecule that modulates...
Brain Signature of Physical Pain Identified
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In a provocative study just published in the new England Journal, NIDA-supported scientists reported they were able to "see" physical pain on MRI brain scans and, for the first time...
New Study Tracks Epidemic of Prescription Opioid Overdose Deaths in New York City
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Fatal overdoses from prescription opioids are an epidemic in the United States, and a new NIDA-funded study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence shows the startling explosion of this crisis...
NIH study sheds light on how to reset the addicted brain
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Could drug addiction treatment of the future be as simple as an on/off switch in the brain? A study in rats has found that stimulating a key part of the...
Genes linked to hepatitis C viral clearance could lead to personalized treatments
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A NIH-funded study, published February 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that possessing either of two specific gene variants make it more likely that a patient’s own immune...
NIDA research shines light on a potential target for cocaine addiction
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NIDA research published January 17 in Cell provides insight into the mechanism of action of the Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R), a protein located inside brain nerve cells that has long been...
New study pools data to give insights into Hep C virus and outcomes for infected drug users
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections remain a major public health problem among people who inject drugs. Until now, however, studies of HCV infection in this group have been limited by...
Prior marijuana use could increase addictive power of nicotine
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Rats previously exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in marijuana, found nicotine more rewarding than rats not exposed to THC, according to NIDA research published in Neuropsychopharmacology. Although...
Science Highlights Sex Differences
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Past clinical studies of people with drug use disorders have shown that women and men experience and respond to drug cues differently, raising the possibility that treatment approaches effective for...
Sperm cells affected by Cocaine Exposure
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Results of a recent study in an animal model of cocaine addiction show that paternal cocaine self-administration caused epigenetic changes (i.e., changes in the patterns of gene expression independent of...