NIDA Notes Archives

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). For current information, please visit nida.nih.gov.

For 30 years, NIDA Notes provided in-depth coverage of research findings on drug misuse and addiction. NIDA Notes was discontinued in 2021.  

How the Brain Makes Pain Unpleasant

 |  A specific collection of neurons in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region crucial for affect, was active when mice experienced pain. Deactivating this collection of neurons resulted in a loss...

A New Era at NIDA Notes

 |  As we enter a new year, we would like to honor and thank NIDA Notes Editor David Anderson, who recently retired after 20 years at the helm of NIDA’s signature...

How Cocaine Cues Get Planted in the Brain

 |  This research found that: An epigenetic mechanism underlies the powerful cocaine–environment associations that promote relapse. The mechanism may be instrumental in all drug reward–based learning. A NIDA-sponsored study sheds light...

Why Marijuana Displeases

 |  Through research on mice, a mechanism for how THC, the active ingredient in marijuana can produce rewarding, neutral or negative experiences was demonstrated.