October 2007 Presents highlights of a study indicating that exposure to morphine during adolescence may increase sensitivity to the drug during adulthood.
Reports on the work of scientists who have linked impulsiveness and risk-taking among adolescents to immaturity of the brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex.
February 2007 Summarizes a study that analyzes factors associated with the risk of drug addiction among 19- to 21-year-old Hispanic women born in the United States as compared with immigrants.
February 2007 Describes evidence supporting the view that developmental differences in brain systems that use the neurotransmitter dopamine underlie age differences in susceptibility to drug abuse.
February 2007 Describes animal studies that suggested exposure to the drug during gestation or adolescence may cause lasting alterations in reward and motivation circuits.
October 2006 Reports on a study of adolescents addicted to opioids who responded better to buprenorphine than clonidine in a clinical trial in which all patients also received behavioral therapy.
Highlights research on the effects of steroid use on the brain and the rest of the body, and stresses the need to educate young people about the serious health risks associated with its use.
October 2006 Summarizes findings from a 10-year study that monitored smoking and progress to other drugs among youth that found ethnicity to be an influential factor.
October 2006 Highlights data from an annual national survey of youth showing a pattern of rising nonmedical use of sedatives among high school seniors.