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Significant increases in many kinds of drug use have been recorded since March
Research Highlights
Cocaine Triggers Endocannabinoid Release Through a Novel Mechanism
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Cocaine can trigger release of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain in mice, and this may play a role in cocaine use disorder.
Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Alters Brain Reward Circuitry in Male Rats
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Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) increased sensitivity to THC in male rats, but not female rats, during pre-adolescence. PCE increased dopamine release in response to THC and altered the properties of...
Research at the Intersection of HIV with Substance Use Disorders amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
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We are prioritizing research into how the coexisting crises of COVID-19, HIV, and substance use, including the opioid crisis, combine to create a disastrous storm, taking lives and overtaxing America’s...
Two Different Brain Regions Are Linked With Nicotine Addiction Severity and Nicotine Withdrawal
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Activity in the striatum of people who smoke changed less in response to positive feedback/reward than in nonsmokers; this effect was more pronounced with greater addiction severity. Activity of the...
Treating Substance Use Disorders Can Reduce HIV Burden in U.S. Cities
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Concerted efforts and substantial investments in HIV prevention and care in the United States have resulted in considerable reduction in new diagnoses and death since the mid-1990s. To identify best...
NIDA Seeks Public Input for Our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan
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NIDA has begun drafting its strategic plan for 2021-2025, and to best inform that process, we are seeking input from the public and the scientific community.
Parents’ Marijuana Use May Increase Children’s Risk of Marijuana Use and Favorable Views of Marijuana
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This study found that children’s risk of marijuana and alcohol use and attitudes toward marijuana were influenced by their parents’ marijuana use pattern over time.
Clues to Regulating HIV-1 Viral Gene Expression
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People with substance use disorders (SUD) can be at high risk for contracting this virus, either through injection drug use, or risky behaviors prompted by impaired judgment.
NIDA Researchers Adapt Their Projects to Study COVID-19
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The U.S. is now facing two intersecting health crises, the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Regrettably, each has the potential to exacerbate the effects of the other.
E-cigarette use associated with risk of relapse among former cigarette smokers
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This study has shown that among former smokers, use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes and other e-products, is associated with increased chance of cigarette smoking relapse.
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We know that science itself is at its best when it is most inclusive, and humans are best when we embrace diversity. Conversations about systemic racial inequalities can be uncomfortable...
Researchers Identify Rare Gene Variants Associated With Smoking and Alcohol Use
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International research teams analyzed several hundred thousand samples from 17 whole-exome sequencing studies to identify rare gene variants associated with smoking and alcohol use. They identified rare variants in 117...
Shape shifters: The dynamic role of GCPRs in drug discovery
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A new computational analysis suggests certain dopamine receptors in the brain and body are more complex and dynamic than previously thought, existing in diverse inactive states that only allow the...
Expression of a Gene in the Brain Links Nicotine Addiction to Diabetes
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Rats with a disrupted transcription factor 7-like 2 (Tcf7l2) gene in the medial habenula showed markedly greater nicotine intake than control rats. Reduced Tcf7l2 expression in the medial habenula reduced...
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Healthcare already has effective tools including medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder, but they are not being utilized widely enough. One important reason is the stigma that surrounds people...
Learning how to disrupt cocaine’s effects on the brain
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Just published research by scientists at NIDA’s Intramural Research Program reveals that the drug cocaine causes neurons to synthesize endocannabinoids that are then enclosed within membrane-bound packages, known as extracellular...
Dopamine found to play unexpected role in cocaine withdrawal
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This study has linked cocaine withdrawal to altered gene expression in a brain region affected by addiction.
Mu Opioid Receptors in One Brain Region Contribute to Naloxone Aversion
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Mice genetically engineered to lack mu opioid receptors in the medial habenula were less sensitive to the unpleasant effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone and showed fewer naloxone-induced withdrawal symptoms.
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As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit...
Marijuana vaping and edible use increasing among high school seniors
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A new analysis suggests that among adolescent marijuana users, smoking has become less prevalent, eclipsed by vaping and edibles.
Many People Treated for Opioid Overdose in Emergency Departments Die Within 1 Year
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About 1 in 20 patients treated for a nonfatal opioid overdose in an emergency department died within 1 year of their visit, many within 2 days. Two-thirds of these deaths...
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Celebrates Its 10th Year
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This week, March 30 through April 5, 2020, is the 10th National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), a yearly observance organized by NIDA in partnership with the National Institute...
Dopamine Neurons Signal Rich Information About Unexpected Events
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In this study, both rats and humans learned to predict differently flavored rewards in parallel choice tasks, showing that dopamine neurons are carrying much more information than previously thought.
Stronger Brain Circuit Connectivity May Predict Nicotine Dependence Severity
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The degree of connectivity of a neuronal network in the rat brain before nicotine exposure can help predict nicotine dependence severity after nicotine exposure as well as reversal of dependence...
New biological clues linking social connectedness to reduced drug craving and relapse
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This rodent study offers the first mechanistic explanation for the protective effect of social interaction related to incubation of craving, showing for the first time the role of a specific...
Request for Information: Standard Unit Dose of THC
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Today, NIDA issued a Request for Information (RFI) from the research community and any other interested parties regarding the establishment of a standard unit dose of THC in order to...
Serotonin Receptor Agonist Lorcaserin Reduces Relapse to Drug Use in Monkeys
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The serotonin 2C receptor agonist lorcaserin reduced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in response to heroin or cocaine in a nonhuman primate model of relapse.
Connections between Sleep and Substance Use Disorders
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Most common mental disorders, from depression and anxiety to PTSD, are associated with disturbed sleep, and substance use disorders are no exception. The relationship may be complex and bidirectional: Substance...
E-Cigarette Characteristics May Influence Use and Are Potential Targets for Regulatory Policy
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People's decisions to use e-cigarettes, as well as perceptions about associated risks, are influenced by the e-cigarettes' nicotine levels and available flavors. The influence of these characteristics on decision-making and...