Latest from NIDA | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

New toolkit for genomic editing holds promise for addiction research

February 19, 2019 | The scientific world has advanced immeasurably by the science of DNA and genetics. Manipulating gene expression to change the way that cells such as neurons function has helped scientists create...

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Monthly buprenorphine injections effective for opioid use disorders

February 19, 2019 | A newly published study suggests the long-acting buprenorphine formulation BUP-XR is more effective than placebo in helping patients struggling with addiction to opioids. BUP-XR is a monthly extended-release injection.

NIDA Notes

A Promising Alternative to Opioid Pain Medications

| En español

February 12, 2019 | This research shows: An experimental compound with a dual action at two opioid receptors may provide powerful pain relief without many of opioids' harmful side effects. The compound may also...

NIDA Notes

Disruption of Serotonin Contributes to Cocaine’s Effects

February 5, 2019 | This research: Traced the effects of cocaine-induced disruption of serotonin regulation in the ventral pallidum and orbitofrontal cortex. Suggests that these effects may contribute to drug-seeking and cocaine-associated cognitive impairments...

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The mystery of serotonin’s role in behavior

January 31, 2019 | While selective serotonin uptake inhibitors comprise the major class of modern antidepressants, the role of serotonin in reward function remains poorly understood.

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Higher rates of NAS linked with economic conditions

January 29, 2019 | A NIDA-funded analysis of eight states showed a significant association between rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and poor economic conditions.

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A whole new view of CB2

January 25, 2019 | NIDA-funded scientists have recently identified the crystal structure of the CB1 receptor and have some understanding of how it modulates the system.

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Cascade of Care model recommended for opioid crisis

January 25, 2019 | A team of NIDA-funded scientists has offered a critical look at how to build an improved framework of care for the identification and treatment of people with opioid use disorder...

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Scientists closer to finding inherited traits in addiction

January 14, 2019 | Scientists have concluded that the risk of addiction is a complex combination of both genes and environmental influences.

NIDA Notes

New Studies Clarify Risk Factors for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

January 8, 2019 | These studies: Identified factors that affect the risk for and severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Suggest that reducing expectant mothers’ polysubstance use during buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder...

Science Highlight

New Insights for Astrocytes

January 3, 2019 | Scientists at NIDA's Intramural Research Program have just published a study suggesting that ventral midbrain astrocytes are physiologically distinct from astrocytes in other parts of the brain.

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Teens using vaping devices in record numbers

December 17, 2018 | America’s teens report a dramatic increase in their use of vaping devices in just a single year, with 37.3 percent of 12th graders reporting “any vaping” in the past 12...

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National Institute on Drug Abuse to hold teleconference discussing key findings of 2018 Monitoring the Future Survey on teen drug use

December 6, 2018 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will hold a teleconference on Monday, December 17, to discuss the results of the 2018 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey.

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ABCD study completes enrollment, announces opportunities for scientific engagement

December 3, 2018 | The National Institutes of Health announced today that enrollment for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is now complete and, in early 2019, scientists will have access to baseline...

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Registration opens for 2019 National Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day

November 30, 2018 | Registration is now open for the 12th annual National Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day, a live web chat between high school teenagers and addiction and mental health scientists.

NIDA Notes

Integrated Intervention Benefits People Who Inject Drugs and Have HIV

| En español

November 27, 2018 | In this international trial: Researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of an integrated intervention designed to help people who inject drugs and have HIV overcome obstacles to health care. Participants who received...

Science Highlight

New findings related to cell functions and calcium deficiency; may impact substance use disorders

November 16, 2018 | A new paper just published in Cell Reports describes, for the first time, a novel pathological mechanism that may contribute to a variety of disease states.

Science Highlight

Stopping marijuana use improves memory

November 5, 2018 | A new study suggests that one month of abstinence from cannabis improves working memory in adolescents and young adults, with most of the improvement happening in the first week.

NIDA Notes

Cocaine-Induced Increase in an Immune Protein Promotes Addiction Behaviors in Mice

October 31, 2018 | This research found that: Cocaine produces a portion of its rewarding effects by increasing levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the brain’s reward center. Treatments that prevent G-CSF signaling...

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NIDA-NIAAA 2018 Mini-Convention: Frontiers in Addiction Research

October 25, 2018 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), both part of the National Institutes of Health, will host a one-day mini...

Science Highlight

Compound identified as possible medication target for cocaine use disorder

October 22, 2018 | NIH-funded scientists have now identified a compound that shows promise in reducing self-administration of cocaine in mice.

Science Highlight

Research suggests benzodiazepine use is high while use disorder rates are low

October 18, 2018 | A recent analysis suggests that benzodiazepine use disorders are relatively rare among the adults who use benzodiazepine medications, even if they are misusing them.

NIDA Notes

Prescription Opioid Misuse Treatment Leverages Mindfulness To Amplify Natural Rewards

October 17, 2018 | This research suggests that: Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) reduces opioid misuse among chronic pain patients. MORE shifts patients' attention away from drug cues and toward cues for natural rewards. Dr...

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Study shows impact of social interactions on addictive behavior

October 15, 2018 | A new study published in Nature Neuroscience finds that social interactions can have a profound effect on behaviors related to addiction, and on the brain’s response to drug-associated cues.

NIDA Notes

Switching to Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes May Aid in Quitting Smoking

October 10, 2018 | This research suggests that: Smokers who switch to cigarettes with very low nicotine content may experience mild and transient increases in some withdrawal symptoms. Cigarettes with reduced nicotine will be...

Science Highlight

Brain ensembles that tune on or off to social exploration

October 9, 2018 | An international team of scientists led by NIDA utilized miniature fluorescence microscopes to record calcium activities from hundreds of excitatory neurons in the mPFC in the brains of mice, while...

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New opioid treatment resources for emergency department clinicians

October 3, 2018 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) today announced the availability of informational resources for clinicians interested in initiating buprenorphine treatment in emergency department settings.

NIDA Notes

How Cocaine Cues Get Planted in the Brain

September 6, 2018 | 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...

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Daily use of marijuana among non-college young adults at all time high

September 5, 2018 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced that the latest Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey results on substance use trends as teens transition to adulthood are now available online...

Science Highlight

Immediate switch to low levels of nicotine in cigarettes more effective than a gradual reduction

September 4, 2018 | The FDA is considering a regulatory policy to reduce the levels of nicotine in combustible cigarettes to minimally addictive levels.