Latest from NIDA

Hospital best practices linked to modest changes in prescription opioid dispensing

January 25, 2018 | The authors of this study assessed whether the Washington state hospital mandates had any impact on Medicaid beneficiary opioid dispensing rates after an ED visit.

NIDA Notes

A Family-Oriented Intervention May Reduce the Effects of Poverty on Brain Development

January 24, 2018 | This study found that: Childhood poverty was associated with reduced volumes of limbic brain regions in adulthood. The reduced limbic volumes were associated with depression and smoking in adulthood. Participation...

Science Highlight

A “New Vista” for Treating Cocaine Addiction

January 17, 2018 | Two recent studies suggest that medications that activate a pair of opioid receptors may weaken cocaine users’ drive to take the stimulant.

NIDA Notes

Available Soon: NIDA’s Research E-Cigarette

January 12, 2018 | NIDA and NJOY, LLC, have developed a Standard Research E-Cigarette. The device will help researchers resolve many outstanding questions about how e-cigarettes affect health.

Science Highlight

Oxytocin protocol appears workable and safe for methadone patients who use cocaine

January 9, 2018 | Researchers supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse have developed a protocol for adjunctive oxytocin treatment, and a pilot study has indicated that it is workable and safe for...

News Release

Dr. Redonna Chandler selected to lead AIDS Research Program at NIDA

January 8, 2018 | Dr. Redonna Chandler has been named director of the AIDS Research Program at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In this...

News Release

Kappa Opioid Receptor Structure Revealed, A Potential Milestone in Medication Development

January 4, 2018 | New research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse illuminates the crystal structure of the activated kappa opioid receptor (KOR). The breakthrough could facilitate the development of new medications...

News Release

Study shows association between non-cigarette tobacco product use and future cigarette smoking among teens

January 2, 2018 | Some teens who use e-cigarettes and other non-cigarette tobacco products report smoking cigarettes one year later, according to recent research funded by institutes within the National Institutes of Health and...

News Release

Vaping popular among teens; opioid misuse at historic lows

December 14, 2017 | Nearly 1 in 3 students in 12th grade report past year use of some kind of vaping device, raising concerns about the impact on their health.

News Release

Can treatment during surgery reduce postoperative opioid use?

December 13, 2017 | With the current concerns related to opioid addiction and overdose, researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are exploring ways to reduce the use of opioids for pain...

News Release

National Institute on Drug Abuse to hold teleconference discussing key findings of 2017 Monitoring the Future Survey on teen drug use

December 6, 2017 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will hold a teleconference on Thursday, December 14, to discuss the results of the 2017 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey.

News Release

Cocaine contributes to overdose deaths among some minorities

December 4, 2017 | Drug overdose deaths are a major public health concern across all racial/ethnic groups, and are often associated with opioid use. However, a new study shows that cocaine is also a...

News Release

Registration opens for Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day

November 30, 2017 | High schools nationwide can now register for the 11th annual Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day, a web chat between teens and scientists to be held on January 22, during National...

NIDA Notes

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids May Damage the Heart and Arteries

November 30, 2017 | This research: Demonstrated that use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) is associated with compromised heart pumping and atherosclerotic plaque. Suggests that clinicians should inquire about AAS use when young or middle-aged...

News Release

Separating side effects could hold key for safer opioids

November 16, 2017 | Opioid pain relievers can be extremely effective in relieving pain, but can carry a high risk of addiction and ultimately overdose when breathing is suppressed and stops. Scientists have discovered...

News Release

Opioid treatment drugs have similar outcomes once patients initiate treatment

November 14, 2017 | A study comparing the effectiveness of two pharmacologically distinct medications used to treat opioid use disorder – a buprenorphine/naloxone combination and an extended release naltrexone formulation – shows similar outcomes...

Science Highlight

Endocannabinoid system as potential target for opioid withdrawal treatment

November 9, 2017 | Scientists supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted a proof-of-concept study examining the potential efficacy of a cannabinoid receptor (CB1) partial agonist, dronabinol, in relieving signs and symptoms...

Science Highlight

How the Brain Grows Up

November 7, 2017 | This study demonstrated that the new axons arrive via a pathway that originates in the VTA and passes through the part of the forebrain called the nucleus accumbens (NAC).

News Release

NIDA-NIAAA Mini-Convention: Frontiers in Addiction Research: The Science of Astrocytes, Stress Response, and Translational Research

November 6, 2017 | The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, will host a one-day mini convention...

News Release

NIDA launches two adolescent substance use screening tools

November 1, 2017 | The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends universal screening in pediatric primary settings, and these tools help providers quickly and easily introduce brief, evidence-based screenings into their clinical practices.

Testimony

Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis: A Status Update on CARA and Other Initiatives

October 25, 2017 | Testimony by Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA Director and others to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

NIDA Notes

Substance Use Disorders Are Associated With Major Medical Illnesses and Mortality Risk in a Large Integrated Health Care System

October 24, 2017 | This study: Showed strong associations between substance use disorder diagnoses and 19 major medical illnesses among patients in a large, integrated health care system. Indicates that these associations may persist...

Science Highlight

Hospital best practices linked to modest changes in prescription opioid dispensing

A Family-Oriented Intervention May Reduce the Effects of Poverty on Brain Development

A “New Vista” for Treating Cocaine Addiction

Available Soon: NIDA’s Research E-Cigarette

Oxytocin protocol appears workable and safe for methadone patients who use cocaine

Dr. Redonna Chandler selected to lead AIDS Research Program at NIDA

Kappa Opioid Receptor Structure Revealed, A Potential Milestone in Medication Development

Study shows association between non-cigarette tobacco product use and future cigarette smoking among teens

Vaping popular among teens; opioid misuse at historic lows

Can treatment during surgery reduce postoperative opioid use?

National Institute on Drug Abuse to hold teleconference discussing key findings of 2017 Monitoring the Future Survey on teen drug use

Cocaine contributes to overdose deaths among some minorities

Registration opens for Drugs & Alcohol Chat Day

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids May Damage the Heart and Arteries

Separating side effects could hold key for safer opioids

Opioid treatment drugs have similar outcomes once patients initiate treatment

Endocannabinoid system as potential target for opioid withdrawal treatment

How the Brain Grows Up

NIDA-NIAAA Mini-Convention: Frontiers in Addiction Research: The Science of Astrocytes, Stress Response, and Translational Research

NIDA launches two adolescent substance use screening tools

Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis: A Status Update on CARA and Other Initiatives

Substance Use Disorders Are Associated With Major Medical Illnesses and Mortality Risk in a Large Integrated Health Care System

Menthol Boosts Nicotine’s Effects

NIDA scientists review impact of smoking among adolescents with ADHD

Study identifies a brain pathway involved in drug relapse after cessation of contingency management

Deep Brain Stimulation Attenuates Rats’ Responses to Heroin

The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis

Behavioral treatments increase brain activity related to cognitive control

Brain circuit connectivity predicts relapse to cocaine use

Study highlights unmet treatment needs among adults with mental health and substance use disorders