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

Study changes long-held concepts of cell decoding

March 28, 2018 | Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) have uncovered evidence that shows a more complex and elaborate role for the body's hard-working G protein-coupled...

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Study highlights how opioid receptors organize to block pain

March 27, 2018 | A NIDA-funded study explored how opioids such as morphine act within pain circuits in the brain and spinal cord, while attaching to receptors on the surface of nerve cells (neurons).

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E-cigarette ads associated with cigarette smoking initiation among youth

March 26, 2018 | A scientific study finds that receptivity to e-cigarette advertising increases the likelihood of trying conventional cigarettes one year later.

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Non-psychoactive cannabinoid may enable drug addiction recovery

March 26, 2018 | Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana, may help reduce the risk of drug and alcohol relapse.

Science Highlight

Gut-brain axis offers clues to treatments for addictive disorders

March 15, 2018 | Scientists have investigated how the stomach-derived hormone ghrelin affects alcohol-seeking behaviors, discovering for the first time in humans that administration of ghrelin intravenously significantly increased alcohol intake in heavy drinking...

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NIDA's 2018 Avant-Garde awards highlight immune response and killer cells

March 13, 2018 | NIDA’s annual Avant-Garde Award competition, now in its 11th year, is intended to stimulate high-impact research that may lead to groundbreaking opportunities for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in...

Science Highlight

Stimulating news about brain glutamate

March 12, 2018 | NIDA-funded scientists conducted the first study showing that the signaling transmitter glutamate increases in the brain after stimulant use in humans, which has a greater effect in females.

NIDA Notes

Why Marijuana Displeases

March 8, 2018 | Through research on mice, a mechanism for how THC, the active ingredient in marijuana can produce rewarding, neutral or negative experiences was demonstrated.

Science Highlight

Teens, E-Cigs and Toxins?

March 7, 2018 | NIDA-funded scientists have found at least five potentially harmful toxins in the body of human adolescents who use electronic cigarettes.

Science Highlight

Repurposed arthritis drug could become a non-opioid pain reliever

March 6, 2018 | A compound once studied as an arthritis therapy has been given new life as a possible non-opioid pain reliever by NIDA-funded scientists.

Science Highlight

The brain's hyper-network uncovered

February 26, 2018 | Complex brain actions reflect multiple networks of activity in the brain, according to a paper authored by researchers from the NIDA Intramural Research Program, in collaboration with scientists from Italy...

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Neuronal ensembles take center stage

February 22, 2018 | A new animal study from NIDA's Intramural Research Program (IRP) shines light on the underlying mechanisms in the brain's prefrontal cortex and its role in learning.

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Greek life membership associated with binge drinking and marijuana use in later life

February 15, 2018 | A scientific study finds that close to half of residential fraternity members had symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD) by age 35, and that living at college is associated with...

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Medication in Prison Associated with Reductions in Fatal Opioid Overdoses After Release

February 14, 2018 | A state-led initiative created within the Rhode Island correctional system showed that offering medication to inmates with opioid use disorders reduced fatal overdoses once the inmates were released.

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NIH releases first dataset from unprecedented study of adolescent brain development

February 13, 2018 | Approximately 30 terabytes of data (about three times the size of the Library of Congress collection), obtained from the first 4,500 participants, will be available to scientists worldwide to conduct...

NIDA Notes

Long-Term Marijuana Use Is Associated With Health Problems Later in Life

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February 8, 2018 | This study found that: Marijuana users exhibited six different patterns of marijuana use from ages 18 to 50. Longer-term marijuana use (extending from age 18 into the late 20s or...

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Brain Structure Tracks Reward's Value and Steps to Obtain It

February 5, 2018 | Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Intramural Research Program (NIDA IRP) have demonstrated distinct roles for two subregions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in goal-directed behaviors.

NIDA Notes

Stressful Experiences Affect Likelihood of Remission of Drug Dependence, Continued Drug Use, and Relapse

February 2, 2018 | This study: Showed that stressful life events are associated with reductions in a person’s chances of becoming or remaining abstinent from drugs for at least 3 years. Suggests that coping...

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Study shows e-cigarettes affect brain similarly to other nicotine sources

January 31, 2018 | Nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) produce brain changes similar to those caused by other nicotine sources, such as combustible cigarettes or nicotine lozenges, a study sponsored by the National Institute on...

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Marijuana drug use increasing during pregnancy

January 29, 2018 | Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy, and its use is rising.

Science Highlight

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...

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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...

Iowa officials warn public about counterfeit oxycodone

| Health and safety agencies in Iowa have issued an advisory to warn Iowans of counterfeit pain pills containing dangerous synthetic opioids.

Waletzky Memorial Award Winners’ Lectures at NIDA Illuminate Cocaine’s Many Effects on Brain Structure, Circuitry

| The two most recent winners of the Waletzky Memorial Award, Dr. Paul E. M. Phillips, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pharmacology at the University of...