The federal government has awarded $5 million in grants to two research teams trying to develop vaccines for drug addiction.
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The federal government has awarded $5 million in grants to two research teams trying to develop vaccines for drug addiction.
Read more about Researchers Seek Vaccines to Stop Drug Addiction
When an individual first uses a drug, the possibility of creating a long-term dependence likely does not occur to them, nor are they likely for some time to admit that they have a problem and require drug treatment. Once they do determine that a substance has begun to have an unhealthy influence on their life, it is important that they are able to access treatment as quickly as possible.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has released its updated, official definition of addiction, calling it “a chronic brain disorder,” that is “not solely related to problematic substance abuse,” according to a press release issued by the society on August 15.
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Doctors and researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have experienced a strong response to their latest vaccine for heroin addiction treatment in animal studies. They are hopeful the vaccine will be helpful for humans who need help battling their heroin addiction.
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New studies are showing that those who may have an addiction to salt, can also be more apt to a cocaine or heroin addiction. Scientists in the United States and Australia have discovered that there is a correlation between salt and other drugs in the hypothalamus portion of the brain.
A potentially vital part of methamphetamine research comes in a very tiny package – the fruit fly. Researchers are studying the impact of methamphetamines on the molecular function of fruit flies, and looking to see what other systems are affected, in hopes of learning more about how the drug impacts human systems and pathways – and encountering surprising findings, including some related to cancer research.
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A new study from researchers at Spain’s University of Granada has found that drug abusers have difficulty identifying negative emotions (such as anger, disgust, fear, and sadness) by their facial expressions. In addition, the study found that regular abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine usually affects the users’ fluency and decision-making. Cocaine abuse is associated with changes in inhibition, and marijuana and cocaine use negatively affects work memory and reasoning.
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A new study has found that nearly one is five white individuals carries a genetic variant that significantly increases his or her odds of severely abusing cocaine. This variant, which is characterized by tiny gene mutations, changes the brain’s response to the rewarding effects of substances such as cocaine. Ohio State University researchers found that carriers of the variant were more than three times more likely to be susceptible to cocaine abuse, which can lead to overdose and death.
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Researchers have identified a molecular switch that plays an important role in forming memory and addictive behaviors. The formation of these behaviors depend on the creation of new connections between neurons in the brain. Addiction behaviors manifest in long-term alterations in neuron connections and can be viewed as a type of learning.
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Several studies have shown that alcohol taxes affect drinking behaviors, but few studies have looked at the effects of taxes on alcohol-related death. Researchers from the University of Florida analyzed the effects of multiple changes in alcohol tax rates in Florida from 1969 to 2004 on disease-related mortality, and found that raising alcohol taxes would prevent 600 to 800 deaths per year caused by alcohol-related diseases. Florida hasn’t changed alcohol taxes since 1983.
Read more about Increasing Alcohol Taxes Could Save Lives, Florida Study Shows