Drug dependency is a recurrent but treatable kind of addiction. However, not all people who are drug dependent progress in the same way once they stop taking drugs. A new study shows that, in the case of cocaine, a high score on the so-called “scale of craving,” an antisocial personality type, and previous heroin abuse are the factors most commonly involved in relapse.
Toddlers and obese children suffer more than other youth when exposed to secondhand smoke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2009.
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Scientists have discovered that a reward chemical in the brain plays a key role in choices such as where to go on vacation. The neurotransmitter dopamine, which helps transmit signals between nerve cells, is linked to reward-seeking behavior, and generates pleasant feelings that are associated with sex, food, and drug addiction.
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When a person uses a chemical substance like cocaine, the drug provokes a response in the immune system, creating special biomolecules that may serve as a permanent record of each exposure.
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New animal studies suggest that cocaine abuse, in addition to pre-existing traits or lifestyle factors, can lead to memory and other cognitive problems.
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The union representing employees at the District of Columbia’s Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA) called on the D.C. City Council to restore services to thousands of Washington, D.C. residents who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
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A number of college students have found that the illegal use of Adderall, Ritalin and other prescription drugs can increase performance and alertness while also reducing stress. The problem with these perceived benefits is that it masks the real risk these individuals are incurring for themselves by taking medication without a prescription.
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More than 90% of people with mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders in low- and middle-income countries go untreated, something known as the mental health “treatment gap.” Science Daily reports that this week PLoS Medicine kicks off a major new series aimed at helping to close the gap.
Vaccine-like shots to keep cocaine abusers from getting high also helped them fight their addiction in the first study of this approach to treating cocaine addiction. The shots didn’t work perfectly, but the researchers say their limited success is promising enough to suggest the intriguing vaccine approach could be widely used to treat addiction within several years.
Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners Inc. says it will continue developing an anti-addiction drug that has failed in two clinical trials, as the company believes the treatment is safe and effective.
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