Author: Teresa
Summary: Relapse is the most daunting hurdle in overcoming addiction, often triggered by minor cues long after drug use has stopped. While scientists once blamed a general “weakness” in the brain’s impulse control, researchers have discovered that the real culprit is a specific neural imbalance.The study identifies parvalbumin-positive (PV) inhibitory neurons in the prefrontal cortex as the brain’s “addiction gatekeepers.” These cells act as a regulatory switch between the prefrontal cortex and the brain’s reward center (the VTA). By artificially suppressing these PV cells, researchers were able to stop cocaine-seeking behavior in mice, offering a precise new target for treating…
Early Tuesday morning, Ted Williams got into a van outside the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus and took a big step toward a life without drug addiction.It was one of the first steps he’s been able to take in a long time, but one he’d expressed a desire for.The van took him to the Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center for a four-to-six-week substance use treatment program.It’s at least Williams’ third try at addiction recovery since he became famous in January 2011 for his “golden voice.” His signature voice was captured in viral video by Dispatch photojournalist Doral…
Addiction is a disease and just as with any other disease, the key to battling it lies in finding the right treatment. At Nevada Stronger, the goal is to connect area residents who are struggling with a substance use disorder with not only treatment but people who have fought against addiction themselves and understand the challenges faced by those seeking recovery. “Nevada Stronger is a nonprofit organization serving Nye County. The program launched in 2023 through the HRSA Overdose Response Grant, serving 45 individuals in its first year,” Nevada Stronger Case Manager Lonnie Harris told the Pahrump Valley Times. “After…
A new bill aims to fund alcohol addiction recovery by adding fees directly to beer, wine, and spirits. The proposal has sparked a debate between recovery advocates who say the money is essential and brewery owners who fear the cost could put them out of business.
Drug addiction carries an extremely high risk of relapse, as cravings can be reignited by minor stimuli even long after one has stopped using. Previously, this phenomenon was attributed to a decline in the function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which regulates impulses. However, a joint international research team has recently revealed that the cause of addiction relapse is not a simple decline in brain function, but rather an imbalance in specific neural circuits. KAIST announced on March 9th that a research team led by Prof. Se-Bum Paik from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Prof. Byung Kook…
Credit: Unsplash+ Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing a new type of vaccine that could help prevent the harmful and addictive effects of opioids. The goal of this research is to stop drugs like oxycodone and fentanyl from reaching the brain, which could help reduce addiction and prevent deadly overdoses. The need for new solutions is urgent. In the United States, opioid overdoses now cause more than 100,000 deaths each year. Powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are a major driver of this crisis because they can quickly lead to addiction and overdose. Scientists and doctors have been searching for…
Ind., spoke with Fox News Digital about her new bipartisan bill to help people get treatment for gambling addiction, and her own family history battling it.
Drug addiction carries an extremely high risk of relapse, as cravings can be reignited by minor stimuli even long after one has stopped using. Previously, this phenomenon was attributed to a decline in the function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which regulates impulses. However, a joint international research team has recently revealed that the cause of addiction relapse is not a simple decline in brain function, but rather an imbalance in specific neural circuits. KAIST announced on March 9th that a research team led by Prof. Se-Bum Paik from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Prof. Byung Kook…
EASTPARK The road to recovery features numerous avenues, as the afternoon keynote speaker of the eighth annual Bridges Out of Addiction symposium summarized.“There’s not one pathway to recovery,” John Bowman, a campaign manager for Dream.org, said at Ashland Community and Technical College’s Technology Drive campus. “There’s not one blanket solution. … I have to believe in many pathways to recovery.”While every person in recovery has a different story about breaking the chains of addiction, both Bowman and Joe Marcum, the morning keynote speaker, relied heavily on faith.A native of Georgetown, Bowman displayed several pictures on a slideshow to illustrate his…
Credit: MotivateBootCamp. Drugs originally designed to treat diabetes and obesity are reshaping medicine in unforeseen ways. Their impact on public health is really unprecedented in modern times, perhaps only upstaged by vaccines. Now scientists are exploring whether those same medications might also weaken the grip of addiction. A massive new analysis of health records from more than 600,000 patients suggests that drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists may reduce the risk of developing substance-use disorders and lessen the severity of addiction in people who already have one. The findings, published in The BMJ, add to growing evidence that medications widely…