Reward-stress Link Points To New Targets For Treating Addiction

ScienceDaily (2008-12-25) -- Investigators have discovered a functional link between reward and stress. They found that dopamine -- the brain's chief reward signal -- works through corticotrophin-releasing factor -- the brain's main stress signal -- to increase the activity of a brain region involved in addiction relapse. The findings, reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, point to new potential targets for treating alcohol and drug abuse -- particularly the problem of relapse.

Sex Differences in µ-Opioid Receptor Expression in the Rat Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray

The Journal of Neuroscience, December 24, 2008, 28(52):14007-14017
Sex Differences in µ-Opioid Receptor Expression in the Rat Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray Are Essential for Eliciting Sex Differences in Morphine Analgesia.
Opioid-based narcotics are the most widely prescribed therapeutic agent for the alleviation of persistent pain; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that morphine is significantly less potent in women compared with men.

Avoiding the painkiller-overuse rut in migraines

AP--WASHINGTON—Those pain pills you think help your migraines? Take too many and you could make them worse. Overusing painkillers can spin migraine patients into a rut, spurring more headaches that in turn require more pain medication.

Opioid Guidelines from Washington State

Opioid Dosing Guidelines developed for Washington State.

Prescription Opioids, Overdose Deaths, and Physician Responsibility

A. Thomas McLellan, PhD; Barbara Turner, MD, MsEd
JAMA. 2008;300(22):2672-2673.

A thoughtful editorial on the West Virginia study. See the Join Together press release about this editorial.

Patterns of Abuse Among Unintentional Pharmaceutical Overdose Fatalities

JAMA. 2008;300(22):2613-2620.

"Context Use and abuse of prescription narcotic analgesics have increased dramatically in the United States since 1990. The effect of this pharmacoepidemic has been most pronounced in rural states, including West Virginia, which experienced the nation's largest increase in drug overdose mortality rates during 1999-2004.....

Conclusion The majority of overdose deaths in West Virginia in 2006 were associated with nonmedical use and diversion of pharmaceuticals, primarily opioid analgesics."

Genetics: Why Some Drinkers Feel Effects Of Alcohol Strongly, And Why Some Are Prone To Alcohol Abuse

ScienceDaily (2008-12-11) -- Researchers have identified a region on the human genome that appears to determine how strongly drinkers feel the effects of alcohol and thus how prone they are to alcohol abuse.