Flipping The Brain's Addiction Switch Without Drugs

ScienceDaily (2009-05-29) -- Researchers investigating how the brain becomes drug dependent have now implicated a naturally occurring protein, a dose of which allowed them to get rats hooked with no drugs at all. The finding could suggest ways to medically counteract the effects of drug addiction.

A Person's High Or Low Response To Alcohol Says Much About Their Risk For Alcoholism

ScienceDaily (2009-05-22) -- Someone who has a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, meaning relatively little reaction to alcohol, has a higher risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). A study that examined the influence of LR in conjunction with other characteristics -- like family history of AUDs and age of drinking onset -- has found that LR is a unique risk factor for AUDs across adulthood and is not simply a reflection of a broader range of risk factors.

First Addiction Medicine Specialists Named

May 15, 2009 | News Feature | by Bob Curley
In a major milestone for the addiction field, the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) recently named the first group of board-certified addiction-medicine specialists, recognizing 1,240 doctors who previously had been certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

Smoking Interferes With Recovery From Alcohol-related Brain Damage

ScienceDaily (2009-05-15) -- Excessive drinking can damage the brain, especially the frontal and parietal cortices. Some of this damage is reversible with abstinence from alcohol. New findings show that chronic cigarette smoking is associated with poor recovery of brain blood flow during abstinence from long-term heavy drinking.

Cocaine-linked Genes Enhance Behavioral Effects Of Addiction

ScienceDaily (2009-05-13) -- New research sheds light on how cocaine regulates gene expression in a crucial reward region of the brain to elicit long-lasting changes in behavior. The study provides exciting insight into the molecular pathways regulated by cocaine and may lead to new strategies for battling drug addiction.