Conclusions: Prolonged exposure of rats to high doses of morphine results in decrease of the over-all output of OR-stimulated G-protein activity in the forebrain cortex but does not decrease the amount of these regulatory proteins. These data support the view that the mechanism of the long-term adaptation to high doses of morphine is primarily based on desensitization of OR-response preferentially oriented to micro-OR and delta-OR. (Source: Medical Science Monitor)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

A combination pill of two drugs used to treat addiction may help people lose weight, say US researchers. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Binge-shoppers and serial daters might perpetually be living at the whim of their latest impulse, and now research is getting to the biological basis of their seemingly random behavior. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

About 15 percent of people seeking recovery from alcoholism turn to clergy members for support, a University of Michigan study finds. (Source: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News)

Canadians need to break their addiction to sodium, says a panel of experts that released its recommendations on how government and industry can do just that. (Source: CTV Health)

Scientists have developed a new version of a medication, first isolated from the saliva of sea snails, that could be taken in pill form to relieve the most severe forms of pain as effectively as morphine but without risking addiction. An article on the topic appears in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine. C&EN Senior Editor Bethany Halford notes that a sea snails' saliva contains chemicals that help the slow-moving creatures catch prey... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

Authors: Tyacke RJ, Lingford-Hughes A, Reed LJ, Nutt DJ The GABA(B) receptor plays an important role in the control of neurotransmitter release, and experiments using preclinical models have shown that modulation of this receptor can have profound effects on the reward process. This ability to affect the reward process has led to clinical investigations into the possibility that this could be a viable target in the treatment of addiction. Presented here is an overview of a number of studies testing this hypothesis in different drug dependencies. The studies reviewed have used the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen, which is currently the only GABA(B) agonist for use in humans. In addition, studies using the non-specific GABA(B) receptor agonists vigabatrin and tiagabine have been includ...

Authors: Vlachou S, Markou A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain which acts through different receptor subtypes. Metabotropic GABA(B) receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain. Alterations in GABA signaling through pharmacological activation or deactivation of the GABA(B) receptor regulate behavior and brain reward processes. GABA(B) receptor agonists and, most recently, positive modulators have been found to inhibit the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, ethanol, and opiates. This converging evidence of the effects of GABA(B) compounds on the reinforcing properties of addictive drugs is based on behavioral studies that used a variety of procedures with relevance to reward pro...

Authors: Froestl W This chapter presents new clinical applications of the prototypic GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen for the treatment of addiction by drugs of abuse, such as alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, morphine, and heroin, a novel baclofen prodrug Arbaclofen placarbil, the GABA(B) receptor agonist AZD3355 (Lesogabaran) currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, and four positive allosteric modulators of GABA(B) receptors (CGP7930, GS39783, NVP-BHF177, and BHFF), which have less propensity for the development of tolerance due to receptor desensitization than classical GABA(B) receptor agonists. All four compounds showed anxiolytic affects. In the presence of positive allosteric modulators the "classical" GABA(B) receptor antagonists CG...

(Economic & Social Research Council) A study by a team of researchers at Bangor University has designed and tested two programs that help problem drinkers curb their alcohol abuse. The study shows positive results after drinkers have followed either the Alcohol Attention-Control Training Program or the Life Enhancement and Advancement Program. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Chronic venous disorders (CVD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) may affect diverse physical activity domains. How CVD and PAD and other relevant variables affect physical activity was examined in 569 opioid-addicted adults. Both CVD and PAD were significantly inversely related to daily walking, sports, and active living. Effects remained significant in the latent variable regression after controlling covariates. Overall activity was very low; most participants walked less than a half mile daily and rarely engaged in sports. Motivation for physical activity was the strongest predictor ([beta] = .55) of daily physical activity. Health-care professionals promoting physical activity for injection users should consider the vascular health of their legs and motivational variables in additio...MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

A study from the Harvard Medical School found that 17 percent of doctors knew of drunk, addicted or otherwise incompetent colleagues, but one-third said they did nothing to report the behavior. (Source: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News)

For perhaps centuries, it was always thought that men were more susceptible to addiction to substances like nicotine, alcohol, and illicit drugs. It turns out, however, that this age-old bias was due more to social factors rather than physiological truths. In fact, recent evidence suggests that women may be significantly more susceptible to addiction. And once addicted, women may have a much tougher time kicking whatever habit. Now, according to a recent Scientific American article, women are gaining–and with some substances–surpassing men in rates of experimentation and use. The article reports: "…in a reversal of past trends, teenage girls are now trying marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes at higher rates than boys are, according to recent results from the National S...

Conclusions  Stimulus familiarity may contribute to some aspects of attentional bias in regular nicotine users, but selective quick capture of attention by smoking cues may be nicotine-habit specific. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory original investigationDOI 10.1007/s00213-010-1953-1Authors Vicki W. Chanon, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychology CB 3270, Davie Hall Chapel Hill NC 27599-3270 USAChandler R. Sours, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychology CB 3270, Davie Hall Chapel Hill NC 27599-3270 USACharlotte A. Boettiger, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychology CB 3270, Davie Hall Chapel Hill NC 27599-3270 USA Journal PsychopharmacologyOnline ISSN 1432-2072Print ISSN 0...

(Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Spend any time in a bar, and sooner or later you’ll hear, “I’ll have what she’s having.” It sounds like a bad pickup line, but there may be an actual biological basis for this kind of alcohol copycat behavior. Because scientists have found that having the gene for a certain dopamine receptor could predispose you to being influenced by the sight of other people drinking. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.

Dr. Ashwin Patkar discusses means of optimizing opioid addiction management. Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Nature Neuroscience 13, 1033 (2010). doi:10.1038/nn0810-1033c Author: Paul M Johnson & Paul J Kenny (Source: Nature Neuroscience)

There are so many stories around alcohol and drinking that it's hard to know what to believe. Knowing the facts about how drinking affects your body is the best way to make sure you drink safely. Below are some common myths around drinking . Read on to find out the real facts about alcohol. Myth: Drinking makes sex better Truth: Alcohol can help you avoid feeling awkward or can help you feel more confident. But it can keep men from getting or keeping an erection, and it can reduce sex drive... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

(American Chemical Society) Scientists have developed a new version of a medication, first isolated from the saliva of sea snails, that could be taken in pill form to relieve the most severe forms of pain as effectively as morphine but without risking addiction. An article on the topic appears in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)