EurekAlert! - National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 20-May-2013

Pediatrics
First long-term study reveals link between childhood ADHD and obesity
A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition. The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, European Commission

Public Release: 17-May-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Beer-industry advertising guidelines: Rating panels may help industry assess itself
The alcohol industry has developed and regulates its own guidelines regarding advertising. A new study has investigated the ability of panels to find consensus around code violations. Results indicate that a modified Delphi Technique may enhance the ability of regulatory agencies to monitor the content of alcohol-beverage advertising.

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 17-May-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
College women exceed NIAAA drinking guidelines more frequently than college men
In 1990, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism issued guidelines that define low-risk drinking, which differ for men and women. New research shows that female college student drinkers exceed NIAAA guidelines for weekly drinking more frequently than their male counterparts.

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 10-May-2013

Neuropsychopharmacology
Cocaine vaccine passes key testing hurdle
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 6-May-2013

Psychological Science
Weight gain linked with personality trait changes
People who gain weight are more likely to give in to temptations but also are more thoughtful about their actions, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

NIH/National Institute on Aging, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 30-Apr-2013

Journal of Adolescent Health
Teen girls less successful than boys at quitting meth in UCLA pilot research study
A UCLA-led study of adolescents receiving treatment for methamphetamine dependence has found that girls are more likely to continue using the drug during treatment than boys, suggesting that new approaches are needed for treating meth abuse among teen girls.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 24-Apr-2013

Journal of Neuroscience
Animal study finds deep brain stimulation reduces binge eating behavior
Stimulating a region of the brain known to be involved in reward decreases binge eating behavior in mice, according to a study published in the April 24 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting the role of the brain's reward system in driving the consumption of palatable food. It could one day pave the way for more effective and lasting treatments for obesity.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Public Release: 23-Apr-2013

Journal of Neuroscience
Anti-smoking ads with strong arguments, not flashy editing, trigger part of brain involving behavior change
Smokers who viewed ads with strong arguments had significantly less nicotine metabolites in their urine when tested a month after viewing ads.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 16-Apr-2013
NYU Nursing receives $6.7M NIH grant to continue the center for drug use and HIV research
NYU College of Nursing's Dr. Sherry Deren, Director of the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), received a five-year, $6.7 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health for continued funding (for years 16-20) of the CDUHR.

National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 16-Apr-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Aerobic exercise may protect cognitive abilities of heavy drinkers, says CU-Boulder study
Aerobic exercise may help prevent and perhaps even reverse some of the brain damage associated with heavy alcohol consumption, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study.

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 15-Apr-2013

Journal of General Internal Medicine
A shortcut to timely, cost-effective interventions for HIV
South Africa is home to the largest HIV epidemic in the world. Large-scale clinical trials evaluating combination methods of prevention and treatment are expensive and take years to complete. In the absence of such trials, mathematical models can help assess the effectiveness of different HIV intervention combinations, as demonstrated in a new study by Elisa Long and Robert Stavert from Yale University. Their findings appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 11-Apr-2013

Science
Tiny wireless device shines light on mouse brain, generating reward
Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. The scientists report their findings in the journal Science.

NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience, US Department of Energy

Public Release: 10-Apr-2013

New England Journal of Medicine
First objective measure of pain discovered in brain scan patterns by CU-Boulder study
For the first time, scientists have been able to predict how much pain people are feeling by looking at images of their brains, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation

Public Release: 5-Apr-2013
NIH awards researcher $2.5 million to study effects of stress on substance abuse
A five-year, $2.5 million NIH/NIDA grant will support research from the University of Houston College of Education to investigate mechanisms that influence drug-related health disparities in the African-American community.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 28-Mar-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Brain scans might predict future criminal behavior
A portable MRI was used to assess anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in 96 adult male inmates who were then followed for up to four years after their release from prison. Those who re-offended were more likely to have lower ACC activity, indicating impulsivity and anti-social behavior.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Law and Neuroscience Project

Public Release: 21-Mar-2013
GW researcher studies the dangerous effects of cocaine on HIV patients
Mudit Tyagi, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, has received two federally funded grants to study the dangerous effects of cocaine on those living with HIV.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 20-Mar-2013

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Abnormal stress response seen in toddlers exposed to meth in womb
Some two-year-olds whose moms used methamphetamine during pregnancy may have an abnormal response to stressful situations, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 5-Mar-2013

Journal of Neuroscience
Kirk, Spock together: Putting emotion, logic into computational words
In a large neuroimaging study, 127 volunteers played a take-it-or-leave-it game that shows cold reasoning and hot feelings may be more intimately connected than previously thought.

Wellcome Trust, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, Kane Family Foundation

Public Release: 20-Feb-2013

JAMA Psychiatry
Bullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adults
Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a study led by researchers at Duke Medicine.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 19-Feb-2013

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
UC research examines interventions in treating African-Americans with substance abuse
New research out of the University of Cincinnati reveals a relatively rare look into the success of substance abuse treatment programs for African-Americans. Researchers report that self-motivation could be an important consideration into deciding on the most effective treatment strategy.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 19-Feb-2013

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
NYU's Shedlin publishes study on the health of Colombian refugees in Ecuador
Shedlin's research addresses the need to reach a more complete understanding of the migration process and vulnerabilities experienced by refugees as they cross international borders, particularly in South America.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 13-Feb-2013

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Recent marijuana use in HIV-infected Russians associated with increased sex and drug risk behaviors
Researchers from Boston Medical Center and Boston University's School of Medicine and School of Public Health have found that in Russian HIV-infected risky drinkers, marijuana use is associated with other increased risky behaviors involving drug use and sex. These findings, published online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, may aid clinicians and public health experts in detecting individuals at a higher risk of transmitting HIV.

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 13-Feb-2013

Journal of Neuroscience
Rewiring the serotonin system
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Houston has found a new way to influence the vital serotonin signaling system -- possibly leading to more effective medications with fewer side effects.

Klarman Family Foundation, Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 11-Feb-2013

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Large study shows substance abuse rates higher in teenagers with ADHD
A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed a significantly higher prevalence of substance abuse and cigarette use by adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) histories than in those without ADHD. Researchers also found that, contrary to previous findings, current medications for ADHD do not counter the risk for substance abuse or substance abuse disorder.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 6-Feb-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Lower drinking ages lead to more binge drinking
People who grew up in states where it was legal to drink alcohol before the age of 21 are more likely to be binge drinkers later in life. Washington University researchers found that people who lived in states with lower minimum drinking ages weren't more likely to consume more alcohol overall, but when they did drink, they were more likely to drink heavily.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism