EurekAlert! - National Institutes of Health

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

Public Release: 28-Jan-2013

Pediatrics
Best friends influence when teenagers have first drink
A University of Iowa study has found that teenagers who exhibit problem drinking likely got their first drink from a friend. The reason, the researchers explain, is that friends who drink are more likely to have access to alcohol and are more likely to influence when their buddies first drink. The finding is part of a formula that may help specialists intervene before problem drinking arises in at-risk adolescents. Findings published in the journal Pediatrics.

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

Public Release: 23-Jan-2013

Neuron
Pavlov's rats? Rodents trained to link rewards to visual cues
In experiments on rats outfitted with tiny goggles, scientists say they have learned that the brain's initial vision processing center not only relays visual stimuli, but also can "learn" time intervals and create specifically timed expectations of future rewards. The research, by a team at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sheds new light on learning and memory-making, the investigators say, and could help explain why people with Alzheimer's disease have trouble remembering recent events.

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Eye Institute, NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Johns Hopkins University

Public Release: 22-Jan-2013

Translational Psychiatry
Scientists find gene interactions that make cocaine abuse death 8 times more likely
Scientists have identified genetic circumstances under which common mutations on two genes interact in the presence of cocaine to produce a nearly eight-fold increased risk of death as a result of abusing the drug.

National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

Public Release: 22-Jan-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
A brain protein called vimentin can indicate damage to the hippocampus following binge drinking
Binge drinking is known to increase the risk of developing dementia and/or brain damage. A new study used rodents to test markers of neurodegeneration to determine a threshold for brain damage. The vimentin brain protein can indicate damage to the hippocampus after 24 hours of binge-like drinking.

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

Public Release: 22-Jan-2013

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Alcohol use from adolescence to adulthood follows different, complex pathways
Adolescence is often a time of novelty seeking and risk taking, including the initiation of drinking. Other risk factors are also involved in trajectories of alcohol use that may develop over time. A new study has identified six different trajectories of alcohol use from adolescence into adulthood.

Dutch Medical Council, National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 14-Jan-2013

JAMA Internal Medicine
Drug overdose now the leading cause of death among homeless adults in Boston
A study by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program compared rates and causes of death among those served by BHCHP with data from a similar 1997 study and found that, while drug overdose replaced HIV as the leading cause of death, overall mortality rates had not changed despite a significant expansion of BHCHP services.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Cancer Society

Public Release: 9-Jan-2013

American Journal of Public Health
Protective communities may reduce risk of drinking in teens
Living in a caring community may help curb teenage alcohol use, while hanging out with antisocial peers can have the opposite effect, according to Penn State researchers studying substance abuse patterns.

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

Public Release: 3-Jan-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Rare form of active 'jumping genes' found in mammals
Much of the DNA that makes up our genomes can be traced back to strange rogue sequences known as transposable elements, or jumping genes, which are largely idle in mammals. But Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a new DNA sequence moving around in bats -- the first member of its class found to be active in mammals.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Public Release: 2-Jan-2013

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Bisexual men on the 'down low' run risk for poor mental health
Bisexual men are less likely to disclose their sexual orientation than gay men. In the first study to look at the mental health of this population, researchers found that greater concealment of homosexual behavior was associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety. The researchers found that men who live with a wife or girlfriend and who think of themselves as heterosexual were more likely to conceal their same-sex behavior.

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

Public Release: 20-Dec-2012

Child Development
Young offenders who work, don't attend school may be more antisocial
Until now, little has been known about the effects of school-year employment for at-risk youth. This study examined employment, school attendance, and antisocial behavior in 1,350 serious juvenile offenders ages 14-17 over a five year period. Youths who worked long hours and didn't attend school regularly were at the greatest risk for antisocial behavior, followed by youths who worked long hours and didn't go to school at all.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MacArthur Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and others

Public Release: 14-Dec-2012

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Negative emotionality may make some people more prone to alcohol or other drug problems
Sensitivity to the stimulating effects of alcohol and other drugs is a risk marker for their problematic use. Negative emotionality has also been associated with substance use. New findings indicate that a high level of negative emotionality may lead to problem drinking when it occurs together with sensitivity to a drug-based reward.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, US Department of Defense/Congressionally Directed Medical Research

Public Release: 5-Dec-2012

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Smoking may worsen hangover after heavy drinking
People who like to smoke when they drink may be at greater risk of suffering a hangover the next morning, according to a study in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, US Department of Veterans Affairs

Public Release: 3-Dec-2012

Clinical Psychological Science
Research explores markers of depression from childhood to adulthood
Although several studies have followed the course of depression throughout the lifespan, the characteristics of depression at different developmental stages haven't been clearly identified. New research published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, presents a unique longitudinal investigation of depression across four critical developmental periods from childhood to adulthood.

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

Public Release: 28-Nov-2012

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Double duty: Immune system regulator found to protect brain from effects of stroke
A small molecule known to regulate white blood cells has a surprising second role in protecting brain cells from the deleterious effects of stroke, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The molecule, microRNA-223, affects how cells respond to the temporary loss of blood supply brought on by stroke -- and thus the cells' likelihood of suffering permanent damage.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund

Public Release: 12-Nov-2012

Pediatrics
Smoking parents often expose children to tobacco smoke in their cars
MassGeneral Hospital for Children study suggests that parents may not recognize the dangers of smoking in their cars with a child present.

NIH/National Cancer Institute, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Public Release: 8-Nov-2012

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Environmental factors can mitigate genetic risk for developing alcohol problems
Previous research suggests that genetic influences on drinking are moderated by environmental factors. A new study has looked at gene-environment interactions between a functional single nucleotide polymorphism of the μ-opioid receptor gene (A118G) and the risk for developing an AUD during adolescence. Findings confirm that environmental factors can moderate this association.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Department of Veteran Affairs

Public Release: 11-Oct-2012

Genetics
New treatments for epilepsy, behavioral disorders could result from Wayne State studies
Three studies conducted as part of Wayne State University's Systems Biology of Epilepsy Project could result in new types of treatment for the disease and, as a bonus, for behavioral disorders as well.

NIH/National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 1-Oct-2012

Communication Monographs
Public health messages can influence infectious disease stigmas
Crafting public health messages about a disease may create stigmas that influence how likely people are to endorse certain interventions, such as isolating infected persons, forcing treatment on them and mapping their location, according to a Penn State researcher.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 1-Oct-2012

Archives of General Psychiatry
Psychiatric disorders persist after youths leave detention
Researchers interviewed nearly 2,000 youths up to five years after they were released from juvenile detention to assess their mental health. More than 45 percent of males and nearly 30 percent of females had one or more psychiatric disorders, much higher than the general population. Substance use disorders were the most prevalent (most common in non-Hispanic whites.) Many kids don't get treatment due to lack of services, perpetuating the revolving door between the community and corrections.

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

Public Release: 26-Sep-2012

Psychopharmacology
University of Kentucky research sheds light on pain pill abuse
A study by a team of University of Kentucky researchers has shed new light on the potential habit-forming properties of the popular pain medication tramadol, in research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The paper is slated to appear in an upcoming edition of the academic journal Psychopharmacology.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 12-Sep-2012

Journal of Biological Chemistry
Study implicates marijuana use in pregnancy problems
New research indicates marijuana-like compounds called endocannabinoids alter genes and biological signals critical to the formation of a normal placenta during pregnancy and may contribute to pregnancy complications like preeclampsia. A study in the Sept. 14 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry offers new evidence that abnormal biological signaling by endocannabinoid lipid molecules produced by the body disrupts the movement of early embryonic cells important to a healthy pregnancy.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, March of Dimes, Lalor Foundation

Public Release: 10-Sep-2012

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Study demonstrates that placebo response occurs at nonconscious level
With the discovery that the unconscious mind plays a key role in the placebo effect, researchers have identified a novel mechanism that helps explain the power of placebos and nocebos.

NIH/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 6-Sep-2012

Journal of Adolescent Health
Popular kids in US and Mexico more likely to smoke, USC studies show
New research from the University of Southern California (USC) and University of Texas finds that popular students in seven Southern California high schools are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their less popular counterparts. The study, which appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, confirms trends observed in previous USC-led studies of students in the sixth through 12th grades across the United States and in Mexico.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Public Release: 29-Aug-2012
GW professor receives grant to study the role of genes in drug addiction
Norman H. Lee, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, received a total of $405,001 in grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to continue to study the correlation between genetics and susceptibility to drug abuse.

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse