Substance use accelerates brain aging through distinct molecular pathways, groundbreaking study reveals
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Latest funded news by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Sep-2025 17:11 ET (18-Sep-2025 21:11 GMT/UTC)
New research from UTHealth Houston reveals that substance use disorders accelerate biological aging in the brain through substance-specific molecular mechanisms. The study, published in Genomic Psychiatry, identified distinct genetic and biological pathways that contribute to premature aging in individuals with alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use disorders, offering potential targets for future therapeutic interventions.
Dopamine is the brain’s motivational spark, driving us to chase what feels good, say scrolling another reel on social media, and steer clear of what doesn’t, like touching a hot stove. But scientists haven’t fully understood how dopamine helps us learn to avoid bad outcomes — until now.
A new study from Northwestern University shows that dopamine signals in two key brain areas involved in motivation and learning respond differently to negative experiences, helping the brain adapt based on whether a situation is predictable or controllable.
While previous research has shown that dopamine can respond to negative experiences, this is the first study to track how those signals evolve over time as animals move from novices to experts in avoiding them.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated that a single dose of a psychedelic compound significantly improves cognitive flexibility in mice for at least three weeks after administration. This groundbreaking finding suggests potential therapeutic applications for conditions characterized by cognitive rigidity, including depression, PTSD, and Alzheimer's disease.
New research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and thereby the formation of strong drug-related memories, which can trigger relapse in individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). The study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, detailing these epigenetic mechanisms in the brain, uncovers a new molecular target for the development of novel SUD treatments.
Cannabis use has been increasing during pregnancy, according to researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Previous research has observed that past-month cannabis use has more than tripled among pregnant women in the U.S. from 2002-2020 with self-reported cannabis use rising from 1.5 percent to 5.4 percent over the 18 years of tracking data.