Advances in medical imaging have revealed that addiction is a complex disease of the brain, said NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow. “By understanding how addiction affects different neuronal processes, we can gather insights that give us a better understanding of why the behaviors of people who are addicted are so…
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Chemicals between us: Surprising effects of oxytocin on cocaine addiction
A team of addiction researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report in Psychopharmacology that oxytocin, a hormone produced naturally in the hypothalamus, has significant gender differences when used as a treatment for cocaine-addicted individuals with a history of childhood trauma. The MUSC team was led by Jane E. Joseph,…
Quantum Units Education: New CEU Courses
Suicide Prevention Supporting Life Before, During, and After A Suicidal Crisis Suicidal thoughts and behaviors affect people of every race, ethnicity, age, culture, and faith. This CE course identifies a set of suicide prevention competencies – the recommended attitudes, approaches, and skills for supporting life before, during, and after a…
Regional trends in overdose deaths reveal multiple opioid epidemics
The United States is suffering from several different simultaneous opioid epidemics, rather than just a single crisis, according to an academic study of deaths caused by drug overdoses. David Peters, an associate professor of sociology at Iowa State University, co-authored the study, which appeared in the academic journal Rural Sociology. Peters…