http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/illegal_drugs/ Read the latest medical research on illegal drugs and controlled substances. Find out about the effect on the body, addiction risks, possible medicinal uses and more. en-us Sun, 11 May 2008 22:05:01 EDT Sun, 11 May 2008 22:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/illegal_drugs/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509105348.htm Millions of American teens report experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in normal daily activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse, according to a new White House report. Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080509105348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. A third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex. Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133326.htm Anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking brain molecules similar to those in marijuana could also interfere with neural development in young children, according to a new study from MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429120905.htm A new study may end the century-old controversy over what ingredient in absinthe caused the exotic green aperitif's supposed mind-altering effects and toxic side-effects when consumed to excess. The report is the most comprehensive analysis of authentic 19th century absinthe to date. Sun, 04 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429120905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501154225.htm Drug abusers who used a computer-assisted training program in addition to receiving traditional counseling stayed abstinent significantly longer than those who received counseling alone, a Yale University study has found. Sun, 04 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501154225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428120701.htm Brain-imaging studies performed in animals provide researchers with clues about why an increasingly popular recreational drug that causes hallucinations and motor-function impairment in humans is abused. Using trace amounts of Salvia divinorum -- also known as "salvia," a Mexican mint plant -- scientists found that the drug's behavior in the brains of primates mimics the extremely fast and brief "high" observed in humans. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428120701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133021.htm New drug research suggests that teens may get addicted and relapse more easily than adults because developing brains are more powerfully motivated by drug-related cues. This conclusion has been reached by researchers who found that adolescent rats given cocaine -- a powerfully addicting stimulant -- were more likely than adults to prefer the place where they got it. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418154959.htm Right now, about half of all people who take medicine for an anxiety disorder don't get much help from it. And doctors have no definitive way to predict who will, and who won't, benefit from each antianxiety prescription they write. Scientists are working to bring more certainty to anxiety treatment, by probing the connection between brain activity, genetics and medication. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418154959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081628.htm Increasing the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, can reduce use of cocaine by 75 percent in rats trained to self-administer it. Earlier research had similar findings for alcohol intake. Treatments that increase levels of these chemicals -- dopamine D2 receptors -- may prove useful in treating addiction. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140519.htm A new study shows how doctor's offices and clinics can identify patients who may be diverting or misusing narcotic painkillers such as Oxycontin, and steer them to help, while preserving access to the drugs for patients who truly need them to control their pain. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409150107.htm Using a guinea pig model that can assess neural changes in offspring born to mothers given methamphetamine during an otherwise normal pregnancy, researchers provide new evidence for the cognitive damage of these drugs. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409150107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408150512.htm Marijuana is among the most frequently used illicit drugs by women during their childbearing years and there is growing concern that marijuana abuse during pregnancy, either alone or in combination with other drugs, may have serious effects on fetal brain development. There is strong evidence that THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, crosses the placenta, that maternal marijuana abuse results in intrauterine growth retardation and that infants exposed to marijuana exhibit a temporary syndrome that includes lethargy and decreased muscle tone. A new study using rats found that THC combined with mildly intoxicating doses of alcohol induced widespread nerve cell death in the brain. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408150512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162403.htm Are the estimated 1 million young adults who were exposed to cocaine before birth more vulnerable to drug abuse today? New research indicating long-lasting brain changes suggests the possibility -- especially in males -- according to a new report. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120619.htm Repeatedly stimulating the mouse brain with methamphetamine depresses important areas of the brain, and those changes can only be undone by reintroducing the drug, according to new research. It explains why the craving of addiction is so stubborn and long-lived. This research also suggests that withdrawal from the drug may not undo the changes the stimulant can cause in the brain. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409120619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153352.htm New research in monkeys suggests the feasibility of treating cocaine addiction with a "replacement" drug that mimics the effects of cocaine but has less potential for abuse -- similar to the way nicotine and heroin addictions are treated. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153034.htm Over 1 million babies born annually in the United States are exposed to drugs, alcohol or tobacco while in utero. New research suggests that prenatal exposure to these substances (alone or in combination) may have effects on the baby's brain structure that persist into adolescence. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153354.htm Having a lower social standing increases the likelihood that a monkey faced with a stressful situation will choose cocaine over food, according to a new study. More dominant monkeys undergoing the same stressful situation had fewer changes in brain activity in areas of the brain involved in stress and anxiety and were less likely to choose cocaine. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm Simple environmental enrichment and increased social stress can both affect the level of individual drug use, according to new monkey research. Enrichment reduced drug use by all of the study animals; additional stress caused more drug intake in subordinate monkeys. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095221.htm A new study finds that references to illegal drug use in rap music jumped sixfold in the two decades since 1979, the year when rap made its way from inner-city urban areas to a mainstream audience. Moreover, illegal drug use became increasingly linked during this period to wealth, glamor and social standing, raising red flags about its potential influence on young listeners, said the study author. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326121235.htm The brain cells called astrocytes, and not just neurons, are sensitive to the substances called cannabinoids -- the active chemicals in marijuana. The researchers said their findings could aid in development of treatments for cannabinoid drug abuse. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326121235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095045.htm Despite public health campaigns, a surprising number of women continue to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana and alcohol during pregnancy and their usage rebounds to pre-pregnancy levels within two years of having a baby. Dads, meanwhile, don't get the messages at all. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312141248.htm Cocaine addicts often suffer a downward emotional spiral that is a key to their craving and chronic relapse. While researchers have developed animal models of the reward of cocaine, they have not been able to model this emotional impact, until now. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312141248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311165905.htm Researchers have teased out two distinct sets of risk factors for head and neck cancers, suggesting that there are two completely different kinds of the disease. Sex practices and lifestyle are culprits. Head and neck tumors caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted virus, were most often linked to certain sexual behaviors and marijuana use, rather than tobacco and alcohol. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311165905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110348.htm Smokers trying to quit in the future could do it with the help of cannabis based medicines, according to new research. Teams of pharmacologists, studying the cannabis-like compounds which exist naturally in our bodies (endocannabinoids), are exploring the potential for medical treatment. This includes treating conditions as diverse as obesity, diabetes, depression and addiction to substances like nicotine. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304075727.htm The risk of marijuana use among deviance-prone males goes up or down with national trends. But deviance prone girls are just as likely to use marijuana during years of high and low national use. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304075727.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190618.htm College students who take frequently abused medications without a prescription appear to have a higher risk for drug abuse than those who use such therapies for medical reasons, according to a new report. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214758.htm A new study finds that the use of stimulant drugs to treat children with ADHD has no effect on their future risk of substance abuse. The report assessed more than 100 young men 10 years after they had been diagnosed with ADHD and is the most methologically rigorous analysis of any potential relationship between stimulant treatment and drug abuse. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226193113.htm Researchers have identified a new receptor complex in the brain that responds to several types of antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia and also reacts to hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD. The receptor complex could help provide new treatments for schizophrenia and other diseases associated with psychosis. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226193113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227155016.htm Diltiazem, a drug used in the treatment of high blood pressure, reduces cocaine cravings in a rat model. Previous work showed that two brain chemicals, dopamine and glutamate, independently contribute to the development of cocaine addiction. This new research indicates that calcium channels provide critical links between dopamine and glutamate that drives the intense craving associated with cocaine addiction. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080227155016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218134721.htm Many studies on cocaine addiction - and attempts to block its addictiveness - have focused on dopamine transporters, proteins that reabsorb the brain's "reward" chemical once its signal is sent. Since cocaine blocks dopamine transporters from doing their recycling job, it leaves the feel-good chemical around to keep sending the pleasure signal. Now a new study suggests that cocaine's effects go beyond the dopamine system. In the study, cocaine had significant effects on brain metabolism, even in mice that lack the gene for dopamine transporters. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218134721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212171131.htm New research indicates that the effects of nicotine and opiates on the brain's reward system are equally strong in a key pleasure-sensing areas of the brain -- the nucleus accumbens. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212171131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217214547.htm Patients with fibromyalgia treated with a synthetic form of marijuana, nabilone, showed significant reductions in pain and anxiety in a first-of-its-kind study. Fibromyalgia syndrome has no cure, is difficult to diagnose, and effective pain management strategies are a must to help patients cope with the disease. An estimated 12 million Americans have fibromyalgia, which is characterized by widespread muscle and joint pain and myriad other symptoms. The condition is far more prevalent in women and the incidence increases with age, reaching 7 percent among women 65 years and older. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217214547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213160851.htm People with multiple sclerosis who smoke marijuana are more likely to have emotional and memory problems, according to new research. The study found marijuana smokers performed 50 percent slower on tests of information processing speed compared to MS patients who did not smoke marijuana. There was also a significant association between smoking marijuana and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213160851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206121515.htm In experiments with rats, researchers have identified the change in brain circuitry that drives development of a compulsion to seek drugs, even when that compulsion is self-destructive. The researchers demonstrated the function of the circuitry by selectively switching off drug-seeking in the animals. They said their findings show the key role of the brain region, known as the striatum, which is a region activated by reward. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206121515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204161425.htm Approximately one-third of popular songs include reference to explicit drug, alcohol or tobacco use, although this portrayal varies widely by musical genre, according to a new report. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204161425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130092113.htm Using a brain imaging technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging, scientists have discovered that cocaine-related images trigger the emotional centers of the brains of patients addicted to drugs -- even when the subjects are unaware they've seen anything. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130092113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111816.htm Only about 6 percent of former alcoholics and 4 percent of former illicit drug users will relapse into their addictions in any given year following an organ transplant. Substance abuse can lead to serious organ diseases for which transplantation is increasingly considered an acceptable treatment. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129175104.htm In young children, psycho-stimulants relieve symptoms of attention deficit disorder, yet in adolescents and adults, those same medications can cause euphoria and are often abused. What is behind these differing drug responses? Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129175104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124145015.htm Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use suggests that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes. Abstinence from each of these drugs appears to cause several common symptoms, such as irritability, anger and trouble sleeping -- based on self reporting in a recent study of 12 heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124145015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112181400.htm A new study reveals more than 3 million adolescents and young adults have used non-prescription cough and cold medicines to get high at least once in their lifetimes. The level is comparable to LSD, and more than the reported use of methamphetamines, among those aged 12 to 25. White youths were more than three times as likely as Black youths to have misused these drugs during the past year. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112181400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108133347.htm The first clinical studies of an experimental drug have revealed that obese people who take it for 12 weeks lose weight, even at very low doses. Short-term studies also suggest that the drug, called taranabant -- the second drug designed to fight obesity by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain -- seems to cause people to consume fewer calories and burn more energy. Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108133347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104165605.htm Using an integrative meta-analysis approach, researchers have assembled the most comprehensive gene atlas underlying drug addiction and identified five molecular pathways common to four different addictive drugs. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104165605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101093900.htm Drugs that treat depression and schizophrenia might not be triggering the most appropriate response in brain cells, new research suggests. This study examined the early chemical events that happen when a particular serotonin receptor on brain cells is stimulated by serotonin and by a hallucinogenic agent thought to mimic serotonin. The findings show that although both compounds activate this receptor, they trigger different chemical pathways inside the cell. Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101093900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217110328.htm Here's another reason to "keep off the grass." Researchers report that marijuana smoke contains significantly higher levels of several toxic compounds -- including ammonia and hydrogen cyanide -- than tobacco smoke and may therefore pose similar health risks. The scientists found that ammonia levels were 20 times higher in the marijuana smoke than in the tobacco smoke, while hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide and certain aromatic amines occurred at levels 3-5 times higher in the marijuana smoke, they say. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217110328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210213123.htm An alarming rise in drug-related problems amongst militia in southern and central Somalia, which has not been under the control of any type of government for more than a decade, is reported in a study published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210213123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129121127.htm Researchers say certain club drugs trigger a chemical chain reaction in the brain similar to what occurs during traumatic brain injury, leading to cell death, memory loss and potentially irreversible brain damage. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129121127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129151109.htm Scientists have discovered a new way to separate the therapeutic benefits of cannabis from its mood-altering side-effects. Cannabis contains a chemical called THC, which binds to, and activates, proteins in the brain known as 'CB1 cannabinoid receptors'. Activating these receptors can relieve pain and prevent epileptic seizures; but it also causes the mood-altering effect experienced by people who use cannabis as a recreational drug. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129151109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071107160233.htm New measurements of brain activity confirm that cocaine-addicted individuals have compromised sensitivity to monetary rewards. This altered sensitivity may help explain why some drug-addicted individuals are unable to modify their drug-taking behavior, even in the face of well-understood negative consequences and/or positive incentives for behavioral change. Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071107160233.htm