http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/opium/ Read medical research on the effect of opium and related controlled substances such as morphine, codeine, heroin, percocet and methadone on the body. en-us Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:05:02 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/opium/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002211720.htm Sometimes, small changes do add up. In the case of addictive diseases, tiny variations in a few genes can increase or decrease the likelihood of some people developing a dependency on heroin. Now, by examining a select group of genetic variants in more than 400 former severe heroin addicts, Rockefeller University researchers have identified several genetic variations in American and Israeli Caucasians that influence the risk for becoming addicted to one of the world's most powerful substances. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002211720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080912091728.htm A new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis without affecting the brain, according to a new study in the journal Pain. The research demonstrates for the first time that cannabinoid receptors called CB2, which can be activated by cannabis use, are present in human sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system, but are not present in a normal human brain. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080912091728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163937.htm Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that in a given week, over 10 million Americans are taking opioids, and more than 4 million are taking them regularly (at least five days per week, for at least four weeks). These findings appear in the Aug. 31 issue of the journal Pain. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162858.htm Using pain treatments which contain codeine may be risky for some breastfeeding mothers, according to new research. The research suggests that the codeine used in some pain relief drugs can actually have harmful and even fatal results for infants when ingested by some breastfeeding mothers. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135513.htm Researchers using positron emission tomography (PET) have validated a long-held theory that individual personality traits -- particularly reward dependency -- are connected to brain chemistry, a finding that has implications for better understanding and treating substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080625093249.htm Fourteen percent of patients admitted to the hospital have alcohol/drug abuse and addiction disorders, costs for which have risen sharply in recent years, according to a new study. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080625093249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620115953.htm There are opioid and cannabinoid receptors in human sperm and these influence the mobility of spermatozoid. This research opens the door to more effective treatment of fertility problems. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620115953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm Burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses. Tue, 20 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520113309.htm For patients with end-stage lung cancer, noninvasive ventilation may be more effective at reducing breathing difficulty than standard oxygen therapy, and has the added advantage of reducing patients' reliance on morphine, thus improving lucidity in their final days, according to new research. For patients at this stage, even small comforts can be the difference between a peaceful or an agonizing death. Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520113309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514101200.htm Researchers have identified a factor that may contribute towards the development of heroin addiction by manipulating the adenosine A2A receptor, which plays a major role in the brain's 'reward pathway.' Using mice specifically bred without the adenosine A2A receptor, scientists showed that these mice had a reduced desire to self-administer morphine; heroin is converted to morphine in the body. Thu, 15 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514101200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508090044.htm Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the brain's "feel good" stress-response chemicals than non-depressed people, new research shows. And even among depressed people, the numbers of these receptors can vary greatly -- and may be linked with the severity of their symptoms and response to treatment. Thu, 08 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508090044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083934.htm In a new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease. Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083934.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/2008/04/080402131150.htm Scientists identified gene variants that affect the expression of neuropeptide Y, a molecule that regulates emotional responses and other functions. Inherited variations in the amount of NPY help explain why some people can withstand stress better than others. Since stress response is an important variable in vulnerability to alcohol dependence and other addictions, the finding could advance our understanding of individuals' vulnerability to these disorders. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402131150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303101110.htm Throughout the world, amateurs, experts and the media agree that prolonged jogging raises people's spirits. And many believe that the body's own opioids, so called endorphins, are the cause of this. But this has never been proven until now. Researchers have now succeeded in demonstrating the existence of an 'endorphin driven runner's high'. In an imaging study they were able to show, for the first time, increased release of endorphins in certain areas of the athletes' brains during a two-hour jogging session. These results are also relevant for patients suffering from chronic pain. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303101110.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/2008/02/080207172332.htm Patients with a certain gene variant drank less and experienced better overall clinical outcomes than patients without the variant while taking the medication naltrexone. About 87 percent of patients with the variant who received naltrexone experienced good outcomes, compared with about 49 percent of those who received a placebo. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207172332.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128152320.htm Morphine's serious side effect as a pain killer -- its potential to create dependency -- has been almost completely eliminated in research with mice by genetically modifying a single trait on the surface of neurons. The study scientists think a drug can be developed to similarly block dependency. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128152320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110190859.htm Experts debate whether heroin should be prescribed to addicts who are difficult to treat. Maintenance treatment with heroin is appropriate for heroin misusers under certain circumstances, argue one researcher. But prescribing heroin to heroin addicts is a risky strategy. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110190859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210212155.htm Cancer patients are suffering unnecessarily because they wrongly believe that morphine and other opioids are only used as "comfort for the dying" and as a "last resort" rather than seeing them as legitimate pain killers that can improve their quality of life, according to research published in Annals of Oncology. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210212155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123201438.htm Opioid pain relievers, such as morphine and other narcotics, carry warning labels urging patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery during use. In addition, drivers under the influence of pain medication are typically subjected to the same laws and penalties as drivers under the influence of alcohol. And yet, in a recent, preliminary study researchers found no difference in the "driving skills and reaction times" of patients taking morphine compared to non-medicated drivers. Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123201438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123210617.htm Scientists are developing new pain-killing drugs that are not addictive. They have discovered how opioid drugs such as morphine both relieve pain and also cause addiction. Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123210617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108115611.htm Endorphins and other morphine-like substances known as opioids, which are released during exercise, don't just make you feel good -- they may also protect you from heart attacks. Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108115611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101193421.htm Tolerance to the pain-relieving effects of morphine -- which builds rapidly with prolonged use -- can be prevented by blocking a substance that's formed when the drug is taken, researchers have discovered. Their findings could lead to new therapies that allow morphine to be administered without patients becoming tolerant of it -- a significant obstacle to effective pain relief -- nor experiencing a host of severe side effects that accompany escalating doses of the painkiller. Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101193421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019190236.htm The use of a nicotine patch -- successfully used to help many smokers decrease their dependency on nicotine -- was shown to reduce pain in men after prostate removal surgery in a new anesthesiology study. While morphine and other opioids (narcotics) remain the most commonly prescribed post-operative pain medications, many patients fear the side effects from these drugs, which can include drowsiness, nausea, slowed breathing, vomiting, constipation, itching and dependence. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019190236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016181238.htm Using acupuncture before and during surgery significantly reduces the level of pain and the amount of potent painkillers needed by patients after the surgery is over, according to anesthesiologists who combined data from 15 small randomized acupuncture clinical trials. Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016181238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163647.htm The opioid system controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors. Opioids exert their pharmacological actions through three opioid receptors, mu, delta and kappa whose genes have been cloned (Oprm, Oprd1 and Oprk1, respectively). Opioid receptors in the brain are activated by a family of endogenous peptides which are released by neurons. Opioid receptors can also be activated exogenously by alkaloid opiates, the prototype of which is morphine, which remains the most valuable painkiller in contemporary medicine. Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927131357.htm New research shows that people with fibromyalgia were found to have reduced binding ability of a type of receptor in the brain that is the target of opioid painkiller drugs such as morphine. Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927131357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070906104140.htm Sleep-disordered breathing was common when chronic pain patients took prescribed opioids. A direct dose-response relationship was found between central sleep apnea and methadone and benzodiazepines, an association which had not been previously reported. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070906104140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821112350.htm For the first time, pain researchers have shown that it's possible to separate the good effects of opiate drugs such as morphine (pain relief) from the unwanted side effects of those drugs (tolerance, abuse and addiction). Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821112350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627134537.htm Increasingly, drug abusers are getting their next fix from their medicine cabinets, instead of from drug dealers. More than 6 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. One in 10 teenagers admits to abusing painkillers, such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. Painkillers cause more overdoses than cocaine and heroin combined. Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627134537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070425142116.htm New findings may help explain the origins of addiction in the brain. The research also supports a provocative new theory of addiction as a disease of learning and memory. Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070425142116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070418163701.htm A new study to evaluate treatments for addiction to prescription painkillers is being launched in California. This is the first large-scale study to assess whether addiction to opioid painkillers, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, can effectively be treated with drug treatments currently used for heroin addiction. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070418163701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417194355.htm The controversial drug dipyrone can treat acute headaches, but patients should be warned of the risk of potentially serious blood disorders (or "dyscrasias"), concluded a Cochrane Review team. Furthermore, most of the studies used in reaching this conclusion involved intravenous infusions of the drug, making it expensive and complex to deliver. Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417194355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321181309.htm Many people, including health care workers, believe that morphine is a lethal drug that causes death when used to control pain for a patient who is dying. That is a misconception according to new research published in the latest issue of Palliative Medicine, from SAGE Publications. Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321181309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070316072620.htm A potential new pain-killing drug that avoids many side effects of other strong pain killing drugs has been developed by medical scientists at the University of Leicester and Ferrara in Italy. Sun, 18 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070316072620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070307075508.htm A genetic variant of a receptor in the brain's reward circuitry heightens the stimulating effects of early exposures to alcohol and increases alcohol consumption, according to a new study by NIAAA researchers. Conducted in rhesus monkeys, the study extends previous research that suggests an important role for a similar brain receptor variant in the development of human alcohol use disorders. Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070307075508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302082810.htm Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered why some individuals may be predisposed to drug addiction and believe it may lead to better treatments for this brain disorder. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302082810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302082741.htm Using morphine to end a person's life is a myth, argues a senior doctor in a recent letter in the British Medical Journal. It follows the case of Kelly Taylor, a terminally ill woman who went to court earlier this month for the right to be sedated into unconsciousness by morphine, even though it will hasten her death. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302082741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302115232.htm Wanting and liking are separate urges controlled by different brain circuits and when combined at once, the impact on the brain is especially powerful, according to University of Michigan research. Sat, 03 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070302115232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070215145046.htm Avoiding the severe pain, nausea, agitation, sweats and other symptoms of opiate withdrawal are among the many reasons addicts are motivated to continue taking drugs. Now, researchers have found that disrupting the brain's stress-response mechanism exacerbates behavioral withdrawal symptoms in mice, and that giving the mice the hormone corticosterone alleviates those symptoms. The researchers said their findings suggest new approaches to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070215145046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070215083144.htm Slow-release morphine helped a group of patients with long-term, treatment-resistant chronic cough reduce their daily cough score levels by 40 percent. Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070215083144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070209074755.htm Intradiscal biacuplasty is an effective procedure to treat chronic discogenic pain, report researchers at the 23rd annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine in New Orleans. Improvement in pain scores and functional capacity can be observed much earlier with intradiscal biacuplasty than with intradiscal electrothermal therapy suggesting some additional or/and different mechanisms of action. Sat, 10 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070209074755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070128135642.htm University of Adelaide researchers have made a breakthrough in the treatment of heroin addiction which could improve treatment success rates for millions of heroin users around the world. Researchers in the Discipline of Pharmacology have discovered a genetic variation that may help determine the most effective methadone dosage levels for individual heroin addicts. Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070128135642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070117091113.htm Narcotic drugs (opioids) are commonly prescribed for short-term relief of chronic back pain, but their effectiveness long-term has been questioned in a review article by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, who also found that behaviors consistent with opioid abuse was reported in 24 percent of cases. Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070117091113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070103201526.htm Alcohol-use disorders have a significant genetic component to their development. New findings show that heavy drinkers with the G allele of the A118G polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene have greater cravings after alcohol exposure than heavy drinkers homozygous for the A allele. Individuals with the G allele may have more problems resisting the urge to drink. Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070103201526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061222092334.htm The natural herb black cohosh is commonly used by women to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its action have eluded scientists -- until now. Tue, 26 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061222092334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061208101646.htm Costly methadone treatment for heroin addicts could be replaced by a substitute painkiller that is half the price, safer and less toxic. Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061208101646.htm