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Drug addiction

Drug addiction, or substance dependence is the compulsive use of psychoactive drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. Drug addiction has two components: physical dependency, and psychological dependency.

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Mind & Brain News

April 26, 2026

Fish oil has long been praised as brain-boosting, but new research suggests the story may be more complicated. Scientists found that in people with repeated mild head injuries, a key omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil—EPA—may actually interfere with ...
A gut bacterium may be quietly fueling depression through an unexpected chemical twist. Researchers found that when Morganella morganii interacts with a common pollutant, it produces a molecule that ...
A rare group of adults over 80, known as SuperAgers, are rewriting what we thought was possible for the aging brain. With memory abilities comparable to people decades younger, their brains either resist or withstand the damage typically linked to ...
Scientists have identified two specific types of brain cells that behave differently in people with depression, offering a clearer picture of what is happening inside the brain. By analyzing donated brain tissue with advanced genetic tools, the ...
Extra virgin olive oil might help protect your brain by working through your gut. A two-year study found that people who consumed it had better cognitive performance and more diverse gut bacteria than those using refined olive oil. Researchers even ...
Engineers at Northwestern University have taken a striking leap toward merging machines with the human brain by printing artificial neurons that can actually communicate with real ones. These flexible, low-cost devices generate lifelike electrical ...
A lifetime of mental stimulation—like reading, writing, and learning new skills—may help protect the brain as we age. People with the highest levels of cognitive enrichment had a much lower risk of Alzheimer’s and experienced symptoms years ...
Loneliness may quietly affect how well older adults remember things—but it might not be speeding up mental decline after all. A large European study tracking over 10,000 people for seven years found that those who felt lonelier started off with ...
Losing your sense of smell might signal Alzheimer’s far earlier than expected. Scientists found that immune cells in the brain actively destroy smell-related nerve fibers after detecting abnormal signals on their surfaces. This damage begins in ...
Alzheimer’s isn’t just one problem—it’s a tangled mix of biology, aging, and overall health. That’s why drugs targeting a single factor have fallen short, even as new treatments show modest benefits. Scientists are now pushing toward ...
A hidden waste-removal pathway in the brain has finally been caught in action. Using cutting-edge MRI scans, researchers discovered that fluid flows along the middle meningeal artery in a slow, lymphatic-like pattern—very different from blood. ...
Scientists are uncovering a surprising connection between autism and ADHD that goes deeper than labels. Instead of diagnoses, it’s the severity of autism-like traits that seems to shape how the brain is wired—even in children who don’t ...

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