Addiction

CARES Addiction Risk Tool Faced Workflow and Stigma Barriers

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CARES Addiction Risk Tool Faced Workflow and Stigma Barriers

TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint found that hospital stakeholders saw a need for CARES, a Comprehensive Addiction Risk Evaluation System combining genetic and behavioral/environmental risk information, but warned that provider burden, substance-use stigma, and workflow integration could limit adoption. Key Findings 15 stakeholder interviews: Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. …

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Ex-Smokers Had Higher Food Cue Reactivity on fMRI

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Ex-Smokers Had Higher Food Cue Reactivity on fMRI

TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint found that ex-smokers had higher fMRI blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to high-energy food pictures than adults with obesity or abstinent alcohol dependence, suggesting a brain reward route for post-quitting weight gain. Key Findings 77-person fMRI comparison: Researchers compared 25 ex-smokers, 26 abstinent adults with alcohol dependence, and 26 …

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Adolescent THC Exposure Produced Adult Anxiety and Cognitive Deficits in Male Rats

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Adolescent THC Exposure Produced Adult Anxiety and Cognitive Deficits in Male Rats

TL;DR: A 2026 rat study in Psychopharmacology found that THC exposure during late adolescence left adult animals with elevated anxiety-like behavior and impaired object-recognition and spatial-memory performance after a drug-free recovery period. Key Findings Adolescent THC exposure produced lasting anxiety-like behavior in adulthood: Rats given THC (5 mg/kg/day) from postnatal day 42 to 62 (late …

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Substance Use Disorder Shared Reward-Circuit fMRI Abnormalities

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Substance Use Disorder Shared Reward-Circuit fMRI Abnormalities

TL;DR: A 2025 systematic review in Translational Psychiatry found that substance use disorder was associated with recurring resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), a scan of spontaneous brain-network communication, abnormalities in reward and self-control circuits across 53 studies. Key Findings 53-study meta-analysis: Researchers pooled whole-brain rs-fMRI studies covering 1,700 people with substance use disorder and 1,792 healthy …

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Medical Cannabis for Anxiety, PTSD, and Sleep: Cannabinoid Evidence Remains Weak

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Cannabinoids Had Weak Evidence for Mental Disorders

Cannabinoids Had Weak Evidence for Mental Disorders TL;DR: A Lancet Psychiatry review of randomized trials found little support for routine cannabinoid treatment in common mental disorders, despite possible weak signals in a few narrower conditions. Key Findings 54 randomized controlled trials were reviewed: The analysis covered 2,477 participants across mental disorders and substance-use disorders. Routine …

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Video Game Addiction vs. Brain Activity & Response Inhibition: A Cued Go/NoGo Task Study

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Video game addiction (VGA) is associated with significant deficits in response inhibition and preparatory processes, reflected by more commission errors and reduced N2 amplitudes in the cued Go/NoGo task. Highlights: Increased Commission Errors: Individuals with VGA made significantly more commission errors in NoGo trials compared to healthy controls, indicating impaired response inhibition. Faster Reaction Times: …

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Cannabis (Marijuana) Addiction Linked to Altered Brain Connectivity (2024 Study)

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Individuals at risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD) exhibit increased dynamic fluidity and altered connectivity patterns in brain networks, suggesting early changes in brain function that may contribute to cannabis addiction risk. Highlights: At-risk individuals for cannabis addiction show a greater number of meta-states and more frequent transitions between them, indicating higher dynamic fluidity in …

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Cocaine Addiction Linked to Brain Shrinkage & Grey Matter Deficits (2024 Study)

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Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) patients exhibit widespread gray matter atrophy, with specific brain volume deficits associated with crack-cocaine use and relapse outcomes. Highlights: Widespread Gray Matter Atrophy: CUD patients show significant gray matter volume reductions in frontal and temporal cortices, cerebellum, and subcortical structures compared to healthy controls. Route of Use: Crack-cocaine use is linked …

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rTMS of Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DL-PFC) May Treat Methamphetamine Addiction via Altering Cravings & Decision Making (2024 Study)

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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) improves decision-making and reduces cravings in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Highlights: Improved Decision-Making: rTMS treatment enhanced decision-making abilities in MUD patients, making their choices more rational and similar to healthy individuals. Craving Reduction: Participants experienced a significant decrease in cravings for …

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Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) of Nucleus Accumbens Treats Cocaine Addiction in Male Rats But Not Females (2024 Study)

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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the nucleus accumbens reduces cocaine seeking in male rats but is ineffective in female rats, regardless of their estrous cycle phase. Highlights: No FDA-Approved Treatments: There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine use disorder. DBS Reduces Cocaine Seeking in Males: Previous studies and the current experiment show that DBS …

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