TL;DR: A 2026 study in PLOS One found that Texas ICU COVID-19 hospitalizations coded for current nicotine dependence had lower crude and adjusted mortality than hospitalizations coded as never nicotine dependent, but the administrative-data design means the result should not be read as evidence that nicotine is protective. Key Findings Large ICU cohort: Researchers analyzed …
TL;DR: A 2026 mouse study in Neurochemical Research found that 28 days of unpredictable chronic mild stress increased dopamine D1 receptor binding across the striatum and raised dopamine D2 receptor binding only in selected regions, regardless of fatty acid-binding protein 7 gene deletion. Key Findings Adult male mice were exposed to 28 days of unpredictable …
TL;DR: A 2025 study in Computers in Human Behavior linked at-risk problematic gaming to weaker basic working memory, while recreational gaming was linked to better target detection on an attention-control task. Key Findings Three gaming groups: Researchers compared 114 adults who were non-gamers, recreational gamers, or gamers at risk for gaming disorder. Working memory was …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that decision-making measures from a stop-signal task, especially evidence accumulation, predicted cigarette and cannabis use better than stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), a common estimate of response inhibition. Key Findings More than 1,000 young adults: The analysis used IMAGEN cohort stop-signal task data from 1,256 participants at age 19 …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized clinical trial in JAMA Network Open found that one supervised 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin dose plus cognitive behavioral therapy produced 40.5% six-month smoking abstinence versus 10.0% with a nicotine patch plus the same therapy. Key Findings 40.5% vs. 10% prolonged abstinence at 6 months: 17 of 42 psilocybin participants stayed biochemically …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized trial analysis in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that COPE-A, an integrated exposure-based therapy for youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD), reduced PTSD symptoms more than supportive counseling, but substance-use reductions were not significantly stronger than counseling. Key Findings 49 treated participants were analyzed: Youth aged …
TL;DR: A 2026 rat study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that chemogenetically inhibiting a prelimbic cortex to nucleus accumbens core pathway blocked cue-triggered cocaine seeking after cocaine alone, but did not block relapse-like behavior after sequential cocaine and alcohol use. Key Findings The model tested sequential polysubstance use: rats self-administered cocaine, then some received access to 20% …
TL;DR: A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis in Drug and Alcohol Review estimated high adolescent substance-use exposure in South Africa, with lifetime alcohol use at 35.09%, tobacco at 25.47%, and cannabis at 10.47% across community and school-based studies. Key Findings 30 publications were included: Researchers synthesized 202 prevalence estimates from South African adolescent samples. Total …
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. …
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 …
