Summaries | Headlines

Persistent Smokers May Have Higher Risk To Become Depressed Than Never Smokers (May 21, 2007) -- Based on a Finnish study, persistent smokers may have higher risk to become depressed in comparison to never smokers. Also those smokers who quit have an elevated risk of depressive symptoms in short ... > full story

Nicotine Also Hooks Smokers By Enhancing Pleasure Of Experiences, Study Shows (May 20, 2007) -- The smoker puffing away in the corner might be hooked on more than just nicotine. A 15-year study suggests that nicotine also enhances the pleasure smokers get from their surroundings when they smoke ... > full story

How Normal Is Smoking? Teens Don't Know, But Their Guesses Affect Their Habits (May 18, 2007) -- The more a high school student overestimates the percentage of people in the general population who smoke cigarettes, the more likely he or she will be to smoke, according to a recent study. And, ... > full story

The Brain And Chronic Exposure To Nicotine (May 17, 2007) -- Scientists have analysed the subtle balance between various types of nicotinic receptors in the brain during chronic exposure to nicotine. Their research could make it possible to guide the ... > full story

New Study Examines 'Brain's Own Marijuana' (May 17, 2007) -- A researcher is investigating the "brain's own marijuana" -- called endocannabinoid -- in the regulation of stress, stress-related behavior and anxiety. The researcher believes this study may lay the ... > full story

Tobacco And Alcohol Use Independently Increase Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer (May 16, 2007) -- Cigarette smoking is more strongly associated with head and neck cancers than drinking alcohol, according to a new study. Scientists found that smoking is responsible for a quarter of head and neck ... > full story

Considering 'What Might Have Been' Is Key In Evaluating Behavior (May 15, 2007) -- "What might have been" or fictive learning affects the brain and plays an important role in the choices individuals make -- and may play a role in addiction, suggests a recent ... > full story

Curb The Pocket Money, Curb The Problem Drinking (May 12, 2007) -- Youths who receive more than £10 a week in spending money and who buy alcohol for themselves are more likely to become "problem drinkers," a survey of over 10,000 teenagers ... > full story

Genetic Risk Factors For Eating Disorders Discovered (May 12, 2007) -- Until recently, it was generally believed that eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa resulted solely from environmental influences such as peer pressure and certain perceived ... > full story

More Than 10 Percent Of Adults Abuse Or Become Dependent On Drugs During Their Lifetime (May 10, 2007) -- Approximately 10.3 percent of US adults appear to have problems with drug use or abuse during their lives, including 2.6 percent who become drug dependent at some point, according to a new ... > full story

Spiritual Beliefs, Practices May Help Smokers Quit (May 8, 2007) -- Unlike many traditional alcohol and drug dependence treatment programs, mainstream smoking cessation programs generally exclude spiritual practice and beliefs from the treatment process. But a recent ... > full story

Alcohol Consumption More Detrimental To Women (May 7, 2007) -- Alcohol consumption more severely affects women than men, according to a new study. The study found that women become alcohol dependent more quickly than men and that alcohol more severely impairs ... > full story

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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: ... > full article

Substance abuse -- Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a stimulant, depressant, chemical substance, herb (plant) or fungus leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's ... > full article

Methamphetamine -- Methamphetamine (also referred to as methylamphetamine or desoxyephedrine) is a synthetic stimulant drug used for both medicinal and recreational purposes (the latter use is illegal in most ... > full article

Addiction -- Addiction is a chronic disorder proposed to be precipitated by a combination of genetic, biological/pharmacological and social factors. Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behaviour regardless of ... > full article

Detox -- Detox, short for detoxification, in general is the removal of toxic substances from the body. It is one of the functions of the liver and kidneys, but can also be achieved artificially by techniques ... > full article

Narcotic -- A narcotic is an addictive drug that reduces pain, induces sleep and may alter mood or behaviour. In US legal context, narcotic refers to opium, opium derivatives, and their semi-synthetic or fully ... > full article

Opioid drug -- An opioid is any agent that binds to opioid receptors, found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. There are four broad classes of opioids: endogenous opioid peptides, ... > full article

Alcoholism -- Alcoholism is the consumption of or preoccupation with alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the alcoholic's normal personal, family, social, or work life. The chronic ... > full article

Psychoactive drug -- A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, ... > full article

Methylphenidate -- Methylphenidate (MPH) is an amphetamine-like prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and ... > full article

Drunkenness -- Drunkenness, in its most common usage, is the state of being intoxicated by consumption of ethyl alcohol to a degree that mental and physical facilities are noticeably impaired. Common symptoms may ... > full article

Cocaine -- Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating what has been ... > full article

Dopamine -- Dopamine is a chemical naturally produced in the body. In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating dopamine receptors. Dopamine can be supplied as a medication that acts on the ... > full article

Delusions of parasite infestation -- Delusional parasitosis is a form of psychosis in which sufferers hold a delusional belief they are infested with parasites. It is usually diagnosed as a subtype of delusional disorder. A related ... > full article

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder -- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a spectrum of permanent and often devastating birth-defect syndromes caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during ... > full article

Psychedelic drug -- Psychedelic drugs are psychoactive drugs whose primary action is to alter the thought processes of the brain. Many psychedelic drugs are thought to disable filters which block or suppress signals ... > full article

Psychopharmacology -- Psychopharmacology is the study of drug-induced changes in mood, thinking, and behavior. These drugs may originate from natural sources such as plants and animals, or from artificial sources such as ... > full article

Anxiety -- Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotion that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain and/or shortness of ... > full article

Cannabis -- Cannabis is believed to have originated in the mountainous regions just north of the Himalayas in India. It is also known as hemp, although this term usually refers to cannabis cultivated for ... > full article

Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia -- The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia or the dopamine hypothesis of psychosis is a theory that argues that the unusual behaviour and experiences associated with schizophrenia (sometimes extended ... > full article