Frequent use of opioids causes long-lasting changes to the structure and biochemistry of the brain. Many of these changes are the reason why opioids are so addictive. In particular, opioids target what is called the “reward pathway.” Our brains are hardwired to reward activities that are beneficial, such as drinking water or eating, with feelings …
Patients in recovery from dependence of opioid prescription pain medication show signs that the body’s natural reward systems are normalizing. Researchers Scott C. Bunce, PhD, of Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, and colleagues found evidence of “physiological re-regulation” of disrupted brain and hormonal responses to both drug- and nondrug-related. For the study, researchers …
Dr. Steven E. Chavoustie, one of our Principal Investigators for our Women’s Health Studies was listed as an author in the following publication: Buprenorphine Implants for Treatment of Opioid Dependence: Randomized Comparison to Placebo and Sublingual Buprenorphine/Naloxone. Dr. Chavoustie and the other authors on this publication evaluated the safety efficacy of buprenorphine implants (BI) versus …
Opiate withdrawal can be a difficult time for people who are dependent on opiates. The stage of withdrawal comes along with several symptoms that can be hard to deal with. Here is a list of tips that can help make this transition as smooth as possible: Sleep: Getting plenty of sleep is highly recommended …
Withdrawal can be a particularly hard phase when overcoming opiate addiction, but recovery is possible. According to researchers, 9% of Americans experience opiate dependency at some point in their lives. Addicts are often unable to control themselves or stop using opiates. Additionally, experts say that the number of people abusing opiates may be greater …
A new study has found that the number of newborn babies in the U.S. who suffer withdrawal because their mothers take opioids has increased by a factor of five since 2000. Published in the Journal of Perinatology, the research focused on the rate of American babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). From 2009 to …
People in the ER because of an opioid overdose are more likely to enter an addiction treatment program when doctors provide medication and counseling along with a referral, a new study has found. Researchers led by Dr. Gail D’Onofrio at Yale Univesity’s Medical School tested three distinct interventions among 329 ER patients who had suffered …
Over the past decade, the rate of opioid prescriptions has risen significantly, leading many doctors to fear growing levels of dependence and abuse. In order to identify some of the factors that influence a person’s risk of becoming dependent, a team of researchers combed over patient data from the electronic records of the Geisinger Health …
What are opioids? Opioids are a powerful class of drugs used for pain management. Prescription Oxycontin, Vicodin, Dilaudid and morphine are all opioids; so is the illicit substance heroin. These drugs affect the nervous system in three areas: The brainstem, where opioids slow breathing and reduce coughing The limbic system, where opioids induce feelings of pleasure …
Researchers have discovered a similar pattern of grey-matter loss in the brain across a broad range of psychiatric disorders, suggesting that mental illnesses with differing symptoms could arise from the same neurological basis. Their findings challenge the assumption of differentiating mental disorders by symptoms rather than by brain pathology. Dr. Amit Etkin of Stanford University, …
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