Pandemic Alcohol Use Linked to Nervous System Disruption in Pregnant and Postpartum Women, Hinting at Novel Clinical Biomarker and Intervention Potential

Increased alcohol use among pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with autonomic nervous system dysregulation, known to negatively affect resilience to change and further exacerbate the risk of stress-related mental health disorders and substance use, a new study suggests. The findings, although preliminary, underline the potential for a new clinical biomarker and novel personalized mobile health apps in facilitating treatment interventions. Previous research linked the pandemic to increased stress levels and drinking, including in pregnant and postpartum women. Alcohol use, and stress-related conditions such as depression and anxiety, are associated with dysregulation in the feedback loop between the body and the brain. This process involves the peripheral autonomic nervous system, which regulates the heartbeat. Healthy, resilient people tend to have higher heart rate variability than people with stress and substance use disorders. Heart rate variab

A Leader Fighting the Overdose Crisis Urges Standardizing Addiction Medicine Education and Supporting New DEA Requirements

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The National Vital Statistics System, drug-related overdose deaths have been rising over the past two decades in the United States. In 2021, 106,699 drug overdose deaths occurred. Adults aged 65 and over…

Substance use disorders do not increase the likelihood of COVID-19 deaths

New research from Boston Medical Center found that substance use disorders do not increase the likelihood of dying from COVID-19. Published in Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, the study showed that the increased risk for severe COVID-19 in people with SUD that has been seen may be the result of co-occurring medical conditions.

Multiple substance use disorders may share inherited genetic signature

New research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a common genetic signature that may increase a person’s risk of developing substance use disorders. The work eventually could lead to universal therapies to treat multiple substance use disorders and potentially help people diagnosed with more than one.

Low-income charter school graduates had lower rates of problematic substance use as young adults, UCLA research suggests

An 8-year study of nearly 1300 low-income adolescents in Los Angeles found that students who attended high performing charter high schools were much less likely to engage in risky substance use by the time they reached age 21. Males who attended the high-performing schools also had better physical health and lower obesity rates as young adults while females had substantially worse outcomes in those two areas.

Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers awarded $6.4M to advance treatment for substance use disorders

Sanford Burnham Prebys Professor Nicholas Cosford, Ph.D., has been awarded $6.4M from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to test new potential drugs to treat opioid and methamphetamine use disorders. The three-year project will be completed with partners from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Camino Pharma, LLC.

Johns Hopkins receives $1.6 million NIH grant to commercialize innovations to treat substance use disorders

Johns Hopkins Carey Business School faculty, along with School of Medicine colleagues, will create a cutting-edge pathway for substance use disorder researchers to develop new treatment options thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which does not typically award grants to business schools.

Improving release process and treatment after incarceration may reduce opioid overdoses.

New research from Tufts University School of Medicine suggests critical changes to the process of transitioning people out of jail while on substance use treatment can reduce opioid deaths among the highly susceptible population.

JNCCN Study Highlights Gaps in Patient Supportive Services at U.S. Cancer Centers

New research in the July 2021 issue of JNCCN indicates a need to increase substance use and mental health support capabilities at cancer centers across the United States. Researchers found 85.4% of centers offered mental health services but only 45.5% had chemical dependency services.

Focusing on Solutions to the Opioid Crisis, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) Announces Family- and Community-Based Initiatives to Prevent Substance Use Disorder and Overdose

Recognizing the urgent need for comprehensive approaches to opioid use disorder that address the needs of the entire family, the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) is today issuing a new Request for Proposals for projects that will engage and empower vulnerable families and communities to prevent opioid use disorder and overdose.

Predicting who may do best with psychedelic-assisted therapy

A new research review identifies personality traits that have been associated with positive and negative experiences on psychedelics being tested for therapeutic purposes in previous studies, information that could help predict how future clinical trial participants will respond to the drugs.

Researchers launch confidential helpline, 833-EMS-INTX, for Texas first responders to find help for substance use disorder

First responders in Texas can now call a confidential helpline to seek treatment for substance use and mental health disorders through a new clinical research program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The Heroes Helpline comes at a time when first responders are serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Reveals Pharmacy-level Barriers to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Appalachian Kentucky

A new study led by University of Kentucky researcher April Young and Emory University researcher Hannah Cooper shows that a number of pharmacies in the Appalachian region of Kentucky are limiting the dispensing of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD).

Parkdale Center and AANA Launch Free Virtual Support for Healthcare Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic

Committed to supporting healthcare professionals serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parkdale Center and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) have launched the free “Support The Front” program to service healthcare professionals dealing with grief, trauma, exhaustion, and fear.

Battling treatment resistant opioid use disorder

Similar to treatment resistant depression, there is a subpopulation of those addicted to opioids who do not respond to standard opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments. In a new paper, an addiction expert at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis suggests a new category for these types of patients: treatment resistant opioid use disorder (TROUD).

Low Rates of Tobacco Dependence Treatment in Patients Hospitalized with Substance Use Disorders

June 21, 2019 – Tobacco dependence is very common in patients hospitalized with substance use disorders (SUDs) – but most don’t receive recommended treatment for tobacco dependence while in the hospital, reports a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine,…