Although there is currently no FDA-approved vaccine on the market to treat addiction, a vaccine that fights against cocaine addiction may not be too far off. “Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine.”According to the lead investigator, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, this research could pave the way to a simple and effective treatment for cocaine addicts, not to mention the fact that it could lead to the treatment of many other types of addiction, such as nicotine, heroin and other opiates.“He says the antibody immune response produced in lab mice by the vaccine binds to, and sequesters, cocaine molecules before the
Category: mental health
Binge Drinkers At Higher Risk of Heart Disease
New research, published in the British Medical Journal, studied the alcohol consumption patterns of middle aged men in France and Belfast. The study, led by Dr Jean-Bernard Ruidavets from Toulouse University, assessed 9,758 men considered to be free from heart disease, between the ages of 50 to 59 in the year 1991 and that resided in either three centres in France (Lille, Strasbourg and Toulouse) or Belfast. In the study, participants were categorized as non-drinkers, former drinkers, regular drinkers or binge drinkers. “In the study, binge drinking is defined as excessive alcohol consumption (over 50g) drunk over a short period of time, for example on one day during the weekend (50g of alcohol equates to 4-5 drinks, and a drink to 125ml of wine or a half pint of
Treating Opioid Dependence With Buprenorphine Implants Proves To Be A Success
Research on the effects of the medication buprenorphine has demonstrated that it decreases opioid use when it is implanted under the skin. What exactly is an opioid? An opioid is more commonly known as heroin or prescription pain medications, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, oxymorphone, fentanyl etc. On the other hand, buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that is used to treat opioid addiction and to control moderate pain in non-opioid tolerant individuals. It is comparable to methadone treatment; though it is much more convenient as it does not require daily dispensing at a facility. Buprenorphine itself can be used recreationally, however in an effort to prevent injection of the drug, the Suboxone formulation includes naloxone, which precipitates opiate withdrawal and blocks any opiate effect.Many
A Receptor in the Brain Makes Cocaine Relapse More Likely
“Drugs are addictive because they “hijack” the brain’s reward system, which is actually intended to make it pleasurable to eat and have sex, behaviors that are necessary for survival and reproduction.”Cocaine, a highly addictive drug, also technically known as benzoylmethylecgonine, is a crystalline tropane alkaloid (naturally occurring chemical compound containing nitrogen) that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The drug acts as a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic. Specifically, cocaine is a serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SNDRI), which mediates functionality of said neurotransmitters.Basically, cocaine acts as a chemical in the brain that blocks the action of transporters of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. This blocking increases extracellular concentrations around those specific neurotransmitters and increases
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Chronic Alcohol Consumption Linked to Circadian Rhythm Defects
Results shall soon be published in the Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research journal indicating that the expression of our circadian clock genes can be altered by chronic alcohol consumption. In particular, lower levels of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) can be found in the circadian clock genes of individuals with alcohol dependence causing sleep problems and mood changes.The term circadian comes from two Latin terms, circa meaning around and diem or dies meaning day. Circadian rhythmicity is present in the sleeping and feeding patterns of animals and it regulates our core body temperature, brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities. “The appropriate expression or regulation of these genes is necessary for any organism to efficiently “program” physiological and behavioral activities in order to
Addicts in the UK May Soon Be Cut Off Welfare
As part of their efforts aimed at reducing the whopping £20billion benefits bills, the UK Government is examining the idea of a “financial benefit sanction” for applicants that fail to pursue treatment for their addiction. The strategy is intended to push addicts into recovery and back into the workforce and off welfare. However, besides the fact that this violates human rights, Simon Antrobus, from the drug treatment charity Addaction, cautions against such actions:“Remove financial stability during that time and you can severely damage someone’s chances of beating an addiction. More likely, you could increase their chances of turning to crime to find an alternative income.”Indeed society will find the idea attractive because it supports recovery and getting lives back in order. Who wouldn’t find
A State-Fostered Addiction to Online Gambling in the Cards for Ontario
The Ontario Government has decided that gambling at casinos and local corner stores is not creating a sufficient amount of revenue. Therefore, they plan to introduce Ontarians to online gambling in the comfort of their own homes. Anyone that has set foot in a casino has seen the large number of regulars with their zombie-like expressions plugged into a slot machine. Not only will this make it almost effortless for faithful gamblers to feed their addiction, it will also attract many amateurs that have shied away from the noise and chaos of the casino.“With no pressure to say when to stop and without real tangible money being paid out at the counter, the urge to say “just one more time” while sitting at the computer