Alcohol

While clinical trials investigate psychedelics for addiction treatment, new population-level research indicates that LSD is associated with reduced alcohol use disorder in naturalistic settings.

New research suggests that alcohol use disorder triggers a specific immune response. This activation prompts astrocytes to damage neurons, providing a pathway for alcohol-related neurodegeneration.

Variations in a single gene can significantly alter alcohol responses, according to new research. The study indicates that the chrna3 gene functions as a behavioral brake, with mutations leading to higher alcohol intake.

A review in Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation challenges simple views on alcohol and marriage. Researchers found that while drinking fuels violence, couples with matching habits—even heavy ones—often face lower divorce risks than those with mismatched patterns.

In a recent laboratory experiment, cannabis use was associated with reduced alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers. This substitution effect appears to be driven by a significant decrease in the self-reported urge to drink.

A large study published in JAMA Psychiatry finds that lower IQ scores at age 18 are linked to increased risk of alcohol use disorder. Genetic factors and societal conditions both appear to influence how this risk develops over time.

Findings from the largest study of its kind suggest that alcohol consumption—regardless of amount—may increase the risk of dementia. Genetic data challenge the idea that moderate drinking offers any protective effect on brain health.

A new study suggests the dopamine-boosting drug tolcapone may enhance self-control and reduce alcohol intake in people with alcohol use disorder by increasing activity in brain regions linked to inhibitory control, such as the inferior frontal gyrus and prefrontal cortex.

A new brain imaging study reveals that individuals with alcohol use disorder have elevated levels of the antioxidant glutathione in a key brain region. Interestingly, those who drank less heavily in recent weeks showed the highest concentrations.

Early results from a pilot study indicate that psilocybin-assisted therapy could be linked to lower alcohol consumption and improved psychological outcomes, though larger controlled trials are needed to determine whether the psilocybin itself is responsible for these changes.

A new study suggests that people who feel fewer bodily sensations while intoxicated may be at higher risk for alcohol misuse. Using bodily maps and heartbeat tasks, researchers linked internal awareness to physiological effects and subjective feelings of intoxication.

A new study of heavy-drinking young adults found that drinking more on a given day was linked to both regretted and positive romantic or sexual experiences. For women, using cannabis alongside alcohol appeared to reduce the likelihood of regret.

The length of your fingers might predict how much alcohol you drink, according to a new study linking prenatal hormone exposure to alcohol use in university students.