Addiction

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.

A new study suggests that semaglutide, a drug best known as Ozempic, may reduce cocaine use, motivation, and relapse in rats. These findings point to a possible role for GLP-1-based drugs in treating cocaine addiction.

Problematic pornography use and repetitive negative thinking appear to reinforce each other, according to new research in The Journal of Sex Research. The study tracked young adults over a year and found distinct patterns in how men and women are...

How does the brain learn to link alcohol with relief from withdrawal, creating a powerful cycle of relapse? A new study isolates a specific cluster of neurons that becomes highly active, essentially locking in this compulsive behavior.

New research finds a powerful tool against the opioid crisis inside jail walls. Providing addiction medication to incarcerated individuals is associated with a 52% lower risk of fatal overdose and a 12% lower risk of returning to jail.

Despite growing interest in cannabidiol as a treatment for substance use, a new study finds no evidence that a single dose alters brain function, craving, or drinking behavior in youth with alcohol use disorder.

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 case report describes how a woman’s culturally rooted habit of eating clay escalated into a compulsion resembling addiction, leading to dangerous electrolyte imbalances, internal bleeding, and medical confusion.

A new study suggests that slower development in dopamine-related brain regions may help explain why some teens are more likely to use substances or need stronger rewards to stay focused during adolescence, a period marked by heightened sensitivity to incentives.

Researchers report that sexual narcissism may serve as a psychological link between childhood trauma and compulsive sexual behavior. Participants with compulsive sexual behavior reported more trauma, greater sexual narcissism, and higher hypersexuality scores than controls.

Researchers have uncovered a surprising link between solitary sexual desire and reduced physiological arousal to erotic cues. The study suggests that people who watch more pornography may actually be less responsive to it, challenging popular theories of addiction and craving.

A new clinical trial has found that a single dose of cannabidiol can reduce alcohol craving and dampen activity in a brain region tied to reward. The findings point to CBD’s potential as a treatment option for alcohol use disorder.

A new review in Brain and Behavior makes the case that sugar can be addictive. The authors highlight how sugar changes brain function, triggers cravings, and leads to behaviors that resemble addiction—contributing to obesity, anxiety, and metabolic disorders.

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.

In a breakthrough for addiction science, neurobiologists have pinpointed the precise brain circuit that suppresses the urge to binge drink. This discovery of the brain's own "off switch" could revolutionize how we understand and treat alcohol use disorder.