Molecule hijacks enzyme to boost alcohol metabolism
NIAAA selects winners of its Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge
NIH competition seeks wearable device to detect alcohol levels in real-time
NIAAA seeks innovative designs that use alternatives to measuring BAC through sweat The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, is once again challenging the biotech community to design a wearable device capable of measuring blood alcohol in near real-time. The ideal device would be capable of measuring alcohol concentration in the blood...
New preclinical study points to potential role of human gene in addiction
Lack of sleep may be linked to risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease
Two NIH Institutes Share Emmy Award for HBOメs The Addiction Project
Two Institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been honored with the prestigious Governors Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their work with HBO on the Addiction Project. "Addiction" is a 14-part documentary television series and multimedia initiative revealing the science of addiction, its treatment, recovery, and its costs to families and society. A...
Smokers with Psychiatric Disorders including Nicotine Dependence Consume Most U.S. Cigarettes: Findings Raise Questions for Health Professionals, Researchers
NIH-led study identifies genetic variant that can lead to severe impulsivity
A multinational research team led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health has found that a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule may contribute to violently impulsive behavior when people who carry it are under the influence of alcohol. A report of the findings, which include human genetic analyses and gene knockout studies in animals, appears in the...
Scientists identify molecular events that underlie FASD
Scientists have identified a molecular signaling pathway that plays an important role in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The new research in cells and mice, supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, points to candidate genes for FASD susceptibility and may open new avenues for developing...
NIH develops improved mouse model of alcoholic liver disease
Researchers identify key brain circuits for reward-seeking and avoidance behavior
NIDA-NIAAA 2018 Mini-Convention: Frontiers in Addiction Research
Micro RNA Implicated As Molecular Factor in Alcohol Tolerance
In recent years, a class of small molecules known as microRNAs have been found to play an important role in regulating gene products in most animal and plant species. A new study now indicates that microRNA may influence the development of alcohol tolerance, a hallmark of alcohol abuse and dependence. Researchers supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and...
Fruit Fly Study Identifies Gene Mutation That Regulates Sensitivity to Alcohol
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered a gene mutation in fruit flies that alters sensitivity to alcohol. The findings, reported in the October 6 issue of the journal Cell, may have implications for human studies seeking to understand innate differences in people’s tolerance for alcohol . The research was supported by the National Institute on...
NIAAA Issues New Clinician's Guide for Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has released a new guide for health care practitioners to help them identify and care for patients with heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders. Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician's Guide [ PDF]is now available free online ( www.niaaa.nih.gov) and in...
NIAAA Releases New Alcohol Prevention Website for Middle Schoolers
[ ARCHIVED NEWS RELEASE] The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has released a new version of The Cool Spot, the institute's website for middle school (11- to 13-year-old) children. [NOTE: In 2024, NIAAA replaced the site with NIAAA for Middle School.] " The Cool Spot uses engaging games and...
Receptor limits the rewarding effects of food and cocaine: NIH scientists help show molecule's crucial role in dopamine regulation
Researchers have long known that dopamine, a brain chemical that plays important roles in the control of normal movement, and in pleasure, reward and motivation, also plays a central role in substance abuse and addiction. In a new study conducted in animals, scientists found that a specific dopamine receptor, called D2, on dopamine-containing neurons controls an organism’s activity level and...
Receptor Variant Influences Dopamine Response to Alcohol
A genetic variant of a receptor in the brain’s reward circuitry plays an important role in determining whether the neurotransmitter dopamine is released in the brain following alcohol intake, according to a study led by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Dopamine is involved in transmitting the euphoria...
NIH researchers identify pathway that may protect against cocaine addiction
Anti-smoking medication shows promise for treating alcohol dependence
NIH researchers seek to expand treatment options A smoking-cessation medication may be a viable option for the treatment of alcohol dependence, according to a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. The study found that varenicline (marketed under the name Chantix), approved in 2006 to help people stop smoking, significantly reduced alcohol consumption and craving among people who...