Addiction

The discovery that high levels of bile acids appear to blunt cravings for cocaine could lead to new treatments for addiction. Read More

In areas of the country disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis, treatment programs are less likely to accept patients paying through insurance of any type or accept pregnant women, a new Vanderbilt study found. Read More

Opioid addicts and others battling compulsion around drugs or alcohol are using a new high-tech, low-risk method to practice saying no—through virtual reality. Read More

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy advocated for better treatment of mental health issues and spoke candidly about his struggles during a Chancellor's Lecture Series discussion on Tuesday. Read More

The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, “Facing Addiction in America,” leaves little question about the growing problem of addiction. Read More

Fatal drug overdoses in Davidson County more than doubled in the past four years and now exceed the death rates for homicides and motor vehicle accidents, yet few people with addiction can obtain the treatment they need, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry said Tuesday. Read More

Although drug addiction is classically studied in a neuron-centric way, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that the immune system also plays a critical role. Read More

Complications related to opioid abuse occur in 54,000 pregnancies annually in the United States, and Tennessee ranks among the top 10 states in the number of opioid-dependent pregnant women. Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers from diverse scientific disciplines are joining forces to help crack the stubborn mysteries of addiction through the new Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research. Read More

Drugs that are being used clinically to treat obesity and diabetes may also have a role in treating drug abuse. Read More

Collybolide – a natural product isolated from a mushroom – is a promising candidate for the development of non-addictive pain medicines. Read More

An alcohol addiction recovery group currently meets weekly on Tuesdays. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified the role that a key protein associated with autism and the co-occurrence of alcohol dependency and depression plays in forming the spines that create new connections in the brain. Read More

Dynamic measurements of the bacterial leucine transporter shed light on the transporters that play roles in neuropsychiatric and addiction disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have used two types of neuroimaging to establish a “map” of connections for a brain region important in anxiety and addiction. Read More

Physician Drew Pinsky, host of the nightly show "Dr. Drew On Call" on cable television network HLN, will deliver a talk, “When Painkillers Become Dangerous,” Thursday, March 20, at Vanderbilt's Student Life Center ballroom. Read More

Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, delivers last week’s Discovery Lecture. Since she was a medical student in her native Mexico, Nora Volkow, M.D., has been fascinated by drug addiction. “It really did not make any sense … that someone would be… Read More

Renewal House provides hope for moms struggling with addiction. Read More

A drug already used for the medical management of diabetes also reduces the rewarding effects of cocaine in animals, which could have far-reaching implications for patients worldwide who suffer from addiction. Read More

In this Academic Minute podcast, Danny Winder, associate professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, explains why the effects of alcohol can vary widely among individuals. Read More