addiction

Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, renowned for his studies of the molecular basis of drug addiction and depression, discusses his latest research findings during last week’s Discovery Lecture.
April 28, 2022

Nestler’s Discovery Lecture

Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, renowned for his studies of the molecular basis of drug addiction and depression, discusses his latest research findings during last week’s Discovery Lecture.

By VUMC News and Communications
June 9, 2021

COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in cigarette smoking: study

Smokers who believed they were at increased risk of getting COVID-19 during the pandemic, or having a more severe case, were more likely to quit while those whoperceived more stress increased smoking, according to new research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

By Craig Boerner
May 12, 2021

Webinars share strategies for integrating addiction and behavioral health into primary care practices

David Marcovitz, MD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry, shared strategies for integrating addiction and behavioral health into primary care practices during two recent webinars — one for Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN) and one for the TennCare Delivery System Transformation Conference.

By Emily Stembridge
October 29, 2020

Histamine circuits in brain reward center

Histamine — commonly associated with allergies — also has a signaling role in the brain’s reward center and may offer a novel target for treating addiction.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 14, 2020

New tools to study bioactive lipids

Vanderbilt researchers have identified and characterized inhibitors of an enzyme that synthesizes lipid signaling molecules with roles in energy balance, inflammation and addiction.

By Leigh MacMillan
March 19, 2020

Blocking stress-induced relapse

Danny Winder and colleagues are teasing apart the actions of neurotransmitter receptors in a brain region linked to anxiety and addiction, with a goal of finding treatments for substance use disorders.

By Bill Snyder
February 13, 2020

Schuyler Clayton battled a decade of opioid addiction. Now a recovery coach, he serves as a beacon of hope amid a nationwide epidemic.

“Our patients live with a disease they don’t get help for out of fear of blame. It’s important for me to say, ‘I’m living with the same thing, and I’m not ashamed.’”
By Kelsey Herbers
December 13, 2018

VUMC Addiction Consultation Service sees rising demand

An Addiction Consultation Service, specialized training for physicians and changes in the language used in addiction cases are the first of many in a series of new clinical approaches being offered around addiction care as Vanderbilt University Medical Center — and the rest of the country — see an increased demand for such services.
By Kelsey Herbers
August 30, 2018

Investigators find that bile acids reduce cocaine reward

Bile acids — gut compounds that aid in the digestion of dietary fats — reduce the desire for cocaine, according to a new study by researchers at Vanderbilt and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 14, 2018

Silence, denial keeps America steeped in opioid addiction, Kennedy says

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.
By VUMC News and Communications
February 8, 2018

Gift supports addiction medicine training program

The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, “Facing Addiction in America,” leaves little question about the growing problem of addiction.
By Nancy Humphrey
October 19, 2017

VCAR science day shines light on addiction’s power

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.
By Bill Snyder
August 4, 2017

An immune regulator of addiction

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