HOW TO TAKE THE POST-TEST: Click here after reading the article to take the post-test on myCME.com. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University ...

Research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and ...

Illustration showing a teens brain being affected by drinks, social media and cigarettes. Adolescence is a pivotal phase during the development of the brain, marked by increased plasticity. That ...

These experiments demonstrate that powerful instinctive survival behaviors can be overcome by activating the brain’s reward pathway through the release of dopamine. Since rats do not have ...

Sandstone Care identified nine publications in the National Library of Medicine that reshaped researchers' understanding of the effects of substance use on the adolescent brain. - Illustration by Joel ...

Substance use and substance use disorder differ by the frequency of use and the effect on a person’s life. Substance use disorder is a mental health condition. Substance use refers to using both legal ...

Risk-taking and testing limits are a regular part of adolescent development. Many teens experiment with drugs, alcohol, or over-the-counter substances during this period. While the desire to ...

Those who grew up when Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) pamphlets were common in the school counselor's office are probably familiar with the “gateway drug” theory, which suggests the use of ...

Results from a new clinical trial suggest that a group of brain regions known as the “salience network” is activated after a drug is taken intravenously, but not when that same drug is taken orally.