Researchers have shown that frustration is additional factor that can lead to addiction escalation. Traditional addiction research has focused on three aspects of substance use disorders: craving, impulsivity, or habit. Scientists hypothesized that a fourth factor, frustration, could also lead to escalation of drug use and addiction. The Psychopharmacology paper noted that research into the…

Patients with sepsis often require surgery or imaging procedures under general anesthesia, yet there is no standard regimen for anesthetizing septic patients. Of volatile (inhaled) anesthetics, sevoflurane and isoflurane are the most commonly used drugs, despite their undetermined mechanisms of action. A novel study suggests that the type of drug used in general anesthesia could…

A new review looks at the effect that smoking and vaping may have on the cerebrovascular and neurological systems of COVID-19 patients. Luca Cucullo, Ph.D., and other researchers from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) have for years studied the effects smoking and vaping have on the cerebrovascular and neurological systems. Their research,…

Investigators report that they have used microelectrode arrays implanted in human brains to map out motor functions down to the level of the single nerve cell. The study revealed that an area believed to control only one body part actually operates across a wide range of motor functions. It also demonstrated how different neurons coordinate…

When someone is depressed and having suicidal thoughts or their depression treatment just isn’t working, their caregivers might want to check to see if they have obstructive sleep apnea, investigators say. That’s true even when these individuals don’t seem to fit the usual profile of obstructive sleep apnea, which includes males who are overweight, snore…

Researchers announce that the presence of the Bmal1 gene in the striatum affects alcohol consumption in both male and female mice in a sexually dimorphic manner. Male mice without the protein consumed more alcohol than those that had it, while female mice without the protein consumed less than females with it. That’s the focus of…

A better understanding of the lived experience of people with schizophrenia would enable clinicians to help patients live with their condition, alongside treating symptoms with medication and psychotherapy, say experts. According to researchers at the University, this approach would involve developing an understanding of ‘self-disturbance’ in schizophrenia — in which patients’ sense of connection to…

Latinx young adults who experience heart-focused anxiety could be at greater risk for mental health disorders. New research indicates that heart-focused anxiety among that group is a statistically significant predictor for general depression and overall anxiety. It turns out young Latinx adults who experience heart-focused anxiety could be at greater risk for mental health disorders.…

Opioids are powerful painkillers but their use is hindered because patients become tolerant to them, requiring higher and higher doses, and overdoses can cause respiratory depression and death. A recent study contradicts existing thinking about how opioid drugs cause tolerance and respiratory depression, and suggests a new, balanced approach to developing safer analgesics. «The holy…

As many as half a million Australians are suffering from constant tinnitus, with farmers, automotive workers, transport drivers, construction workers and other trades people at the greatest risk, a national survey has found. The new research, published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, examined the prevalence of tinnitus among 5,000 adults currently employed across…