Older adults are open to using smart packaging to improve their medication-taking experience, a new study finds. Smart packages are used to electronically monitor when patients take their medication. When the prescription is not followed as advised by their physician the smart system can notify patients and their caregivers. Approximately half of the patients with…

Scientists have identified a group of proteins that help to regenerate damaged nerve cells. It is commonly accepted that neurons of the central nervous system shut down their ability to grow when they no longer need it; this occurs normally after they have found their target cells and established synapses. However, recent findings show that…

Researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to compare transcriptional responses to acute cocaine in 16 unique cell populations from the brain nucleus accumbens. The atlas is part of a major study that used multiple cutting-edge technologies to describe a dopamine-induced gene expression signature that regulates the brain’s response to cocaine. The study shows neurobiological processes that…

A new study published reveals that three-quarters of participants in an inpatient addiction intervention program came into the hospital using more than one substance. The findings suggests that a singular focus on opioids may do more harm than good if doctors overlook the complexity of each individual’s actual substance use. The study reveals that among…

As psychedelics gain ground as a potential therapy for mental health disorders, there remains a pressing concern that patients in clinical trials may have adverse effects to the drugs. New research identifies personality traits that have been associated with positive and negative experiences on psychedelics in previous studies, information that could help predict how future…

Researchers have identified a potential approach to stop the growth of the most common type of brain tumor in children. UNC Lineberger’s Timothy Gerson, MD, PhD, and colleagues reported in the journal Development that by blocking a signal called GSK-3, they could control tumor growth in a subtype of medulloblastoma. Their preclinical findings may provide…

The ‘double whammy’ of co-occurring insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea is a complex problem best managed with non-drug targeted psych interventions, a new study has found. By following simple new guidelines, people with the concurrent conditions reported great improvement to both their sleep, and their health — with about 50% improvement in global insomnia severity…

A genome-wide analysis of more than 435,000 people has identified 29 genetic variants linked to problematic drinking, researchers report. «The new data triple the number of known genetic risk loci associated with problematic alcohol use,» said Yale’s Joel Gelernter, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry and professor of genetics and of neuroscience, who is the…

One of the most common and disturbing side effects of COVID-19 is the loss of the sense of smell. New research has found some common coping mechanisms that helped COVID-19 patients deal with a lessened sense of smell, which severely impacts the sense of taste. The combination of the loss of smell and taste, which…

About half of the people with multiple sclerosis have the HLA-DR15 gene variant. A study has now shown how this genetic predisposition contributes to the development of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis in combination with environmental factors. The decisive factor is the shaping of a repertoire of immune cells which — although they are effective…