This article may help explain addiction science through research on cocaine, methamphetamine, dopamine, brain science. The source abstract begins by describing: “Converging evidence indicates that both dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) play a role in psychostimulant self-administration and relapse in rodent models.”
Key finding: These findings indicate that in contrast to the well-recognized mesoaccumbal dopamine system that is critical to psychostimulant reward and relapse, there is a parallel mesoaccumbal glutamatergic system that suppresses reward and psychostimulant-seeking behavior.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 26 Jun 2024 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Polysubstance use disorders ( ≥ 2 substance use disorders (SUDs)) are associated with high morbidity and mortality.”
Key finding: The elevated prevalence of polysubstance use disorders associated with early initiation of substance use underscores the critical need for evidence-based strategies to prevent alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine consumption before age 21.
Molecular Psychiatry • 29 Apr 2026 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, dopamine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Substance use disorder (SUD) represents a substantial challenge in neuropsychiatric medicine, with the molecular mechanisms underlying its etiology remaining elusive.”
Key finding: Our findings highlight the significant role of circHomer1 in regulating cocaine reward and identify a novel molecular regulator of the actions of cocaine on the brain’s reward circuitry, providing a new strategy for treating drug addiction.
Molecular Psychiatry • 08 Nov 2025 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, dopamine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused psychostimulant, whose hyper-rewarding property is believed to underlie its addictive effect, but the molecular mechanism regulating this effect remains unclear.”
Key finding: Our findings demonstrate an important role for NAc novel-m009C in regulating METH reward, reveal a novel molecular regulator of the actions of METH on brain reward circuitries and provide a new strategy for treating METH addiction based on the modulation of small non-coding RNAs.
Molecular Psychiatry • 17 Jun 2022 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, treatment. The source abstract begins by describing: “Recent years have shown increases in overdose (OD) mortality caused by polydrug exposure to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and stimulants such as methamphetamine or cocaine.”
Key finding: While this polydrug OD mortality has decreased in 2024, it remains at concerning levels.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 14 Nov 2025 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on cocaine, methamphetamine, dopamine, brain science. The source abstract begins by describing: “Dopamine (DA) is required for movement, sleep, and reward, and DA signaling is tightly controlled by the presynaptic DA transporter (DAT).”
Key finding: These studies support that the DAT/Rit2 interaction impacts both baseline behaviors and AMPH sensitivity, potentially by regulating DAT trafficking.
Molecular Psychiatry • 01 Sept 2021 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on cocaine, methamphetamine, dopamine, genetics. The source abstract begins by describing: “Methylphenidate (MPH) is commonly diverted for recreational use, but the neurobiological consequences of exposure to MPH at high, abused doses are not well defined.”
Key finding: Calipari et al.show that high-dose methylphenidate leads to enhanced dopaminergic responses to amphetamines, and enhanced amphetamine-seeking behaviour in rats.
Nature Communications • 05 Nov 2013 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Anacker AM, Loftis JM, Ryabinin AE (2011).”
Key finding: Article CAS Google Scholar Download references
Neuropsychopharmacology • 02 Dec 2016 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Substance use disorders (SUDs) are common and costly conditions that are partially attributable to genetic factors.”
Key finding: Overall, the findings highlight similarities and differences in immunogenetic profiles of SUDs that may influence the prevalence and co-occurrence of problematic SUDs and may contribute to assessment of SUD risk of an individual on the basis of their HLA genetic makeup.
Scientific Reports • 26 May 2023 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, relapse. The source abstract begins by describing: “Social reinforcement-based treatments are effective for many, but not all, people with addictions to drugs.”
Key finding: This choice procedure can identify mechanisms of individual differences in an animal model of cocaine use and could thereby help screen medications for people who are relatively unresponsive to treatments based on rewarding social interaction.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 16 Aug 2021 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, brain science. The source abstract begins by describing: “The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a key hub of the neural circuitry regulating alcohol and stress interactions.”
Key finding: Together, these data identify CeA CART cells as a subpopulation of PKCδ cells that influence stress × alcohol interactions and mediate stress-induced alcohol seeking behaviours.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 21 Aug 2020 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine. The source abstract begins by describing: “Dysregulated motivation to consume psychoactive substances leads to addictive behaviors that often result in serious health consequences.”
Key finding: These results reveal a striking diversity of response to individual drugs in the fly and the role of dopamine signaling and its plastic changes in controlling voluntary intake of drugs.
Scientific Reports • 09 Feb 2021 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, craving, relapse, treatment. The source abstract begins by describing: “Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused stimulant that affects the central nervous system.”
Key finding: Salivary cortisol is a readily accessible and sensitive biomarker for evaluating intervention effects.
Translational Psychiatry • 18 Jul 2025 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, mental health, treatment. The source abstract begins by describing: “Concerns exist that psychostimulants may increase the risk of psychosis, particularly in individuals with a history of psychosis.”
Key finding: These findings may inform clinicians considering psychostimulant prescriptions in this population.
Translational Psychiatry • 31 Mar 2026 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, dopamine, brain science, treatment. The source abstract begins by describing: “Dopamine neurotransmission is highly dysregulated by the psychostimulant methamphetamine, a substrate for the dopamine transporter (DAT).”
Key finding: Broadly, these data provide evidence for σ 1 R regulation of dopamine neurotransmission and support the σ 1 R as a putative target for the treatment of methamphetamine addiction.
Nature Communications • 20 Dec 2017 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, brain science, genetics, mental health. The source abstract begins by describing: “The adolescent brain, characterized by its high plasticity, is particularly vulnerable to substance abuse, leading to long-term impacts on brain function and behavior.”
Key finding: These findings suggest that the detrimental effects of adolescent METH exposure extend into adulthood, emphasizing the delayed-onset impact of early exposure to psychostimulants.
Translational Psychiatry • 06 Oct 2025 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, mental health. The source abstract begins by describing: “A major public health concern of cannabis legalization is that it may result in an increase in psychotic disorders.”
Key finding: In contrast, cannabis commercialization may increase cannabis-induced psychosis presentations highlighting the importance of preventive measures in regions considering legalization.
Molecular Psychiatry • 27 Jul 2023 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, brain science, genetics, animal study. The source abstract begins by describing: “The authors report that MeCP2, a methyl DNA–binding transcriptional regulator, modulates the response to amphetamine in the nucleus accumbens.”
Key finding: These data reveal new roles for MeCP2 both in mesolimbocortical circuit development and in the regulation of psychostimulant-induced behaviors.
Nature Neuroscience • 15 Aug 2010 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, brain science, animal study. The source abstract begins by describing: “Methamphetamine (Meth) is a powerful illicit psychostimulant, widely used for recreational purposes.”
Key finding: Overall, our data indicate that glial crosstalk is critical to relay alterations caused by acute Meth exposure.
Neuropsychopharmacology • 16 Aug 2021 • Research
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This article may help explain addiction science through research on methamphetamine, brain science, genetics. The source abstract begins by describing: “Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant, yet its addiction mechanisms remain unclear.”
Key finding: Here, authors show that METH may impair the function of the endogenous OXT system, particularly the PVNOXT-NAc core pathway, suggesting OXT-based therapies for METH use disorder (MUD).
Nature Communications • 23 May 2025 • Research
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