ANNA - Addiction Neuroscience Network Australia

ADDICTION NEWS

Last Updated 26.05.06

SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE MEDIA

MEDIA RELEASES AND ABSTRACTS

MEETINGS & EVENTS

SUBSTANCE ABUSE
IN THE MEDIA

		WHO report
	•	Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence Executive summary Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence provides an authoritative summary of current knowledge of the biological basis of substance use behaviours, including their relationship with environmental factors. The report focuses on a wide range of psychoactive substances, including tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. New developments in neuroscience research are discussed (e.g., mechanisms governing craving, tolerance, neuroadaptation, immunotherapies and the concept of dependence) as well the ethical implications of these developments. As the product of consultations with and contributions from many international experts and partners, the best available evidence is provided from the various schools of thought and areas of research in the field of neuroscience. Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence is targeted at individuals with more than a basic knowledge of neuroscience, including scientists from a number of disciplines. It is expected that this publication will be of interest to health care workers, clinicians, social workers, university students, science teachers and informed policy makers.. Summary

	•	A daily drink 'only good for men' (25 May 2006) Drinking alcohol every day protects against heart disease in men but not in women, Danish research shows. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5013828.stm

	•	Just one cigarette 'can leave children hooked' (25 May 2006) TRYING just one cigarette may not be so harmless for non-smokers after all. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19251695-23289,00.html

	•	Ecstasy use 'on par with drinking' (24 May 2006) MORE than 650,000 Australians have used ecstasy in the past 12 months, with some users believing that popping a pill was on par with having a drink, a drug expert said. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19243227-23289,00.html

	•	Addicted by sex? (18 May 2006) Men have higher rates of addiction to stimulants such as methamphetamine, and they're also more likely to suffer brain damage from "meth" use. Now researchers have shown that amphetamine inspires males to release up to 3 times more dopamine than women release. That could help explain sex differences in all kinds of diseases associated with dopamine release--including Parkinson's and schizophrenia--and could lead to sex-specific treatments. http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/518/1

	•	Addiction's grip now seen as 'extreme memory' (15 May 2006) Old theories of addiction seem to fall short here. If the essence of addiction is dependence on a drug and fear of withdrawal symptoms, then why should this happen to a man who long since went through withdrawal? Or if addiction is about pleasure, why should a man embark on a course that will surely bring nothing but pain? . http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2006/05/15/addictions_grip_now_seen_as_extreme_memory/

	•	Evidence cannabis use more harmful than thought (05 May 2006) Marijuana has been dismissed for a long time as a soft drug compared with the likes of heroin or speed But more evidence is coming to light of the harm both mental and physical that cannabis can. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1632066.htm

	•	Alcoholism hope over 'drug pill' (06 May 2006) A medicine which is used in the UK to treat drug addiction can also help combat alcoholism, a study suggests.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4965444.stm

	•	Addiction and genetics (17 April 2006) A specific location on chromosome 17 may lead researchers to an understanding of abusive drug habits. http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsdrug174705117apr17,0,7942434.story?coll=ny-health-print

	•	'Gene cause' of cocaine addiction (13 March 2006) The chances of becoming addicted to cocaine could depend on genes, the Institute of Psychiatry has found.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4792618.stm

MEDIA RELEASES/ ABSTRACTS

	•	WHO PRESS RELEASE Substance dependence treatable, says neuroscience expert report

		RELEASES AND ABSTRACTS

	•	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 8 May2006 online UCLA researchers discover how drug binds to neurons to stop drunken symptoms of alcohol UCLA researchers have discovered how an alcohol antidote drug binds to specific receptors on neurons to stop the drunken behavioral symptoms of alcohol. Identifying which receptors the drug binds to may lead to a better understanding of how alcohol works in the brain, and help develop alcohol addiction medications and treatments. Paper

	•	JAMA 3 May 2006 Successful Treatment of Alcoholism Found in The Doctor's Office Attention from doctors, nurses and other health professionals, combined with either the drug naltrexone or specialized counseling, is the most effective way to treat alcohol dependence, according to results of the largest clinical trial ever conducted on drug and therapy interventions for alcoholism. Paper

	•	Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research May 2006 Both alcoholism and chronic smoking can damage the brain's prefrontal cortex A study in the current journal issue reveals alcoholism commonly co-occurs with chronic smoking; both alcohol and nicotine act on the brain's "drug-reward pathway" or mesocorticolimbic system; and new findings indicate that alcoholism and chronic smoking have a higher number of common genetic targets than previously believed.

	•	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 17 April 2006 Study shows gene candidates for predisposition A collaborative study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute as part of the Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism Consortium (INIA) have identified some 3,800 "unique genes" that may determine a predisposition for a high degree of alcohol intake. Paper

	•	30 March 2006 Researcher Aims To Better Understand Effects of Alcohol on Adolescent’s Brain Researchers at Baylor University report preliminary findings that support data showing that the earlier a person starts drinking, the greater the risk of alcohol addiction problems. In fact, he said the early onset of alcohol may even alter the development of the brain.

	•	American Journal of Human Genetics Published Online 16 March 2006 Large family study pinpoints genetic linkage in drug addiction Based on data obtained from one of the largest family sets of its kind, Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a genetic linkage for dependence on drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycontin.

	•	Neuropsychopharmacology Online 15 March 2006 Strength of cocaine craving linked to brain response Rats that have a strong craving for cocaine have a different biochemical response to the drug than their less-addicted counterparts, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. Abstract

	•	Journal of Neuroscience 8 February 2006 Same genes may underlie alcohol and nicotine co-abuse. Scientist and clinicians have long known that many individuals co-abuse alcohol and nicotine. Researchers have hypothesized that this phenomenon stems from a common genetic cause for alcohol and nicotine abuse. This study provides support for that hypothesis by demonstrating that rats genetically prone to drink large quantities of alcohol also overindulge on nicotine, relative to rats without an inherent fondness for alcohol. Abstract

	•	Neurology 14 March 2006 Memory, speed of thinking get worse over time with marijuana use Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study. Abstract

	•	Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research March 2006 Genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption among rhesus monkeys Alcohol studies of humans are complicated by a multitude of cultural and day-to-day-living factors, researchers in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research use rhesus monkeys to examine genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption. Results indicate that, just as with humans, both genetic and environmental factors contribute to variation in alcohol consumption among the non-human primates.

	•	Nature Medicine March 2006 Team Discovers Possible 'Universal Strategy' To Combat Addiction An international research team led by the University of Saskatchewan has discovered a signaling pathway in the brain involved in drug addiction, together with a method for blocking its action, that may point to a single treatment strategy for most addictions.

	•	Behavioral Neuroscience Feburary 2006 Animal models show that anabolic steroids flip the adolescent brain's switch for aggression. Anabolic steroids not only make teens more aggressive, but may keep them that way into young adulthood. The effect ultimately wears off but there may be other, lasting consequences for the developing brain. These findings, published in February's Behavioral Neuroscience, also showed that aggression rose and fell in synch with neurotransmitter levels in the brain's aggression control region. Paper

	•	Neuron 16 Feburary 2006 UCSF research pinpoints brain molecule's role in developing addiction A molecule in the brain essential for wakefulness and appetite has been found to play a central role in strengthening the neuron connections that lead to addiction. The discovery of how the neuropeptide orexin works at the molecular level makes it a strong new target for potential drugs to treat addiction, the researchers say .Paper

	•	Nature Medicine March 2006 Team Discovers Possible 'Universal Strategy' To Combat Addiction An international research team led by the University of Saskatchewan has discovered a signaling pathway in the brain involved in drug addiction, together with a method for blocking its action, that may point to a single treatment strategy for most addictions.

MEETINGS & EVENTS

Addictions 2006 Conference: "Novel Approaches to Phenotyping Drug Abuse"-Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa, Arizona, USA, 15-17 June 2006.(Satellite Conference to the 2006 Annual Meeting of CPDD) The abstract submission deadline is May 5, 2006 .

19th Annual Australian Winter School-Brisbane, Australia, 3-5 July 2006.

FENS Forum 2006: 5th Forum of European Neuroscience-Vienna, Austria, 8-12 July 2006.Call for program proposals-January - February, 2005. Preliminary program available-August, 2005. Call for abstracts, early registration-December 2005 - March 1, 2006.

Japan Neuroscience Society Kyoto, Japan,19-21 July 2006. Paper submission closes 13 February 2006.

11th International Congress of Human Genetics-Brisbane, Australia, 6 - 10 August 2006.Call for Abstracts and Registration Brochure Released April 2005. Deadline for Submission of Abstracts January 2006. Early Registration Deadline May 2006.

ANNA 2006 -Developing a research strategy to explore the addcted brain-ISBRA satellite, Hamilton Island Resort, Australia, 7-10 September 2006.

ISBRA 2006 World Congress on Alcohol - From Science to Treatment-Sydney, Australia, 10-14 September 2006. Abstract Submission Deadline February 2006.

The 7th EMBL/EMBO Science & Society interdisciplinary conference 'Genes, Brain/Mind and Behavior'-Heidelberg, Germany 3-4 November 2006. Contact Bettina Schaefer -phone++ 49 6221 387 8836, fax ++ 49 6221 387 8158, email schaefer@embl.de

2006 APSAD Conference Cairns, Australia, 5-8 November 2006. .

7th IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience-Melbourne, Australia 12-17 July 2007. Calls for Proposals for Symposia, Plenary Lectures and Satellite Meetings closing date 30 June 2005. Abstracts for posters will be called for in October 2006 with a closing date at the end of December 2006.