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Addiction Disorders
Promising efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis
Promising efforts to mitigate the opioid crisis
Margaret Lowenstein, an LDI senior fellow and assistant professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine discusses the increase in opioid and drug overdoses since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parental nicotine use and addiction risk for children
Parental nicotine use and addiction risk for children
In research done using rats, Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt and colleagues found that males that engaged in voluntary nicotine use had offspring more likely to do so, too. Some offspring also developed impaired memory and anxiety-like behavior.
Program issuing mailed kits doubles rate of leftover opioids disposal
Program issuing mailed kits doubles rate of leftover opioids disposal
A Penn study finds that patients of orthopaedic and urologic procedures were more likely to dispose of their extra opioid tablets when they received kits in the mail to do so.
Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes
Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes
Leading a neuroepigenetics lab at her alma mater, Heller and the work of her 10-person lab is focused on molecular brain mechanisms, aiming to uncover chronic changes that can happen and keep happening in the brain long after exposure to addictive substances ends.
Overcoming barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder
Overcoming barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder
New research shows that emergency departments can be a gateway to medications for opioid use disorder.
The origins of the opioid epidemic
The origins of the opioid epidemic
The study, “Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts” examines the role of the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as a potential leading cause of the opioid crisis.
Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy
Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy
At the Perinatal Resources for Opioid Use Disorder (PROUD) Clinic at Penn Family Care, patients are screened for mental health conditions and supported with integrated care before, during, and after pregnancy.
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.
Boots on the ground for the opioid task force
Boots on the ground for the opioid task force
Opioid addiction is a “public health emergency,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Overdose deaths involving opioids—both prescription and illegal—have increased fivefold between 1999 and 2016.
From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell
From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell
At Penn Medicine’s Center of Excellence, the certified recovery specialist reaches out to people who are addicted in need of support and guidance, drawing on her own experience to be uniquely helpful and intuitive for people who need the most help.
In the News
Fortune
Tranq, the new ‘zombie’ drug that causes skin rotting, is fueling overdoses across the U.S.
Jeanmarie Perrone of the Perelman School of Medicine explains the merit behind the concept of overdose prevention sites.
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Everyday Health
Can taking a pill before going out help curb binge drinking?
Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that some people might be more open to treatment for problem drinking if they could take a pill on an as-needed basis.
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News Rebeat
“Sleep well, you can make money.” ‘Insomniac’ Japanese companies’ grand strategy to get a good night’s sleep
According to a study from Penn, the cognitive ability of people who sleep an average of six hours a night for two weeks falls to that of a drunkard with a blood alcohol level of 0.1%.
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USA Today
Is any amount of alcohol safe? It depends on your taste for risk
Research by Henry R. Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that drinking more than about one alcoholic drink a day is associated with health risk and cognitive problems.
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The New York Times
Binge drinking may be curbed with a pill
Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the self-medication approach with taking naltrexone before consuming alcohol represents a niche opportunity to treat binge drinking.
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MPR News
Mayo ‘mini brains’ offer new ways to understand addiction
Peggy Compton of the School of Nursing says that addiction is complex and difficult to reduce to one brain lobe because it involves environmental factors and multiple pathways.
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