Digital Health Technology Shows Promise for Efforts To Address Drinking Among Youth

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Underage drinking and alcohol misuse by young adults are serious public health concerns in the United States. The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 15.1% of people ages 12 to 20 and 50.2% of people ages 18 to 25 reported drinking alcohol in the past month, with 8.2% of 12- … Read more

Researchers identify brain hub with key role in learned response to direct and indirect threats

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NIH-supported study in mice could inform treatments of trauma- and stress-related psychiatric conditions. Scientists have identified an area within the brain’s frontal cortex that may coordinate an animal’s response to potentially traumatic situations. Understanding where and how neural circuits involving the frontal cortex regulate such functions, and how such circuits could malfunction, may provide insight … Read more

Semaglutide Shows Promise as a Potential Alcohol Use Disorder Medication

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Intramural scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute, found that semaglutide reduces alcohol consumption and binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcohol misuse. Published in the June 2023 issue of the journal JCI Insight, the study … Read more

Combining Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment With Recovery Management in Primary Care Settings Improves Outcomes

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Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) can be an effective method for identifying persons either at risk for or with alcohol-related problems and for connecting them to treatment. Recent data suggest, however, that while screening for alcohol misuse is common in primary care and other health care settings, patients are less likely … Read more

Webinar on Harnessing Technology and Social Media to Address Alcohol Misuse in Adolescents and Emerging Adults

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The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is hosting a free, interactive webinar about how to harness technology and social media to prevent and address alcohol misuse in two populations–adolescents and emergent adults. You can watch the webinar live on NIH Videocast on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at noon to 1:00 pm Eastern … Read more

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Launches an Educational Virtual Reality Experience for Teens

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The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently launched Alcohol and Your Brain, a virtual reality (VR) module to engage and educate young audiences about how alcohol affects the brain. Designed for Oculus Quest, Quest 2, or Meta Quest Pro headsets, this activity takes users on a virtual rollercoaster ride through the brain, with … Read more