Researchers funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently found that many individuals in recovery for alcohol and other substance use disorders report life achievements, such as increased community engagement and enhanced well-being, with more achievements on average being reported with increased time in recovery. Similar to previous studies, achievements were associated … Read more
During the course of the pandemic, researchers and scientists from across the biomedical spectrum have focused on the diverse health impacts of the novel coronavirus. For their part, alcohol researchers are investigating numerous ways that alcohol might affect COVID-19 risk and severity, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic may influence alcohol consumption patterns and … Read more
For many years, the concept of recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) has permeated our societal discourse and been celebrated for individuals with AUD who do recover. Yet, recovery’s complex nature has led to ambiguity about its meaning. This lack of agreement about the kinds of outcomes that define recovery has complicated efforts to compare … Read more
This December marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Over the past five decades, NIAAA-funded researchers have made tremendous progress in advancing the understanding of how alcohol impacts health. NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D., comments, “While we have much more work to do, today … Read more
NIAAA-funded scientists report that early life dietary choline supplements improve some of the cognitive and behavioral symptoms associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) four years after treatment ended. The results of this study suggest that choline treatment during an important time window during early childhood can alter brain development in a way that produces … Read more
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment that is particularly problematic for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD), according to physician scientists at the National Institutes of Health. In a commentary now online in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers liken the global coronavirus emergency to a “perfect storm,” with dire … Read more