Addiction decreases the brain’s ability to experience natural, healthy pleasure, driving increased cravings and compulsive substance use. But can this brain deficit be healed? New research from my lab ...

People with substance use disorder—whether addicted to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, or nicotine—share a strikingly similar ...

Drug addiction carries an extremely high risk of relapse, as cravings can be reignited by minor stimuli even long after one has stopped using. Previously, this phenomenon was attributed to a decline ...

For people with an addiction, craving—the strong desire for a substance—can affect their decision-making, new research shows. And how craving affects a decision can depend on what's at stake. The ...

For many people who smoke, quitting is not just a matter of willpower. It is a tug-of-war in the brain – between the pull of ...

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs alter brain circuits in the amygdala and dopamine system to reduce the motivation to seek out high-calorie foods.

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, renowned neuroscientist Dr. Peter Kalivas reveals crucial insights into how brain circuits drive addictive behaviors and ...

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a brain circuit that can drive repetitive and compulsive behaviours in mice, even when natural rewards such as food or social contact are ...

A new study suggests that newer oral weight loss drugs may do more than suppress appetite, potentially altering brain ...

University of Virginia researchers have shown that newer oral GLP-1 weight-loss drugs directly alter brain circuits tied to motivation and reward, not just appetite. These medications engage a pathway ...