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Tag: reward

  • Teen learning exaggerates rewards – Bad decisions and brain development

    Teens tend to make some seriously stupid decision (including teen drinking and driving), at least when compared to younger kids and older adults. We’ve all heard that brain development during that part of life plays a role in this but the question is: What exactly about brain development makes teens more risky? There are a…

  • Gambling on marijuana use makes for bad decisions

    I just can’t seem to stay away from the marijuana debate, even given the recent defeat of Proposition 19 that aimed to legalize marijuana in California. This article is a short one, but speaks to some of the cognitive issues associated with marijuana use. A study (see here) conducted by a Wake Forest University team…

  • Tips for consistent boundaries and better addiction outcomes

    People close to addicts (mothers, wives, brothers, and such) often find themselves struggling when trying to decide how to treat the substance abuser. They feel betrayed when the addictive behavior is displayed, but are lost when it comes to what they can do. For example, a mother with an alcoholic husband may feel that it’s…

  • Obesity, drug addiction, and dopamine

    Eating junk-food can be addictive, and apparently, it causes brain changes that look eerily similar to drug addiction. That’s the message not only from the rapidly fattening waistlines of Americans everywhere, but also from the Johnson and Kenny labs at the Scripps Institute. Food and drug addiction The idea that obesity is caused by a…

  • About Addiction: Your brain, smoking, alcohol and drugs

    Some new, different areas of addiction and some old favorites.  Read on to learn more! Check out this USA Today story about President Obama’s public health fight and goals of reducing drug usage.  He said prevention and education are really what we need. Your Brain and Addiction Science Daily: A genetic variant of a receptor…

  • Triggers and relapse, a craving connection for addicts

    I’ve already written about one reason why cravings make quitting difficult (find it here). However, cravings and triggers are not just abstract concepts; they are well known, important players in addiction research and I think they deserve some more attention. What are triggers? A trigger can be thought of as anything that brings back thoughts,…

  • How can you offer addiction help?

    The question that seems to be on everybody’s mind (except perhaps that of the addict), is: SO HOW CAN I HELP ?!?!? – One of the first things you must do if you want to help someone with an addiction is to educate yourself. Obviously, you are already beginning the process by reading blogs like…

  • About addiction: Animal research, food addiction, policy, and cocaine addiction

    Here are this weeks gems when it comes to learning about addiction. As usual, if you click this title’s post, you’ll get a list of our related post as a bonus! Adventures in Ethics and Science – A nice post about the current state of the animal-rights dialog Addiction Inbox – Mood Foods (and their…