Addiction is one of the most intensely studied conditions in modern medicine, yet even with high‑resolution brain scans and genetic tools, scientists still cannot fully explain why some people get ...

Researchers identify the anterior insula as the brain region responsible for biasing decisions toward alcohol over social rewards in addiction.

I don’t drink anymore. I don’t smoke anymore.” He might have shrugged it off, but reports accumulated in his clinic and ...

For years, addiction was seen as a matter of personal failure—a bad habit or a lack of discipline. People believed those who struggled with substance abuse could stop if they simply wanted to. But ...

Cocaine addiction isn’t simply a failure of willpower — it’s the result of lasting biological changes in the brain.

The brain is a master controller, organized into large-scale neural networks that directly affect whether people with addictions break free or surrender. Research has identified a key site, the action ...

Remarkable scientific progress over the past five decades has helped us develop knowledge of how drugs of abuse induce pleasure, reinforce use, and lead to the compulsive self-administration we call ...

What is addiction, and how can we stop it? The complexities of addiction have stumped scientists for decades. Today, with 48 million Americans over the age of 12 suffering from a substance use ...

We usually don't think much about it, but our brain is pretty amazing! This three-pound organ is in charge of everything—from our thoughts and memories to our emotions and decision-making. And yet, ...