NIDA-supported research leads to FDA approval of nalmefene nasal spray, which can be used to treat fentanyl overdose. 2023 — A study under the NIH Heal Initiative shows that initiating buprenorphine treatment in the ER is safe, effective and does not trigger withdrawal in people with opioid use disorder. Clinician concern over this type of withdrawal can be a barrier to using this treatment. 2012 — A NIDA-supported seminal study demonstrates that scaling up HIV treatment in people who inject drugs results in reductions in community-level viral load and HIV transmission.
While there are no current statistics on ecstasy and polydrug use, the drug’s popularity in raves and clubs means ecstasy is often mixed with alcohol and cannabis. Research varies as to ecstasy’s risk of addiction or even whether it is addictive at all. Ecstasy (other street names include Molly, MDMA, and XTC) is a Schedule I synthetic drug psychoactive hallucinogenic drug that can alter a person’s mood or perception. In written comments on our draft report, NIH concurred with the findings and agreed that the Contract is severable and should have been funded with the appropriation that was current when the services were performed. NIH said that HHS would report the Antideficiency Act violation and stated that the NIH Office of Financial Management corrected the erroneously paid invoice by reversing the $111,000 payment. Furthermore, although NIDA estimated that it would require $5.3 million for program year 1 and $5.2 million for program year 2, at the time of our audit, it had expended only $5.0 million and $4.4 million program years 1 and 2, respectively.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp. According to the SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 18 million people in the United States have tried MDMA at least once in their lifetime. The highest percentage of ecstasy use is among young adults aged 18 to 25 (7.1% or 2.4 million people). While ecstasy use was once concerningly high among teens in the 2000s and early 2010s, those numbers have declined over the past 10 years. You can use SAMHSA’s online treatment locator to find a treatment facility or addiction specialist who can discuss your options with you.
Past directors
NIDA supports over 85 percent of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction, and NIDA-supported science addresses essential questions about drug abuse, ranging from the molecule to managed care, and from DNA to community outreach research. NIDA offers various grants and funding programs dedicated to research on SUD treatments, including incentive-based approaches. Funding is available for pilot studies, randomized controlled trials, technology development, and implementation research. Long-term engagement, including ongoing support and relapse prevention strategies, remains critical. Overall, incentive-based treatments represent a promising frontier in individualized care for substance use disorders.
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NIDA supports a broad spectrum of research investigating how drugs influence the brain’s neurochemistry, behavior, and social contexts. For instance, research has shed light on how drugs like cocaine enhance the brain’s reward pathways, increasing their rewarding effects and reinforcing drug-taking behaviors. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation(link is external) on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV for those at increased risk, including people who inject drugs. Researchers analyze the health care costs of substance use benefits and find substance use treatment is cost-effective. Although many people have reported feeling addicted to ecstasy, the few clinical studies on the drug have indicated ecstasy is at least less addictive than other drugs. Explore the different types of medications prescribed for opioid overdose, withdrawal, and addiction.
The Benefits of Professional Intervention for Addiction
- In addition, the researchers discover that anandamide also plays a role in other brain activities, such as pain relief, sedation, memory, and cognition.
- Combining digital interventions with pharmacotherapy and counseling can produce comprehensive, cost-effective, and sustainable recovery programs.
- NIDA provides a variety of free publications for use by health care providers, researchers, educators, and the general public.
- It also responds directly to crises like the opioid epidemic by investigating their causes and proposing effective interventions.
- 2020 — A study partially funded by NIDA finds why some people with HIV are able to maintain suppressed viral loads for years without ART.
Enhancing research into social determinants—such as poverty, education, and social context—can help develop more equitable intervention strategies. By shifting focus from solely neurobiology to social factors, NIDA can support programs that reduce stigma and address root causes. Critics have noted that current efforts sometimes lack sustainable or direct action plans. To improve, NIDA is encouraged to implement strategies that promote long-term equity in research funding and treatment access. Despite advances, NIDA’s historical policies and messaging have contributed to racial biases in the understanding and treatment of drug addiction. Its early framing of drug use linked it with criminality, often affecting communities of color disproportionately.
The Role of Family Support in Successful Recovery Journeys
- SBIR-funded Spark Biomedical develops a wearable treatment technology intended for the relief of opioid withdrawal symptoms.
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) stands at the forefront of drug rehabilitation research and innovation.
- 1974 — Congress establishes NIDA as the federal focal point for biomedical research on the nature and extent of substance use and substance use disorders.
- NIDA is leading HEAL-supported research aimed at preventing and treating opioid misuse and addiction.
- The concerted effort by NIDA to advance innovative, equitable, and comprehensive approaches continues to shape the future of drug addiction research and treatment, aiming for healthier individuals and communities.
NIDA’s investigations into the neurological aspects of addiction have revealed how certain brain processes heighten the rewarding effects of drugs like cocaine. For instance, research has identified pathways involving neurotransmitters that amplify drug-induced pleasure, which contributes to the compulsive nature of addiction. Understanding these chemicals has helped unveil the complex neurochemical interactions that drive addictive behaviors. This insight not only aids in developing targeted treatments but also improves our understanding of addiction as a brain disorder rather than simply a behavioral issue. The ongoing challenge for NIDA is to balance the biological understanding of addiction with a broader focus on social and systemic factors.
How to Choose Between IOP, PHP, and Outpatient Programs
MDMA’s effects may include feeling more energetic and alert and having an increased sense of well-being, warmth, and openness toward others. To obtain research chemicals and controlled substances from the NIDA Drug Supply Program, all research investigators must prepare and submit a request package. In the 1950s and 1960s, LSD was used in psychiatry to enhance psychotherapy, known as psychedelic therapy.
How does the NIH Stage Model guide development of incentive-based treatments?
This article explores NIDA’s critical contributions to drug rehab, highlighting its research initiatives, the development of treatment strategies, and its ongoing efforts to address social disparities impacting access to care. Through grants and contracts awarded to investigators at research institutions around the country and overseas, as well as through its Intramural Research Program, NIDA addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about substance use. This includes detecting and responding to emerging substance use trends, understanding how drugs work in the brain and body, identifying social determinants of substance use risk and SUDs, and developing and testing new approaches to prevention, treatment, and recovery. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the largest supporter of the world’s research on substance use and addiction. Part of the National Institutes of Health, NIDA conducts and supports biomedical research to advance the science on substance use and addiction and improve individual and public health.
What is the role of incentive-based treatments in SUD recovery?
The goal is to close the ‘Ginther gap’—the racial disparities in research funding—and foster a more inclusive and equitable research environment. Additionally, NIDA advocates shifting focus towards social and systemic factors influencing drug use, aiming to reduce stigmas and improve treatment accessibility. The concerted effort by NIDA to advance innovative, equitable, and comprehensive approaches continues to shape the future of drug addiction research and treatment, aiming for healthier individuals and communities. In recent years, NIDA has acknowledged these issues and launched the Racial Equity Initiative (REI) to address disparities and promote more equitable research funding and treatment programs. However, critics argue that the REI lacks a detailed, sustainable action plan to reform existing policies substantively.
They must assess the role of set and setting and the importance of the psychedelic or mystical experience that may accompany use of the drugs. Some people who use psychedelic or dissociative drugs report having a mystical experience, a change in perception that may include feeling a strong sense of awe and of unity with everything that exists. This new and potentially meaningful experience may inspire brain changes that may affect a person’s emotions, outlook and behavior.
Its work supports a broad spectrum of initiatives—from developing medications to shaping legislation—ultimately aiming to improve health outcomes at individual and community levels. NIDA remains committed to advancing incentive-based approaches for treating substance use disorders (SUD). These treatments provide external rewards—such as monetary incentives or privileges—to reinforce abstinence and recovery behaviors. Furthermore, what is mdma national institute on drug abuse nida NIDA’s studies support the development of personalized interventions that account for individual neurobiological differences.