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News Advisory
NIDA Highlights State of the Science on
Addiction and Mental Illnesses
Special Research Track at American Psychiatric
Association’s Annual Conference
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes
of Health, will present a special research-based program
track at the American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) 160th
Annual Meeting in San Diego, entitled, “The Science of Addiction:
Translating New Insights into Better Psychiatric Practice.”
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| What: |
NIDA presentations will address state-of-the-art
research questions including:
Why can’t addicts just stop?
Is there a link between addiction and obesity?
What does genetics tell us about the risk of addiction?
Which comes first, addiction or psychiatric disorders?
Should substance abusing offenders be given treatment in
prison? |
| Why: |
Modern brain imaging technologies have revolutionized
our ability to peer deep inside the human brain in order
to study its various normal and diseased states. The pioneering
studies demonstrating that active brain development continues
well into the mid-twenties are a clear indication of the
power of these new tools. Indeed, these results could help
explain why the adolescent brain may be more vulnerable to
the deleterious effects of abused drugs. Another good example
is the discovery of commonalities between compulsive eating
and drug addiction through shared neurobiological processes.
At this major scientific meeting, NIDA will have a special
track highlighting the translation of these new insights
into psychiatric practice. |
| When: |
May 19-24, 2007. |
| Where: |
American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101
Press Room: 14 A/B, Mezzanine Level |
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Highlights of the NIDA track at the APA meeting include:
- Insights on Obesity and Drug Addiction from Brain Imaging — NIDA
Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow and NIDA researcher Dr. Joseph Frascella
will lead this session. This will take place Monday, May 21, from 2
to 5 p.m. in Room 5 B, Upper Level, of the San Diego Convention Center.
- The Neurobiology of Free Will in Addictive Disorders — On
Tuesday, May 22, at 11 a.m., NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow will
lecture on this subject. This will take place in Ballroom 6 C/D/E/F,
Upper Level, of the San Diego Convention Center.
Other NIDA-sponsored events include:
- a workshop on gene-environment development interactions,
- a workshop on neuroimaging research and its implications for substance
abuse treatment,
- a symposium on the adolescent brain, and
- a symposium on prenatal nicotine exposure.
Other events of interest:
- The Road to Equity: Marching Towards a Just Treatment of
Mental Illness and Addiction in America — on Monday
May 21, at 9 a.m. The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy will speak in
Ballroom 6 C/D/E/F, Upper Level, of the San Diego Convention Center.
Media interested in attending any session at the APA's annual meeting
must be accredited by the APA. Reporters can pick up credentials in the
APA's Press Room at the San Diego Convention Center.
For more information or to arrange an interview with NIDA staff, call
NIDA press officers Dorie Hightower or Sara Rosario Wilson at 301-443-6245
or e-mail your request to media@nida.nih.gov.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National
Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA
supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse
and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs
to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation
in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of
abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found
on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical
Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and
is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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