Addiction often isn’t about chasing pleasure—it’s about escaping pain. Researchers at Scripps Research have discovered that a ...

The drive to drink for someone with alcohol addiction often transforms from a pursuit of pleasure to a desperate need to escape the profound discomfort of withdrawal. New research has now identified a ...

Make no mistake, addiction is a neurological brain disorder. When the subject of addiction comes up, people often lean on ...

Within the brain, chemical neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine regulate mood, emotions and many physiological and behavioral processes. Their imbalance can contribute to anxiety, ...

Alcohol and other drugs can overpower the reward pathways of the brain. Simona Dumitru/Moment via Getty Images Many people are wired to seek and respond to rewards. Your brain interprets food as ...

Extreme instances of stress can cause lasting changes to the brain itself. This could leave some people more vulnerable to ...

“I don’t understand why he just can’t stop abusing alcohol.” Turns out that addiction is a whole lot more complicated than just saying “no.” Although the stigma of addiction as a moral failing ...

A noninvasive device that delivers weak electrical currents to the brain may help those with multiple sclerosis cut back on ...

The cerebellum ("little brain") is tucked underneath the basal ganglia; it sits in the back of the skull below the cerebrum. Source: CLIPAREA l Custom media/Shutterstock Neuroscientists have unearthed ...

Penn researchers found that psilocybin can calm brain circuits tied to pain and mood, easing both physical suffering and ...

Scientists have pinpointed a hidden brain circuit that may explain why withdrawal drives people back to alcohol.