Addiction & Recovery

As nicotine use spreads across Africa, cancer-fighting groups are advocating for stringent smoke-free laws as tobacco companies lobby to expand in a growing continental market

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that brain chemicals linked to addiction are in play with a high-sugar diet, and a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that a high-carb diet had lasting mood-elevation effects. Cynthia Graber reports

From home sleep-cycle monitoring to a tap into the psychology of motivation, these clever products promise to get inside your head

Museum exhibits, conferences and events relating to the brain

Letters to the editor about the July/August 2009 issue of Scientific American MIND

A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine finds that the ratio of TV sets to exercise equipment in the home is predictive of weight loss success. Karen Hopkin reports

Researchers pinpoint an area in the drosophila brain that can trick hungry insects into believing they are full, offering hope for new weight-loss remedies in humans

A recent study finds that economic expansion could be worse for your health than a downturn, revealing a possible upside to today's recession

A 10-year study finds that people who experienced adverse childhood events also lose years off their lives

Clinical trial data suggest that although pharmacotherapy for cocaine may be on the horizon, challenges remain

A study in the journal American Surgeon finds that trauma victims who were inebriated at the time of their injury have higher survival rates than their sober counterparts. Rachel Kremen reports

A new study in rats suggests that alcohol abuse in adolescents could lead to impaired decision-making in adulthood