Dr. Karen Derefinko, an assistant professor of preventative medicine at UTHSC, says the pandemic is having an impact on those who struggle with substance abuse.“You’re using more or more often than you used to just to cope with the stress of the pandemic or losing a job or financial strain,” Dr. Derefinko said.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center was awarded a $201K grant to study methods to reduce stigma among African Americans seeking treatment for opioid use. UTHSC oftentimes sees more white people seeking help, however, substance abuse tends to be the same across different ethnic and racial groups. Dr. Karen Derefinko treats people struggling with… Read More
A new study examining the impact of opioid use during pregnancy finds use is on the rise and Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a public health epidemic. According to researchers from the University of Tennessee’s College of Nursing and The University of Alabama’s School of Public Health, newborns hospitalized due to drug withdrawal (NAS), saw… Read More
In a new study, researchers found opioid abuse may lead to dangerous brain swelling effect that is sometimes ignored by doctors. In addition, opioid addiction may cause severe memory loss in survivors. The research was conducted by researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Tennessee.
University of Tennessee Interim President Randy Boyd is seeking $3 million for an opioid addiction treatment program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
The Shelby County Health Department joined this effort along with representatives from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Memphis Emergency Medical Services. Participants engaged with speakers and learned more about how to protect themselves, their patients, and their communities against opioid misuse and abuse.
The Opioid Task Force, a broad coalition of experts and officials in Memphis and Shelby County, on Wednesday unveiled a strategy aimed at ending the opioid crisis locally… …The county should have “wrap-around” services for people suffering from opioid addiction by July 1, said Dr. David Stern, a vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee… Read More
Opiate drugs, which come from the opium poppy flower, and synthetic, or man-made, opioids also can trigger that brain process in the mesolimbic system. The drugs attach to certain specialized proteins on the same receptor brain cells where the pleasure-causing chemicals the body naturally makes normally attach. So can other drugs, including alcohol — but… Read More
