Despite extensive research on the neurobiology of addiction, little is known about how repeated drug use and withdrawal are related to social functioning impairments in humans, a highly social species. This obscures the broader societal impact of drug addiction and limits treatment efficacy. This study examined social cognitive impairment and its multi-brain neural underpinnings during socially interactive problem-solving in heroin use disorder (HUD), and further explored their co-occurrence with protracted withdrawal symptoms.
STAT+: NIH would get $5 billion cut under Trump’s 2027 budget, but Congress unlikely to go along
The White House is asking Congress to cut $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health and to downsize the number of its institutes and centers from 27 to 22 — a plan that is expected to receive a chilly reception from lawmakers from both parties.
The president’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, released Friday, asks for $41 billion for the NIH and eliminates the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the Fogarty International Center, and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The 2027 budget also proposes consolidating two institutes focused on research on drug and alcohol abuse into a new entity called the National Institute of Substance Use and Addiction Research, as well as relocating the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The White House proposal also asks Congress to slash the budget for the Advanced Research Projects (ARPA-H), which funds cutting-edge science, from its current $1.5 billion to $945 million.
Unified Junction of Care, Integrated Treatments and Team Coordination for ADHD in Prison Settings With Substance Use Disorder
Conditions: Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity (ADHD); Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Interventions: Other: Workshop
Sponsors: University Hospital, Brest
Not yet recruiting
Interventions: Other: Workshop
Sponsors: University Hospital, Brest
Not yet recruiting
Relatix Health Applies for ARIA Funding to Build Digital Trust for Neurodiverse Communities
We’re proud to share that Relatix Health has applied for funding from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) under its Trust Everything, Everywhere programme. This initiative explores how trust can be built across the digital and physical worlds, and we believe that conversation must include people whose minds work differently.
Our proposal focuses on one of the most pressing and least understood challenges of the digital age: how people with neurodevelopmental and neurodiverse conditions, including autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, borderline traits, and psychopathy, experience, interact with, and build trust in AI systems. In a world increasingly mediated by algorithms, the ways these systems interpret, respond to, and store our most personal thoughts and data matter profoundly.
Throughout history, individuals living with stigmatized neurocognitive conditions have been marginalized or misrepresented by institutions, by society, and now, potentially, by AI. Some may over-trust technology that feels neutral or supportive; others may under-trust it because of past harm or bias. We want to ensure that digital systems meet people where they are, building trust rather than eroding it, while protecting privacy and supporting quality of life, health, and wellbeing.
Through this work, Relatix Health aims to lead the way in ethical and inclusive neuro-AI design: protecting privacy, reducing stigma, and helping define standards for responsible data handling in the era of AI. Our goal is to make sure that the next generation of AI-driven tools, from chatbots to diagnostics, truly serves everyone, regardless of how their brain is wired.
We know how often things have already gone wrong, from chatbots unintentionally encouraging depressive or paranoid thoughts, to credit and gambling platforms optimizing for addiction or impulsive behaviour. These systems were not built with sufficient safeguards for people with neurodevelopmental conditions, who may react differently to AI-optimized interactions. Many respond by disengaging digitally, and may feel that an AI-driven world is a minefield because it was not built for them.
Join us in shaping a radically different future where cognitive diversity and digital trust can coexist, and AI tools are built to truly support and empower. To learn more about our mission or to collaborate, contact our team.