Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons^™

The Swedish Studies Of The Adopted Children Of Alcoholics, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

The authors of the widely cited studies analyzing the Swedish adoption records of the children of alcoholics have advanced the notion that there are three distinct paths for the inheritance of alcoholism. One path results in moderate alcoholism in men and a form of somatization but no alcoholism in women. A second path results in severe and mild alcoholism in men and alcoholism in women. The third path results in a particular variety of alcohol abuse in men and a particular variety of somatization in women. This article analyzes the authors' claims. It is argued that the data were improperly …

Perspectives Emerging From Neuroscience On Why People Become Addicted And What To Do About It, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

This paper reviews the new ideas emerging from neuroscience regarding the question of why some people are compelled to use drugs. During the process of drug exposure, the brain’s motivational system is changed in ways that co-opts the individual’s motivational system. Changes in the brain’s motivational structures along with changes in the brain’s self-regulatory structures compel an individual to drug use. Ways to reverse those changes in an addicted brain have been identified, as have ways to enhance self-regulatory control. The information from neuroscience offers a new perspective on “loss of control” as well as offering implications for treatment.

How Addiction Happens, How Change Happens, And What Social Workers Need To Know To Be Effective Facilitators Of Change, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

During the last two decades, neuroscience research has proliferated examining brain mechanisms that explain why some people are compelled to pursue drugs and alcohol. The findings suggest that addiction is independent of pleasure, and that drug seeking can be triggered outside of conscious awareness (Berridge, Robinson, & Aldridge, 2009; Goldstein et al., 2009; Kalivas, Volkow, & Seamans, 2005). The observations and conclusions from this research can be used to advantage in treating addiction. The use of social psychological principles, in the context of motivational interviewing, offers a platform for taking advantage of these new insights. After a brief sketch of …

Development Of A Self-Report Measure Of Dual Diagnosis Capability For Addiction And Mental Health Programs, Kenneth E. Fletcher, Anna Kline, Tara Zandi, Gregory Seward, Sun Kim, Douglas M. Ziedonis

Douglas M. Ziedonis

The purpose of this study is to develop and test the psychometrics of a self-report version of a measure of the capacity of addiction and mental health programs to deliver dual-diagnosis treatment, that is, to provide treatment for both addiction problems and mental health problems. Traditionally these services are provided by very different service providers that did not until recently interact very well, if at all. The increasing recognition that patients who suffer from both kinds of problems – who are dually diagnosed – would benefit from integrated delivery of addiction and mental health services has led to efforts to …

Heroin And Opiate Abuse In Ashland County, Ohio: A Public Perception Study, Oscar T. Mcknight

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

This research began with identifying an expert panel of professionals in Ashland County and facilitating an informational focus group on the perceived scope of heroin/opiate abuse within multiple social services, community intervention and support programs. Seven general findings emerged: 1. The overall total number of clients/cases/patients in the system has remained stable over the years; however, the proportional number of clients abusing opiates has increased. 2. That virtually every person abusing opiates enters their respective system at one point or another. 3. Only a small percent remain active with more than one system while engaged in opiate treatment. 4. Multiple …

Confidence Interval Estimation In R-Das, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, James C. Anthony

Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya

Background

Roughly 25 years ago, the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse (US NIDA) initiated the creation of public use datasets for its National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, since re-named the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which assumed responsibility for the survey in 1992, has continued and expanded this effort to make the survey data available to researchers. During 2012, SAMHSA created a “Restricted-Use Data Analysis System” (R-DAS) to provide researchers with the capability to create tabulations using restricted NSDUH variables not otherwise available on the …

Concept Clarification Of Grief In Mothers Of Children With An Addiction, Donna M. Zucker Rn, Phd, Faan, Kimberly Dion Msn, Rn, Roxanne P. Mckeever Msn, Rn

Donna M. Zucker

Aim: To report an analysis of the concept of grief in mothers of children with addiction. Background. The concept of grief in this context is poorly understood and often synonymously used with concepts depression, loss and chronic sorrow. In the US, the core concept grief has been recently revised by both NANDA and the DSM-V in efforts to better understand and characterize the concept. The plethora of literature on grief worldwide often characterizes grief as a response to a death. Design. Concept analysis. Data sources. Search terms ‘parental grief’ and ‘substance abuse’ yielded 30 articles. A second review using terms …

Introduction: Obstacles To The Development And Use Of Pharmacotherapies For Addiction, Richard C. Boldt

Richard C. Boldt

No abstract provided.

Binge Ethanol And Liver: New Molecular Developments, Shivendra Shukla, Stephen Pruett, Gyongyi Szabo, Gavin Arteel

Gyongyi Szabo

Binge consumption of alcohol is an alarming global health problem. Binge (acute) ethanol (EtOH) is implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). New studies from experimental animals and from humans indicate that binge EtOH has profound effects on immunological, signaling, and epigenetic parameters of the liver. This is in addition to the known metabolic effects of acute EtOH. Binge EtOH alters the levels of several cellular components and dramatically amplifies liver injury in chronically EtOH exposed liver. These studies highlight the importance of molecular investigations into binge effects of EtOH for a better understanding of ALD and also …

Acute Binge Drinking Increases Serum Endotoxin And Bacterial Dna Levels In Healthy Individuals, Shashi Bala, Miguel Marcos, Arijeet Gattu, Donna Catalano, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Binge drinking, the most common form of alcohol consumption, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity; yet, its biological consequences are poorly defined. Previous studies demonstrated that chronic alcohol use results in increased gut permeability and increased serum endotoxin levels that contribute to many of the biological effects of chronic alcohol, including alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we evaluated the effects of acute binge drinking in healthy adults on serum endotoxin levels. We found that acute alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in serum endotoxin and 16S rDNA, a marker of bacterial translocation from the gut. Compared to …

Micro-Rna-155 Deficiency Prevents Alcohol-Induced Serum Endotoxin Increase And Small Bowel Inflammation In Mice, Dora Lippai, Shashi Bala, Donna Catalano, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcohol impairs gut barrier function and induces inflammatory cytokines. The effects of acute alcohol binge on the gut are partially understood. Micro-RNA-155 (miR-155), a modulator of cytokine and T-cell immune response in the gut, stabilizes tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) mRNA. Here, we investigated the role of the inflammation modulator miR-155 as well as the effects of acute binge and chronic alcohol feeding in the small bowel (SB) in mice. METHODS: For the acute alcohol binge, wild-type (WT) mice received 5 g/kg 50% alcohol/d or equal amount of water oral gavage for 3 days. WT and miR-155-deficient (miR-155-knockout [KO]) …

First-Year Students' Perspectives On Reasons For And Prevention Of Their Own Alcohol Overdose, Janet Reis

Janet Reis

Two hundred twenty-six first-year students enrolled at a large, public Midwest university and deemed to require an emergency transport for a potential alcohol overdose completed a brief questionnaire on the student's perceptions of why the event occurred, what might have happened to prevent the overdose situation, and personal assessment of experience with alcohol. The explanations for the event revolve around personal decision making (made decision to drink too much, absence of drinking control behaviors) as opposed to peer influence. Similarly, factors selected as preventing an alcohol overdose focused on knowing one's own tolerance, plus having a buddy system to slow …

An Introduction To Drugs And The Neuroscience Of Behavior, Adam Prus

Adam J Prus

This up-to-date new text provides an introductory overview of the nervous system actions and behavioral effects of the major classes of psychoactive drugs. Appropriate for undergraduate students who have an introductory level background in psychology or other areas within the social sciences, AN INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS AND THE NEUROSCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR illustrates concepts and highlights research techniques. The book's most important feature is its pedagogical elements, which are not found in other psychopharmacology texts, but are particularly important for making this specialized topic approachable for undergraduates. Charts and diagrams illustrate basic concepts and processes important for understanding the actions and …

Honorable Mention: 27th Annual No Big Heads Exhibition, Adam Prus

Adam J Prus

This up-to-date new text provides an introductory overview of the nervous system actions and behavioral effects of the major classes of psychoactive drugs. Appropriate for undergraduate students who have an introductory level background in psychology or other areas within the social sciences, AN INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS AND THE NEUROSCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR illustrates concepts and highlights research techniques. The book's most important feature is its pedagogical elements, which are not found in other psychopharmacology texts, but are particularly important for making this specialized topic approachable for undergraduates. Charts and diagrams illustrate basic concepts and processes important for understanding the actions and …

From Drug Use To Dependence: A Multiparametric Approach, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, James C. Anthony

Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya

One of the hallmarks of a drug dependence (DD) process is an escalation in rate of drug self-administration (DSA). We seek to extend current biostatistical approaches for epidemiological research on drug dependence processes via an investigation of a four-parameter dose-effect curve (DEC).

An Examination Of Parent -Child Relationships And Teen Substance Use, Brianna Johnson, Duane C. Mcbride, Gary Hopkins, Sara Pepper

Duane McBride

Past studies have indicated strong family bonds may act to buffer against adolescent substance abuse. However, this relationship is not clear, particularly when multiple substances and family dysfunction are examined. In this study, the relationship between alcohol use, marijuana use, and tobacco use and parental relationships were examined in 570 elementary and high school students. Results indicated that support in parent–child relationships was found to be inversely correlated with teen substance use. Clinical implications are discussed in light of these results.

A Pilot Study Of Qigong For Reducing Cocaine Craving Early In Recovery, David A. Smelson, Kevin W. Chen, Douglas M. Ziedonis, Ken Andes, Amanda Lennox, Lanora Callahan, Stephanie Rodrigues, David Eisenberg

Douglas M. Ziedonis

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study examined the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and determined the effect sizes of external qigong therapy (EQT) in reducing cue-elicited cocaine craving and associated symptoms among recently abstinent cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals. METHODS: This study randomized 101 CD subjects to either a real EQT (n=51) or sham EQT control (n=50) group. Subjects underwent a baseline assessment and a weekly cue-exposure session for 2 weeks. Total EQT or sham treatments ranged from 4 to 6 sessions in 2 weeks. RESULTS: EQT-treated subjects displayed a greater reduction in cue-elicited craving (p=0.06) and symptoms of depression (p<0.05) with medium effect sizes. …

Confidence Interval Estimation In R-Das: State-Level Estimates For Extra-Medical Use Of Prescription Pain Relievers, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, James C. Anthony

Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya

The specific methodological aims of our research are: 1) to clarify statistical inference procedures used by R-DAS to produce confidence interval estimates; 2) to review a simple solution to some of the research questions not currently addressed by R-DAS (i.e., with respect to tests of significance); and 3) to describe how in certain situations the percentages and the corresponding standard errors, which are suppressed from the R-DAS output due to the confidentiality concerns can be estimated “by hand”.

Emergency Department Screening And Brief Intervention Of Alcohol Use Disorders: How To Do It And Does It Work?, Aaron Love, Marna Greenberg, Matthew Brice, Michael Weinstock

Marna R Greenberg DO, MPH, FACEP

No abstract provided.

Increasing Tobacco Use Screening In An Emergency Department, Outpatient Family Practice And Internal Medicine Practices At An Academic Community Hospital, Judith Sabino, Suzanne Smith, Julie Dostal, Alice Dalla-Palu, Lawrence Kleinman, Mark Young, Marna Greenberg, Eric Gertner

Marna R Greenberg DO, MPH, FACEP

No abstract provided.

Differences In Emergency Physician And Nursing Tobacco And Alcohol Screening Patterns, Marna Greenberg, Aaron Love, J Li, Gina Sierzega, Charlotte Buckenmyer, Matthew Brice, Michael Weinstock

Marna R Greenberg DO, MPH, FACEP

No abstract provided.