Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Nicotine (4)
- Dopamine (3)
- Adolescence (2)
- Attitudes (2)
- Development (2)
-
- Habitat use (2)
- Hispanics (2)
- Memory (2)
- Reward (2)
- Withdrawal (2)
- Addiction (1)
- Adolescent (1)
- Affect (1)
- Africa (1)
- Age (1)
- Alask (1)
- Alcohol (1)
- Ankle Proprioception (1)
- Arctic (1)
- Barrow (1)
- Behavior change (1)
- Behavioral Intention (1)
- Behavioral disinhibition (1)
- Behavioral ecology (1)
- Bilingual (1)
- Bilingual advantage (1)
- Bilingualism (1)
- Bioterrorism (1)
- C57BL/6 (1)
- CCR7 (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 39
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Exploring Aging Using The Selection, Optimization, And Compensation (Soc) Framework In Conjunction With Kinematic Gait And Verbal Fluency Task Analysis In Healthy Adults, Emily Ann Chavez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
This multi-study dissertation examined dual-task performance in young and middle-aged adults using verbal fluency tasks (VFT) during different walking scenarios (baseline, performing a VFT, walking narrowly, and performing a VFT while walking narrowly) as well as the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model. Thirty adults (15 young adults (YA; 19-44 years) and 15 middle-aged adults (MA; 45-65 years) participated in this study. Overall, there were no significant differences between groups when data was examined in short (means of means approach) and long-form (incorporating all data), when analyzing clustering and switching strategies, gait speed variability, or dual-task costs. Overall, these three …
Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of African Water Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Grayia), Teslin Chaney
Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of African Water Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Grayia), Teslin Chaney
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Grayia is a genus of relatively large (1.5 - 2.5 m) aquatic Afrotropical snakes. Recent molecular phylogenies recovered Grayia in its own distinct subfamily (Grayiinae), which was strongly supported as the sister group to Colubrinae. Because tropical African snakes are generally understudied, the relationships within Grayia are poorly known. Due to high degrees of intra- and interspecies variation, identification is often difficult and previous studies involving Grayia included misidentified specimens in other genera. The goal of this study is to create a phylogenetic tree that can be used to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Grayia via an integrative taxonomic …
Sex And Age Differences In Approach Behavior Toward A Port That Delivers Nicotine Vapor, Veronika Evangelina Espinoza
Sex And Age Differences In Approach Behavior Toward A Port That Delivers Nicotine Vapor, Veronika Evangelina Espinoza
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The goal of our laboratory is to study the mechanisms that promote nicotine use, particularly in vulnerable populations such as adolescents and females. Thus, the purpose of this thesis was to characterize age and sex differences in the motivational/rewarding effects of nicotine (Aim 1) and withdrawal behavior (Aim 2). To more closely model human use patterns, the present study employed nicotine vapor methods involving passive exposure for 14 days in adolescent and adult female and male rats. Age and sex differences in approach behavior (nosepokes) were assessed in a port that delivered nicotine plumes on Day 1 and 14. Controls …
Long-Term Effects Of Adolescent Fluoxetine Exposure On Hippocampal Gene Expression In Male C57bl/6 Mice, Anapaula Themann
Long-Term Effects Of Adolescent Fluoxetine Exposure On Hippocampal Gene Expression In Male C57bl/6 Mice, Anapaula Themann
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Mood-related disorders, including depression and anxiety, are prevalent among children and adolescents. This poses a public health challenge, given their adverse impact on these young populations. Treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (FLX) is the first line of pharmacological intervention in pediatric patients suffering from affect-related illnesses. Although the use of this antidepressant has been deemed efficacious in the juvenile population, the enduring neurobiological consequences of adolescent FLX exposure are not well understood. For this reason, we explored for persistent molecular adaptations, in the adult hippocampus, as a function of adolescent FLX pretreatment. To do this, we administered …
Transgenerational Differences Between Two Culturally Distinct Prairie Vole Populations, Richard Joaquin Ortiz
Transgenerational Differences Between Two Culturally Distinct Prairie Vole Populations, Richard Joaquin Ortiz
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Culture can be described as a system of environmental beliefs, values, and social practices within one’s environment. This system is passed on from generation to generation and provides a basis for an individual’s behaviors and cognitive perceptions. Cultural neuroscience is an emerging field that intertwines domains of anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, and genetics to help understand the underlying processes, neural mechanisms and genomic factors that vary across cultures. Similar to humans, the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) display populational differences in prosocial behavior and aggression based upon region-specific cultural upbringing and parental lineage. Prairie voles originating from Kansas (KS) display …
Effects Of Repeated Nicotine Vapor Exposure And Withdrawal On Somatic Signs, Anxiety-Like Behavior, And Brain Reward Thresholds In Male Sprague Dawley Rats, Michelle Martinez
Effects Of Repeated Nicotine Vapor Exposure And Withdrawal On Somatic Signs, Anxiety-Like Behavior, And Brain Reward Thresholds In Male Sprague Dawley Rats, Michelle Martinez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
No abstract provided.
Ketamine Pre-Exposure Does Not Influence Later-Life Responses To Reward-Related Stimuli In Female C57bl/6 Mice, Israel Garcia
Ketamine Pre-Exposure Does Not Influence Later-Life Responses To Reward-Related Stimuli In Female C57bl/6 Mice, Israel Garcia
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Preclinical work indicates that exposure to traditional antidepressant medications, in adolescent and adult female subjects, alters reward-related behavior later in life. In recent years, the anesthetic ketamine (KET), now used as a fast-acting antidepressant, has shown promising therapeutic efficacy for the management of depression. However, the potential long-term behavioral consequences of KET exposure across development have not been thoroughly assessed. Thus, to address this issue, we examined if KET exposure, during adolescence or early adulthood, results in enduring alterations in responsivity to the rewarding properties of sucrose and cocaine later in life. Specifically, female C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to …
Behavioral Ecology Of A Desert Ambush Predator: Assessing Movement Patterns, Habitat And Microhabitat Use, And The Innate Feeding Response Of Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Ornatus) In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, James Emerson
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Research on the ecology and evolution of rattlesnakes has been sporadic over the past 80 years, but has seen recent expansion into the diverse fields of physiology, physiological ecology, life history, behavioral ecology, ethology, reproductive biology, chemical ecology, venom biochemistry and medicine, conservation, and many other subdisciplines. The development of small, implantable VHF radiotransmitters in the 1980s revolutionized research in the field of behavioral ecology for rattlesnakes, which are uniquely suited for radiotelemetry studies because they possess several morphological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics that are unique among terrestrial vertebrates. The widespread application of radiotelemetry by the mid-1980s advanced the model …
U.S. Perceptions Of Economic Mobility Since The Enactment Of Nafta And Their Impact On American Politics And Society, Jairemy Quinton Edwards
U.S. Perceptions Of Economic Mobility Since The Enactment Of Nafta And Their Impact On American Politics And Society, Jairemy Quinton Edwards
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
In this study, I examine how perceptions of NAFTA developed over 20 years since its enactment, measured as perceived economic mobility in 2016, have affected more recent public perceptions leading to increased, controversial tendencies towards nationalism, protectionism, and pessimism about the future of the U.S. economy. I then assess whether and how such perceptions in turn may have affected voter perceptions about Donald Trump, setting the stage for his 2016 election victory. Therein, I have found that among U.S. voters in 2016, those with perceptions of reduced economic mobility since the enactment of NAFTA were significantly more likely to have …
Fishers' Ecological Knowledge And Stable Isotope Analysis: A Social-Ecological Systems Approach To Endangered Species Conservation, Kathryn Rose Wedemeyer-Strombel
Fishers' Ecological Knowledge And Stable Isotope Analysis: A Social-Ecological Systems Approach To Endangered Species Conservation, Kathryn Rose Wedemeyer-Strombel
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Identifying developmental habitat is essential for understanding population structure and species resiliency, especially for critically endangered species. In long-lived, oceanic, migratory animals such as sea turtles, elucidating developmental grounds is particularly difficult. When data are deficient or challenging to acquire, scientists often lean towards traditional quantitative methods when a social-ecological systems approach could better provide crucial baseline data and guiding information. Fishers ecological knowledge (FEK), the combination of experiential and culturally transmitted knowledge, is expert knowledge and should be treated as such. In 2008, FEK led to the rediscovery of the critically endangered eastern Pacific (EP) population of hawksbill sea …
The Language Content Of Computer-Mediated Versus Face-To-Face Motivational-Type Interviews, Karla Deyanira Llanes
The Language Content Of Computer-Mediated Versus Face-To-Face Motivational-Type Interviews, Karla Deyanira Llanes
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an extensively used technique to facilitate behavior change by increasing a person's own motivation and commitment toward change. Recently, several innovative and effective ways to conduct motivational interviews have emerged. However, one potential option has not been investigated: the utility of conducting a motivational interview via computer. The current study begins to address this gap in knowledge by comparing the language content of computer-mediated motivational-type interviews and face-to-face motivational-type interviews. The motivational-type interviews were conducted with young adults who reported ambivalence about their level of recreational marijuana use. Specifically, non-marijuana users, occasional marijuana users, and frequent …
Functional Investigation Of A Brainstem Excitatory Connection Relevant To Sensorimotor Gating, Luis Enrique Martinetti
Functional Investigation Of A Brainstem Excitatory Connection Relevant To Sensorimotor Gating, Luis Enrique Martinetti
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
To focus attention, our brain has to "gate" or block irrelevant sensory information that could lead to brain overload. This is done by way of a neuronal pre-attentive mechanism termed sensorimotor gating (SG). Therefore, deficits in the SG mechanism prevent patients from focusing attention. SG deficits have been observed in patients suffering from various neurological disorders, and it is a hallmark of schizophrenia. Previous work has identified key brain areas, such as the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), that send inputs to the brainstem to regulate SG. However, there is still a knowledge gap concerning what cell types are involved and …
Insulin Modulates The Strong Reinforcing Effects Of Nicotine And Changes In Insulin Biomarkers In A Rodent Model Of Diabetes, Bryan Cruz
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
This study examined whether the strong reinforcing effects of nicotine and changes in insulin biomarkers observed in diabetic rats are modulated via insulin. A model of diabetes was employed involving administration of streptozotocin (STZ), which produces hypoinsulinemia in rats. The present study included vehicle- or STZ-treated rats that received sham surgery or an insulin pellet. Two-weeks later, the rats were given extended access to intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of saline or nicotine. Concomitant changes in food intake, water responses, and body weight were assessed during 12 days of IVSA. After the last session, plasma levels of insulin, leptin, amylin, and glucagon-like …
A Behavioral And Neuroimmune System Model Of The Effects Of Chronic Low-Level Lead Exposure In Young Male C57bl/6j Mice, Mayra Gisel Flores-Montoya
A Behavioral And Neuroimmune System Model Of The Effects Of Chronic Low-Level Lead Exposure In Young Male C57bl/6j Mice, Mayra Gisel Flores-Montoya
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Chronic low-level lead exposure reduces memory in children however the brain mechanisms mediating these effects are not known. In previous studies we showed that early lead exposure reduced olfactory memory and exploratory behavior in young mice, and reduced microglia cell density in hippocampus/dentate gyrus. The present studies aimed to identify additional behavioral tests that were sensitive to early low-level lead exposure in young mice; and to examine whether microglia upregulated factors known to promote cell migration. Seventy-two C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to 0 ppm (controls), 30 ppm (low-dose), or 430 ppm (high-dose) of lead acetate via dams' milk from …
Characterization Of Sex Differences In The Reinforcing Effects Of Nicotine, Rodolfo Jesus Flores Garcia
Characterization Of Sex Differences In The Reinforcing Effects Of Nicotine, Rodolfo Jesus Flores Garcia
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
It is presently unclear whether ovarian hormones, such as estradiol (E2) promote the reinforcing effects of nicotine in females. Thus, we compared extended access to nicotine intravenous self-administration (IVSA) in intact male, intact female, and OVX female rats (Study 1) as well as OVX females that received vehicle or E2 supplementation (Study 2). The E2 supplementation procedure involved a 4-day procedure involving 2 days of vehicle administration and 2 days of E2 administration. Two doses of E2 (25 or 250 ug) were assessed in separate groups of OVX females in order to examine the dose-dependent effects of this hormone on …
Predatory Behavior And Neuroanatomy Of The Sessile Rotifer, Cupelopagis Vorax , Elizabeth Preza
Predatory Behavior And Neuroanatomy Of The Sessile Rotifer, Cupelopagis Vorax , Elizabeth Preza
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Predator-prey interactions contribute to the evolution of behavioral and morphological characteristics of species. However, research on zooplankton has mainly focused on planktonic species such Mesocyclops edax (Arthropoda, Cyclopoida) and Asplanchna spp. (Rotifera, Ploima). Cupelopagis vorax (Rotifera, Collothecaceae) provides a unique model for studying the predatory behavior of a sessile species. Cupelopagis was chosen because it is the only rotifer known to exhibit rheotaxic behaviors in the presence of prey and because it undergoes indirect development where non-feeding, free-swimming larvae mature into feeding adults. The integration of behavioral techniques, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy were used to provide insight as to how …
Octopamine In Sexual Behavior, Ana Isabel Fernandez
Octopamine In Sexual Behavior, Ana Isabel Fernandez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Octopamine is a biogenic amine neuromodulator present in neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It modulates numerous physiological processes such as motivation, pheromone response, olfaction, ovulation, learning and memory. Octopamine together with its precursor tyramine have roles restricted only to invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It is believed that octopamine is the invertebrate homolog of norepinephrine, a catecholamine present in mammals that acts as a neuromodulator in the sympathetic and central nervous systems. Both octopamine and norepinephrine are derived from the same amino acid tyrosine and are monoamine neurotransmitters. The main objective of this study is to understand the role …
Mental Health Help-Seeking Intention And Organizational Climate In A Population Of Military Service Members, Mishaw Tyron Cuyler
Mental Health Help-Seeking Intention And Organizational Climate In A Population Of Military Service Members, Mishaw Tyron Cuyler
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Historically, psychological effects of war such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been understated and misdiagnosed throughout the world. Military members that displayed symptoms of PTSD such as anxiety, depression, and sadness were thought to lack the strength and courage necessary to be a soldier. As a result, many soldiers suffering from symptoms of PTSD would suffer in silence and not seek the requisite help for mental health care. This Dissertation examines the mental health help-seeking intention of U.S. military service members using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Additionally, this Dissertation considers the effects that leadership support climate …
The Role Of The Dopamine/Ecdysteroid Receptor Dopecr In Ethanol Induced Behavioral Disinhibition, Gissel Pryscilla Aranda
The Role Of The Dopamine/Ecdysteroid Receptor Dopecr In Ethanol Induced Behavioral Disinhibition, Gissel Pryscilla Aranda
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Ethanol, a main active ingredient of alcoholic beverages, exerts numerous effects on behavior through its interaction with diverse membrane and signaling molecules and effector cells. The effects include lack of motor control, behavioral disinhibition, tolerance, sensitization and addiction. In particular, behavioral disinhibition is typically associated with heavy drinking and can lead to detrimental consequences such as car accidents, violent rages, risky sexual behavior and illegal substance abuse. This research aimed to clarify the neural elements and cellular mechanisms underlying behavioral disinhibition induced by ethanol. The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) is implicated in ethanol-induced behavioral disinhibition (Van Gaalen et al., 2006). To …
Echoes, Sarah Abigail Adleman
Echoes, Sarah Abigail Adleman
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
When I was sixteen, my mother was killed one evening while running on the bayou behind our house in Houston. The man, who is now on Death Row in Texas, beat, raped, and then strangled her to death. Writer Mary Cappello says of Creative Nonfiction, to compose discursively requires that we turn in the direction of the discourses that have made us who we are rather than start from a place of what we think happened to us in the course of our lives. She goes on further to say, Creative nonfiction appreciates the power of prepositions. Instead of writing …
Rare Pride Campaigns: Evaluating Participatory Communication In Conservation Efforts Throughout Indonesia, Lauren Elizabeth Perez
Rare Pride Campaigns: Evaluating Participatory Communication In Conservation Efforts Throughout Indonesia, Lauren Elizabeth Perez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Communication scholars who study international development and social change have found that if facilitators of social change hope to find positive, lasting solutions to complex social and environmental issues, they must incorporate more participatory approaches. However, even the practitioners with the most noble intentions oftentimes fall short of facilitating truly participatory practices because their strategies are the product of linear processes for evaluating the change context. In this study, I apply Lennie and Tacchi's (2014) approach to evaluating communication for development in a case study of Pride Campaigns implemented by managers throughout Indonesia who partnered with the conservation non-governmental organization …
Differences In Stress Biomarkers In Women With High And Low Stress Appraisal, Clarissa Sara Gomez
Differences In Stress Biomarkers In Women With High And Low Stress Appraisal, Clarissa Sara Gomez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Measures of physiological biomarkers have been widely used in the field of stress research to explain how stress negatively impacts health outcomes. Women in particular have been shown to be more at risk for developing physiological and psychological stress-induced conditions (e.g., hypertension, depression) due to hormonal differences (Kirschbaum et al., 1992), but more importantly, because of their appraisal of stressful events (Schamus et al., 2008). Few studies however have examined whether womenâ??s stress appraisal is predictive of stress reactivity, as measured by stress biomarkers, during stressful events. The goal of this study was to examine whether stress appraisal predicted stress …
Guilty By Association: Time-Dependent Memory Consolidation And The Generalization Of Person-Specific Traits To Other Group Members, Luke R. Enge
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The following study investigated the extent to which time-dependent memory consolidation facilities the generalization of person-specific traits (individuated targets) to other, familiar social group members (familiar targets) Sixty-Nine (N = 69) participants learned to distinguish between two arbitrary groups, one positive and one negative. Participants learned the negative or positive information about a subset of the group members (individuated targets) and no individuating information about the familiar targets. Participants returned either without a time-delay containing sleep (2-6 hours after learning) or a time-delay with sleep (48 hours after learning). Results demonstrated that only after a time-delay containing sleep, negative information …
An Intra-Individual Event-Related Potential-Based Concealed Attitude Test, David R. Herring
An Intra-Individual Event-Related Potential-Based Concealed Attitude Test, David R. Herring
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The evaluative oddball is an implicit measure for detecting (concealed) attitudes. In evaluative oddball studies, low occurrence stimuli such as negative pictures are presented among high occurrence context stimuli such as positive pictures. Late positive potentials (LPPs) of the event-related potential (ERP) are larger to evaluatively incongruent stimuli such as negatives compared to congruent stimuli such as positives with the context (e.g., positives). In prior evaluative oddball paradigms, this evaluative congruity effect of the LPP was reduced when participants concealed compared to truthfully reported attitudes. Because prior evaluative oddballs have been focused on the group level analysis, it has been …
A Revision Of The New World Ants Of The Genus Platythyrea Roger 1863 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Mayra Janett Leyva
A Revision Of The New World Ants Of The Genus Platythyrea Roger 1863 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Mayra Janett Leyva
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The genus Platythyrea consists of arboreal ants that are rarely collected. The genus was last partially revised in 1975 by Brown. Since that revision two additional species have been described. The New World genus Platythyrea now includes nine species: P. angusta Forel, P. exigua Kempf, P. lenca De Andrade, P. pilosula (Smith), P. prizo Kugler, P. punctata (Smith), P. sinuata (Roger), P. strenua Wheeler and P. zodion Brown. A new key, illustrations, diagnoses and distributions of the ants are provided.
The Threat Of Domestic Bioterrorism: Fact Or Fiction, Stacy M. Langston
The Threat Of Domestic Bioterrorism: Fact Or Fiction, Stacy M. Langston
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The threat of a domestic bioterrorist attack can be a daunting issue to cover. Using the analytic technique What If? Analysis a scenario was created for a domestic bioterrorism attack in Houston, TX. Indicators were developed to determine how to mitigate and respond to the attack. Recommendations were provided following the attack that can be used to prevent future attacks that were conducted in the scenario. Having a hindsight view of an attack is the best way to prevent and respond to the attack.
Influences Of Ecological Light Pollution On Advertisement Calls Of Spea Multiplicata (Amphibia: Anura: Scaphiopodidae) In Rural And Urban Populations In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert And An Evaluation Of Hybrid S. Bombifrons X S. Multiplicata Calls, Katie Anderson
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Spea is a genus of toad-like, arid adapted frogs distributed throughout much of the western U.S. and northern Mexico. Two species, (S. Bombifrons and S. Multiplicata) are syntopic throughout most of the northern Chihuahuan Desert, a region that is experiencing rapid urbanization. For this study, I examined 936 male advertisement calls from urban and rural populations of S. multiplicata, and a rural population of S. bombifrons in west Texas and south-central New Mexico. Advertisement calls from urban and rural S. multiplicata were compared against light level to assess the potential influence ecological light pollution plays in sexual …
Assessing Naturalistic Decision Making By Experienced And Inexperienced Interrogators In High Stakes Interviews, Amy Bethany Ross
Assessing Naturalistic Decision Making By Experienced And Inexperienced Interrogators In High Stakes Interviews, Amy Bethany Ross
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The current thesis aimed to improve the ecological validity of human intelligence interrogation research. Although field practitioners and researchers have worked together to improve the scientific validity and practical execution of interrogation techniques, research has yet to understand how, when and why interrogators implement such techniques. This thesis investigated the active decision making processes of interrogators that occur during high value interrogations. The theory of Naturalistic Decision Making was used to capture the naturalistic characteristics of high value interrogations- ambiguity, time pressure and high stakes. To capture the decision-making processes that are associated with skilled performance, this research conducted in-depth …
Characterization Of The Behavioral, Biochemical And Molecular Indices Of Stress Produced By Nicotine Exposure And Withdrawal In Male And Female Rats, Oscar Valentin Torres
Characterization Of The Behavioral, Biochemical And Molecular Indices Of Stress Produced By Nicotine Exposure And Withdrawal In Male And Female Rats, Oscar Valentin Torres
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Introduction: Tobacco use is a major economic and health problem. Particularly concerning is that women consume more tobacco products, have a more difficult time quitting, and are less likely to benefit from cessation therapies than men. As a result, women are at higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. Women are generally more susceptible to stress and are more likely to cope with stress by smoking as compared to men. During abstinence, women also experience intense anxiety as compared to men and report that the anxiety-reducing effects of smoking are the main reason for continued use and relapse. Thus, stress produced …
The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano
The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a persistent problem in the U.S. and abroad. Escalation of METH use among independent users occurs for a variety of physiological and psychological reasons. Methamphetamine dependence may be attributed to the rewarding effect of this drug via the dopaminergic systems of the central nervous system (CNS). The presence of METH in the CNS increases synaptic release of dopamine. This increase in dopaminergic neurotransmission is thought to be directly attributed to the rewarding effects of METH. Following METH use, compensatory changes have been found to occur in the dopaminergic system during various periods of abstinence. It is …