Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons^™

Sociodemographic And Clinical Characteristics Associated With Improvements In Quality Of Life For Participants With Opioid Use Disorder, Assaf Gottlieb, Christine Bakos-Block, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System was established to create an access pathway into long-term recovery for individuals with opioid use disorder. The program determines effectiveness across multiple dimensions, one of which is by measuring the participant's reported quality of life (QoL) at the beginning of the program and at successive intervals.

Methods: A visual analog scale was used to measure the change in QoL among participants after joining the program. We then identified sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with changes in QoL.

Results: 71% of the participants (n = 494) experienced an increase in their QoL scores, …

Student Pharmacists’ Emotional Responses And Coping During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah E. Johnson, Deaundre Bumpass, Aric Schadler, Jeffrey Cain

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Health professions students, including student pharmacists, have been impacted by the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19 pandemic) as schools have transitioned to remote learning and cancelled milestone events. During times of crises, media consumption and hobby participation also impact well-being. The adverse emotional responses and coping strategies of student pharmacists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic have not been evaluated, nor have factors that may contribute to emotional responses. The purpose of this study is to determine Doctor of Pharmacy students’ emotional responses and coping precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the influence of media use, working status, and participation in hobbies. …

Desire, Culture, And The Body, Zoey Lavallee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

What is the nature of desire? In this dissertation I develop a theory of desire according to which desires are essentially enculturated states that play the role of presenting favorable outcomes that act as inputs to intention formation, and thereby intentional action. This analysis of desire debunks a common assumption shared by prominent accounts of desire in philosophy of mind, what can be called the dualist assumption: that bodily desires such as urges and appetites differ in kind from conceptual desires that are typically described as higher cognitive attitudes. I argue that the desires traditionally understood as bodily or appetitive …

Demographics, Activities, And Environmental Factors Impact Burnout In A National Survey Of Emergency Medicine Residents, Nicole Battaglioli, Tim P. Moran, Simiao Li-Sauerwine

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout in emergency medicine and in residency training has been well-described. The impact of demographic, individual, and programmatic factors on burnout have not previously been determined in a national survey of emergency medicine residents. This study aimed to identify personal and environmental factors impacting resident burnout in a national sample of emergency medicine residents.

Methods: A prospective Emergency Medicine Resident Wellness Survey was administered in 2017. We surveyed respondents on demographic, personal, and environmental factors; each respondent also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey. Linear regressions were used to identify variables associated with the Maslach Burnout …

Assessment Of Pathogenic Changes In The Gut-Liver Axis In Plwh With Heavy Alcohol Drinking And Gut Dysbiosis Marked By Decreased Butyrogenic Potential., Smita Ghare, Vaughn Bryant, Richa Singhal, Sabina Gautam, Chanakya Charan Tirumala, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Craig J. Mcclain, Ronald Cohen, Varand Govind, Robert L. Cook, Shirish Barve

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Purpose: People living with HIV infection (PLWH) experience increasing risk for non-AIDS diseases including liver dysfunction and injury. Both HIV-infection and heavy alcohol drinking (HAD) are known to cause gut microbial dysbiosis and systemic inflammation that may potentially contribute to altered Gut-Liver axis. However, the specific pathogenic features associated with combinatorial harmful effects of alcohol and HIV infection on gut-liver interactions are not completely understood. This study evaluate the pathogenic changes in the Gut-Liver axis in PLWH with HAD.

Transcriptional Analysis Of The Response Of C. Elegans To Ethanol Exposure, Mark G. Sterken, Marijke H. Van Wijk, Elizabeth C. Quamme, Joost A. G. Riksen, Lucinda Carnell, Laura D. Mathies, Andrew G. Davies, Jan E. Kammenga, Jill C. Bettinger

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Ethanol-induced transcriptional changes underlie important physiological responses to ethanol that are likely to contribute to the addictive properties of the drug. We examined the transcriptional responses of Caenorhabditis elegans across a timecourse of ethanol exposure, between 30 min and 8 h, to determine what genes and genetic pathways are regulated in response to ethanol in this model. We found that short exposures to ethanol (up to 2 h) induced expression of metabolic enzymes involved in metabolizing ethanol and retinol, while longer exposure (8 h) had much more profound effects on the transcriptome. Several genes that are known to be involved …

Knowing What We Know: Leveraging Community Knowledge Through Automated Text-Mining, Justin Gardner, Jonathan Tory Toole, Hemant Kalia, Garry Spink Jr., Gordon Broderick

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

No abstract provided.

Neuroactivational And Behavioral Correlates Of Psychosocial Stress-Induced Cocaine Seeking In Rats, Nicole M. Hinds, Ireneusz D. Wojtas, Desta M. Pulley, Stephany J. Mcdonald, Samantha De Guzman, Nicole E. Hubbard, Colin M. Kulick-Soper, Jessica J. Debski, Bianca Patel, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

A prominent feature of cocaine abuse is a high risk of relapse even despite prolonged periods of abstinence. Psychosocial stress is thought to be a major contributor to the onset of cocaine craving and relapse in human substance abusers, yet most preclinical models of stress-induced relapse employ physical stressors (e.g., unpredictable footshock) or pharmacological stressors (e.g., yohimbine to elicit a drug seeking response) and do not rely upon psychosocial stress per se. Importantly, social stressors are well known to activate distinct neural circuits within the brain as compared to other stressors. It is therefore possible that currently available animal models …

The Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonist Vk4-40 Attenuates Morphine-Induced Hyperactivity But Not Cocaine-Induced Hyperactivity In Mice, Desta M. Pulley, Jessica J. Debski, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In light of the increasing rates of opioid abuse in the US, the search for viable medications to treat opioid abuse disorder (OUD) has become ever more urgent. Opioids exert their abuse-related effects in part by indirectly increasing dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the mesolimbic system, a dopaminergic projection arising in the ventral tegmental area and terminating in the nucleus accumbens. The DA D3 receptor (D3R), which belongs to the D2 family of dopamine receptors (D2, D3 , D4 receptor subtypes), is highly expressed in these brain regions and has shown strong potential as a pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of …

Mechanisms Of Synthetic Cannabinoids On Cardiovascular Health, Madeleine A. Nelson

Honors Thesis

Cannabinoids encompass natural cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids. While the synthetic cannabinoids interact with the same endogenous system as cannabis, their effects are quite different and poorly understood. In addition to psychological effects that trigger their use, these substances are linked to cardiovascular morbidity. To assess the cardiovascular effect of synthetic cannabinoids, we first tested the hypothesis that intravenous administration of a synthetic cannabinoid would increase blood pressure in conscious rats. Second, we tested the hypothesis that the sympathetic nervous system is involved by injecting a ganglion blocker to see if the cardiovascular response from synthetic cannabinoids would be blocked. Third, …

New Psychoactive Substances In Taiwan: The Current Situation And Initiative For Rational Scheduling, Wen-Jing Yu, Linda B. Cottler, Jih-Heng Li

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) has posed a global threat to public health and the security of the population. As of December 2019, the NPS items identified in total have outnumbered by three to one the controlled substances listed in the 1961 and 1971 UN Drug Conventions. However, most of these NPS have not been scheduled by the United Nations because of their easy modification on the chemical structures to shun control. Currently, the scheduling and control of NPS is mostly at the national level and a rational scheduling of NPS by objective assessments is essential but often lacking. …

From Crib To Bench: Understanding Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (Nows) Using A Novel Rodent Model, Sarah Stevens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As the opioid epidemic continues to grow, opioid use among pregnant women is increasing significantly. This has led to a steady rise in the number of infants born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Although short-term withdrawal symptoms associated with NOWS are well characterized, there are many gaps in our understanding of the short and long-term effects of prenatal opioid exposure. In CHAPTER 1, we describe the clinical presentation, associated neurodevelopmental challenges, and current treatments of NOWS. Our current understanding of the neuropathology of NOWS is limited, and therefore further research is needed. However, current animal models are limited by …

Neither “Post-War” Nor Post-Pregnancy Paranoia: How America’S War On Drugs Continues To Perpetuate Disparate Incarceration Outcomes For Pregnant, Substance-Involved Offenders, Becca S. Zimmerman

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the unique interactions between pregnancy, substance involvement, and race as they relate to the War on Drugs and the hyper-incarceration of women. Using ordinary least square regression analyses and data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, I examine if (and how) pregnancy status, drug use, race, and their interactions influence two length of incarceration outcomes: sentence length and amount of time spent in jail between arrest and imprisonment. The results collectively indicate that pregnancy decreases length of incarceration outcomes for those offenders who are not substance-involved but not evenhandedly -- benefitting white …

More Than A Myth: The Benefits Of Incorporating Holistic Healing Methods From Native American And Mexican Cultures To Approach Opioid Use Disorder (Oud) Treatment, Juliana Favela

CMC Senior Theses

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder that characterizes a dependence on and an addiction to opioids. Opioids attack the prefrontal cortex, the dopaminergic reward system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which is responsible for the body’s stress response. Opioids constantly shift one’s “set point” to the point where normal actions that cause joy and excitement no longer cause those feelings, resulting in craving and dependence. The opioid epidemic is currently ravaging the United States and has disproportionately affected Native American populations specifically in the rural areas (Tipps, et.al, 2018). The current methods for addressing OUD include medicine …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

The Crossroads Of Wellness And Second Victim Syndrome: Identifying Factors That Alter The Pathway Of Caregiver Recovery Following An Unanticipated Adverse Patient Outcome, Kimia Zarabian, A. Katharine Hindle, Ivy Benjenk, Anita Vincent, Jamil M. Kazma, Benjamin Shambon, Raymond Pla, Eric Heinz

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Second Victim Syndrome (SVS) describes the phenomenon in which a caregiver experiences a traumatic psychological and emotional response to an adverse patient event or medical error. Using quantitative survey analysis, we aim to better understand the personal factors that affect SVS development and recovery.

Methods: Caregivers at a small urban academic medical center who had experienced an adverse patient event in the past six months were invited to take part in this institution-wide, voluntary, quantitative, cross-sectional study. Three surveys were administered; the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory (HRLSI) was used as a surrogate to measure stressful life events. The …

Historical Trauma Response Scores As A Function Of Unresolved Grief And Substance Use Disorder In American Indian Populations, Andrew R. Saunders

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract

Researchers are interested in the outcomes of interventions, specifically, measuring historical trauma (HT) among American Indian/Alaska Native communities and the long-term distress and substance abuse as a result of historical trauma response (HTR). Previous literature has implicated limitations in the clinical conceptualization of the relationship between intergenerational transfer of HTR and substance abuse. The aim of the current study is to examine treatment efficacy of 50 homosexual, American Indian males randomized to a culturally-adapted juxtaposition of (1) Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), (2) Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and (3) Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention (HTUG), or (4) waitlisted on …

A Genome-Wide Association Study Of Cocaine Use Disorder Accounting For Phenotypic Heterogeneity And Gene–Environment Interaction, Jiangwen Sun, Henry R. Kranzler, Joel Gelernter, Jinbo Bi

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background: Phenotypic heterogeneity and complicated gene-environment interplay in etiology are among the primary factors that hinder the identification of genetic variants associated with cocaine use disorder. Methods: To detect novel genetic variants associated with cocaine use disorder, we derived disease traits with reduced phenotypic heterogeneity using cluster analysis of a study sample (n = 9965). We then used these traits in genome-wide association tests, performed separately for 2070 African Americans and 1570 European Americans, using a new mixed model that accounted for the moderating effects of 5 childhood environmental factors. We used an independent sample (918 African Americans, 1382 European …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Postmortem Prefrontal Cortex And Nucleus Accumbens From Chronic Alcohol Abusers., Eric S. Vornholt

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness that develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While it is well documented that AUD is heritable, the shift from recreational alcohol use to abuse/dependence is poorly understood. In this dissertation, using postmortem brain tissue from individuals with alcohol dependence (AD), we profiled the genome-wide expression of circular RNA (circRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) to better understand the impact of gene expression on the development of AUD. To achieve this, we performed two independent studies that explore transcriptome differences between AD cases and controls. The first of …

A Social Review Of The Opioid Epidemic: The History, Pathophysiology, And Effects On Rural America, Holly J. Goehring

Biology and Microbiology Graduate Students Plan B Research Projects

One of the more pressing issues in modern day health care is the nationwide heath care crisis known as the opioid epidemic. The beginning of this literature review will focus on the history of opioid use and early prescription rates, as well as the summary and definitions of the drugs involved in the current opioid epidemic. The review then shifts to the pathophysiology of addiction involving the activation of opioid receptors and opioid use disorder. The main focus of this literature review is the societal impacts of the opioid epidemic, making special reference to the economic burden and effects on …

Enhancing Timeliness Of Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance: A Machine Learning Approach, Patrick J. Ward, Peter J. Rock, Svetla Slavova, April M. Young, Terry L. Bunn, Ramakanth Kavuluru

Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Timely data is key to effective public health responses to epidemics. Drug overdose deaths are identified in surveillance systems through ICD-10 codes present on death certificates. ICD-10 coding takes time, but free-text information is available on death certificates prior to ICD-10 coding. The objective of this study was to develop a machine learning method to classify free-text death certificates as drug overdoses to provide faster drug overdose mortality surveillance.

METHODS: Using 2017–2018 Kentucky death certificate data, free-text fields were tokenized and features were created from these tokens using natural language processing (NLP). Word, bigram, and trigram features were created …

Editorial: Invertebrate Models Of Natural And Drug-Sensitive Reward, Moira J. Van Staaden, Robert Huber

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The relationship between insects and humans is a complex one, characterized biotically as commensalism, mutualism, or parasitism. This collection of papers reveals yet another dimension, in which shared history invests invertebrate models with the power to interrogate critical challenges to the human reward system. As humans we take pride in approaching a given scenario rationally, in considering the possible options, assigning them values, and then choosing that which maximizes one's individual outcomes. So, why do drug addicts make choices that inevitably lead to ruinous consequences? Fundamentally, addiction appears to impair the very ability to form considered judgments, as it strips …

Adgrl3 (Lphn3) Variants Predict Substance Use Disorder, Mauricio Arcos-Burgos, Jorge I. Vélez, Ariel F. Martinez, Marta Ribasés, Josep A. Ramos-Quiroga, Cristina Sánchez-Mora, Vanesa Richarte, Carlos Roncero, Bru Cormand, Noelia Fernández-Castillo, Miguel Casas, Francisco Lopera, David A. Pineda, Juan D. Palacio, Johan E. Acosta-López, Martha L. Cervantes-Henriquez, Manuel G. Sánchez-Rojas, Pedro J. Puentes-Rozo, Brooke S. G. Molina, Mta Cooperative Group, Margaret T. Boden, Deeann Wallis, Brett Lidbury, Saul Newman, Simon Easteal, James Swanson, Hardip Patel, Nora Volkow, Maria T. Acosta, Francisco X. Castellanos, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Genetic factors are strongly implicated in the susceptibility to develop externalizing syndromes such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and substance use disorder (SUD). Variants in the ADGRL3 (LPHN3) gene predispose to ADHD and predict ADHD severity, disruptive behaviors comorbidity, long-term outcome, and response to treatment. In this study, we investigated whether variants within ADGRL3 are associated with SUD, a disorder that is frequently co-morbid with ADHD. Using family-based, case-control, and longitudinal samples from disparate regions of the world (n = 2698), recruited either for clinical, genetic epidemiological or pharmacogenomic studies of ADHD, we …

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Of Synthetic Cathinones And Related Agents, Rachel A. Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic cathinones and related agents represent an international drug abuse problem, and at the same time an important class of clinically useful compounds. Structure-activity relationship studies are needed to elucidate molecular features underlying the pharmacology of these agents. Illicit methcathinone (i.e., MCAT), the prototype of the synthetic cathinone class, exists as a racemic mixture. Though the differences in potency and target selectivity between the positional and optical isomers of synthetic cathinones and related agents have been demonstrated to have important implications for abuse and therapeutic potential, the two MCAT isomers have never been directly compared at their molecular targets: the …

Genome-Wide Systems Genetics Of Alcohol Consumption And Dependence, Kristin Mignogna

Theses and Dissertations

Widely effective treatment for alcohol use disorder is not yet available, because the exact biological mechanisms that underlie this disorder are not completely understood. One way to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms is to examine the genetic frameworks that contribute to the risk for developing this disorder. This dissertation examines genetic association data in combination with gene expression networks in the brain to identify functional groups of genes associated with alcohol consumption and dependence.

The first study took advantage of the behavioral complexity of human samples, and experimental capabilities provided by mouse models, by co-analyzing gene expression networks …

Neurobehavioral Measurements Of Natural And Opioid Reward Value, Aaron Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the last decade, (non)prescription opioid abuse, opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses, and opioid-related overdoses have risen and represent a significant public health concern. One method of understanding OUD is as a disorder of choice that requires choosing opioid rewards at the expense of other nondrug rewards. The characterization of OUD as a disorder of choice is important as it implicates decision- making processes as therapeutic targets, such as the valuation of opioid rewards. However, reward-value measurement and interpretation are traditionally different in substance abuse research compared to related fields such as economics, animal behavior, and neuroeconomics and may be …

The Critical Need For Mental Health Education To Be Mandated In New Mexico's Public Schools, Bonnie L. Murphy

Shared Knowledge Conference

Based on a review of research and best practices in mental health awareness and skills, this inquiry project argues for state legislative policies that would require mental health awareness and skills in the K-12 curriculum. Mental health affects individual accomplishments in every stage of people’s lives beginning in early childhood and throughout the life cycle. Prevention and treatment of mental illness plays a key role in the ability of an individual to cope with loss and develop resiliency and perseverance in challenging times and to make better decisions that improve the individual’s life and the lives of those around them. …

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Ua12/2/2 2018 Talisman: Grit, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2018 Talisman yearbook.

• Gibson, Helen. Grit
• Zambrano, Max. Cash Cows – Chaney’s Dairy Barn
• Holt, Delaney. A Quarry Story – White Stone Quarry, Caden Quarry
• McKee, Rylee. Beautiful Grit – BellaMoxi, Dance
• Voorhees, Jessica. Digging Deep – Jean-Luc Houle, Anthropology
• Lucas, Kaley. Black Mountain
• Edwards, Aly. Roots of Stigma – McKenna Vierstra, Jordan Frodge, Max Williams, Robin Farrell
• Eastham, Lillie. Grab ‘Em by the Ballot – Time’s Up Movement
• McCarthy, Hannah. Flesh Memories
• Barritt, Brooklyn. Making a Place at the Table – Dungeons & Dragons
• Gary, Summer. For Adoption: Unwanted Mutt
• Waters, Adrianna. For the Love of Creation – Art …

A Systematic Review Of Consumer Preference For E-Cigarette Attributes: Flavor, Nicotine Strength, And Type, Samane Zare, Mehdi Nemati, Yuqing Zheng

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Objective

Systematic review of research examining consumer preference for the main electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) attributes namely flavor, nicotine strength, and type.

Method

A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles resulted in a pool of 12,933 articles. We included only articles that meet all the selection criteria: (1) peer-reviewed, (2) written in English, and (3) addressed consumer preference for one or more of the e-cigarette attributes including flavor, strength, and type.

Results

66 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Consumers preferred flavored e-cigarettes, and such preference varied with age groups and smoking status. We also found that several flavors were …