Background: Detoxification is frequently recommended as a treatment for moderate to severe Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD). However, the response to detoxification varies among patients, and previous studies have focused mostly on patterns of drug use behavior to test associations with treatment outcomes, overlooking the potential impact of psychosocial factors, other clinical variables, and individual life experiences. In this study we comprehensively examined several variables aiming to find the most relevant predictors to classify patients with severe versus non-severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms at the end of detoxification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubstance use disorders (SUD) have been related to high criminal justice costs, expensive healthcare, social impairment, and decision-making deficits. In non-social decision-making tasks, people with SUD tend to take more risks and choose small immediate rewards than controls. However, few studies have explored how people with SUD behave in social decision-making situations where the resources and profits depend directly on participants' real-time interaction, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe identification of a blood marker of brain pathology that is sensitive to substance-induced neurotoxicity and dynamically responds to longitudinal changes in substance intake would substantially improve clinical monitoring in the field of substance use and addiction. Here, we explored the hypothesis that plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a promising marker of neuroaxonal pathology, are elevated in chronic cocaine users and longitudinally associated with changes in cocaine use. Plasma NfL levels were determined using single molecule array (SIMOA) technology at baseline and at a 4-month follow-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mood disorder and leading cause of disability. Despite treatment advances, approximately 30% of individuals with MDD do not achieve adequate clinical response. Better understanding the biological mechanism(s) underlying clinical response to specific psychopharmacological interventions may help fine tune treatments in order to further modulate their underlying mechanisms of action.
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