Psychoactive drugs such as alcohol and stimulants are typically used in social settings such as bars, parties or small groups. Yet, relatively little is known about how social contexts affect responses to drugs, or how the drugs alter social interactions. It is possible that positive social contexts enhance the rewarding properties of drugs, perhaps increasing their potential for repeated use and abuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychopharmacology (Berl)
December 2024
Rationale: Alcohol is commonly used in social environments and is known to facilitate social behaviors. However, most controlled laboratory studies on alcohol have been conducted in isolated settings, limiting our understanding of its effects on social interactions.
Objectives: The current study was designed to examine the effects of alcohol on dyadic interactions in healthy volunteers (N = 37), with a focus on the influence of the conversation partner's drug state.
Browning of surface waters due to increased terrestrial loading of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is observed across the Northern Hemisphere. The effects influence several ecosystem services from freshwater productivity to water purification. Brownification is often explained by changes in large-scale anthropogenic pressures and ecosystem functioning (acidification, climate change, and land cover changes).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSocial disequilibrium, or disrupted social homeostasis, underlies many behavioral disorders, including problematic drug use. One way to study the relationship between drug use and social homeostasis is to determine whether single doses of psychoactive drugs relieve some of the discomfort of social isolation and promote social connection. In this narrative review, we discuss challenges and opportunities in studying the relationship between psychoactive drugs and social homeostasis.
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