Depression, anxiety, hopelessness and quality of life in users of cocaine/crack in outpatient treatment.

Objective:: To identify symptoms of anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness in patients in outpatient treatment for substance dependency and to test for correlations with various aspects of their quality of life.

Methods:: A cross-sectional study of a sample of 25 men in recuperation from substance dependency, selected by convenience. We assessed symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale), and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Abbreviated version [WHOQOL-Bref]), and also analyzed sociodemographic profile, substance abuse, and family history.

Cognition and functioning in bipolar depression.

Objectives: Depressive symptoms are associated with worse outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). However, scarce data are available regarding neurocognitive profiles across different areas of functioning among BD patients with moderate and severe depression. Our objective was to assess cognition and global functioning in a group of patients with bipolar depression.

Quality of life, social functioning, family structure, and treatment history associated with crack cocaine use in youth from the general population.

Objective: To assess the relationship between crack cocaine use and dimensions of quality of life and social functioning in young adults.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study involving 1,560 participants in Pelotas, Brazil. Crack cocaine use and abuse were investigated using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) inventory.

Does comorbid bipolar disorder increase neuropsychological impairment in children and adolescents with ADHD?

Objective: To assess differences in executive functioning between children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid or not with bipolar disorder (BD), and to study the neuropsychological profile of subjects with the comorbidity in a clinical sample from a developing country.

Method: Case-control study comparing 23 participants with BD + ADHD and 85 ADHD-only subjects aged 6 to 17 years old. Both groups were drug-free.

Violent and sexual behaviors and lifetime use of crack cocaine: a population-based study in Brazil.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of lifetime use of crack cocaine and to assess associations with violent and sexual behaviors in young adults selected from the general population of Pelotas, Southern Brazil.

Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study included 1,560 participants aged 18-24 years. The use of alcohol and other substances, including crack cocaine, was assessed using the alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test.

Verbal memory impairment in healthy siblings of patients with schizophrenia.

Cognitive deficits have been recognized as a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ) and are present in most patients. Verbal memory (VM), working memory (WM), and executive function (EF) are domains commonly impaired in patients with SZ. These latter domains have been related to the genetic risk of the disorder characterizing as possible endophenotypes.

Peripheral toxicity in crack cocaine use disorders.

A growing body of evidence suggests that crack cocaine misuse has widespread systemic and cognitive consequences, but little attention has been given to its systemic pathophysiology. We report here changes in inflammation markers, oxidative damage and brain derived neurotrophic factor in a sample of outpatients with crack cocaine use disorders. Fifty-three outpatients were recruited for this cross-sectional study and matched with fifty control subjects.

Childhood trauma, impulsivity, and executive functioning in crack cocaine users.

Background: The use of crack cocaine is a major public health concern in Brazil and internationally. Recent data suggest that childhood trauma is associated with worse outcomes among cocaine users. This study had the objective of evaluating the relationship of childhood trauma with executive functioning and impulsivity in outpatients with crack cocaine use disorders.