Acute opioid administration induces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation and is mediated by genetic variation in interleukin (Il)1B.

There is a complex relationship between drug dependence and stress, with alcohol and other drugs of abuse both relieving stress and potentially inducing physiological stress responses in the user. Opioid drugs have been shown to modulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in animal models and individual response to this modulation may play a role in continuation of drug use. Healthy young Caucasian adults were administered a single dose of immediate release oxycodone (20mg, n=30) or assigned to a control group (n=19) that was not administered the drug.

Eavesdropping on the family: a pilot investigation of corporal punishment in the home.

This study tested the feasibility of using audio recorders to collect novel information about family interactions. Research into corporal punishment (CP) has relied, almost exclusively, on self-report data; audio recordings have the promise of revealing new insights into the use and immediate consequences of CP. So we could hear how parents respond to child conflicts, 33 mothers wore digital audio recorders for up to 6 evenings.