Performance measures for alcohol and other drugs services: a commentary.

Alcohol and other drugs treatment includes a wide range of service and personal characteristics, along with expected and unexpected barriers to treatment. To capture the benefits and the gaps of a designed treatment, one needs to consider process-of-care and outcome measurements. Process-of-care measures are mainly developments of the rationale proposed by The Washington Circle and capture all variants in the process-of-care as proportions.

Exploring the Role of Alcohol Metabolizing Genotypes in a 12-Week Clinical Trial of Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder.

The efficacy of naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with a set of variables not directly related with the expression of opioid receptors. All the variables have been found to be highly associated with AUD itself or more severe clinical levels of AUD. Given the high association between alcohol metabolizing enzymes (AME) and the outcome of AUD, the present study aims to investigate the role of AME genotype variants in the treatment of AUD with naltrexone.

Alcohol Use and COVID-19: Can we Predict the Impact of the Pandemic on Alcohol Use Based on the Previous Crises in the 21st Century? A Brief Review.

The enormous health and economic challenges precipitated by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic are comparable or even greater than those associated with previous historical world crises. Alcohol use, especially drinking to cope with stress, is a concern, as an increase in its sales has been reported in some countries during the quarantine. This study aims to provide a better understanding of what to expect in terms of alcohol consumption, risk factors for excessive use, and its potential consequences during this pandemic based on previous experiences.

Neurocognitive Impairment in mdx Mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disorder that affects muscles and also the brain, resulting in memory and behavioral problems. In the pathogenesis of DMD, inflammation is an important factor during the degenerative process. However, the involvement of the brain is still unclear.

The role of neurocognitive functioning, substance use variables and the DSM-5 severity scale in cocaine relapse: A prospective study.

Background: The severity of substance use disorder (SUD) is currently defined by the sum of DSM-5 criteria. However, little is known about the validity of this framework or the role of additional severity indicators in relapse prediction. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DSM-5 criteria, neurocognitive functioning, substance use variables and cocaine relapse among inpatients with cocaine use disorder (CUD).

Intention to Drive After Drinking Among Medical Students: Contributions of the Protection Motivation Theory.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive variables proposed by the protection motivation theory (PMT) were predictive of occasional and frequent intention to drive after drinking in medical students.

Methods: One hundred fifty-five students attending preclinical years at a Medical School in São Paulo, Brazil, participated in the study. They were asked about their last month substance use, history of drinking and driving, including driving after binge drinking, and risk perceptions based on a self-report questionnaire with statements about protection motivation, threat, and coping appraisals from the PMT model.

Performance of the fixed pressure valve with antisiphon device SPHERA® in the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus and prevention of overdrainage.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is characterized by the triad of gait apraxia, dementia and urinary incontinence associated with ventriculomegaly and normal pressure of cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment is accomplished through the implantation of a ventricular shunt (VPS), however some complications are still frequent, like overdrainage due to siphon effect. This study analyses the performance of a valve with anti-siphon device (SPHERA®) in the treatment of patients with NPH and compares it with another group of patients with NPH who underwent the same procedure without anti-siphon mechanism (PS Medical® valve).

The influence of depressive symptoms and substance use on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. A cross-sectional prevalence study.

Context And Objective: Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not a stable condition, but is dynamic, like mental conditions. The aim of this study was to examine whether non-adherence to ART is related to demographic and immunological variables, substance use and presence of depressive symptoms.

Design And Setting: This was a cross-sectional prevalence study carried out at a public AIDS treatment center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, between July 2006 and January 2007.

Alcohol dependence and CD4 cell count: is there a relationship?

Alcohol and other drugs use seem to be common among people infected with HIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Their effects on HIV progression is still in debate. This study aimed to assess the association between alcohol and drug use and an HIV disease progression biomarker (CD4 cell count) among patients on ART.

Monitoring drug use among HIV/AIDS patients in Brazil: should we combine self-report and urinalysis?

Illicit drug use in HIV-infected patients can be linked to impairment of physical and mental health, low health related quality of life, and suboptimal adherence to HIV treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of self report illicit drug use, urinalysis for cocaine and cannabis metabolites, and severity of dependence among HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a treatment center in Brazil. Four hundred and thirty-eight outpatients of an HIV referral center were interviewed and assessed for drug use (lifetime, last year and last month).

The association between low alcohol use and traffic risk behaviors among Brazilian college students.

Although there are a large number of studies focused on binge drinking and traffic risk behaviors (TRB), little is known regarding low levels of alcohol consumption and its association to TRB. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the association of low to moderate alcohol intake pattern and TRB in college students in Brazil. 7037 students from a National representative sample were selected under rigorous inclusion criteria.

[Adolescent substance use and family problems].

This study aimed to evaluate the association between substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs) and family problems among 965 adolescents from 50 public schools in two cities in São Paulo State, Brazil, in 2007. The Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) was used for data collection. Use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs was associated with a negative assessment of the family relationship, lack of monitoring/support, and psychoactive substance use by family members (p < 0.

Gender parity and drug use: are girls catching up with boys?

Objective: To evaluate the association between gender and use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in adolescents aged 10 to 18 years in the municipalities of Jacareí and Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: A total of 971 adolescents completed the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI).

Results: In our sample, 55% of adolescents were male, 33.

[Management of patients with substance use illnesses in psychiatric emergency department].

Objective: Substance use disorders are prevalent in emergency departments in medical and psychiatric services, reaching rates of 28% of cases in medical emergency departments. However, professionals in the emergency department identify less than 50% of cases of alcohol-related problems. This article aims to provide evidence-based interventions for the specific treatment to patients who meet diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders and who present to emergency rooms during intoxication or abstinence.

Effectiveness of the CAGE questionnaire, gamma-glutamyltransferase and mean corpuscular volume of red blood cells as markers for alcohol-related problems in the workplace.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), as well as that of the CAGE questionnaire, in workplace screening for alcohol abuse/dependence.

Methods: A total of 183 male employees were submitted to structured interviews (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV 2.0 and CAGE questionnaire).

[Evaluation of a screening test for alcohol-related problems (CAGE) among employees of the Campus of the University of São Paulo].

Unlabelled: Alcohol intake may play a significant role in absenteeism, delays and accidents at the workplace. However, its detection is limited by difficulties of both patients and physicians regarding the subject. The CAGE questionnaire may be an easy, fast and non intimidative alternative to detect alcohol-related problems (ARP).