The effects of ibudilast, a glial activation inhibitor, on opioid withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent volunteers.

Glial activation is hypothesized to contribute directly to opioid withdrawal. This study investigated the dose-dependent effects of a glial cell modulator, ibudilast, on withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent volunteers after abrupt discontinuation of morphine administration. Non-treatment-seeking heroin-dependent volunteers (n = 31) completed the in-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject and between-group study.

Relationship of gambling with tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among adolescents in the USA: Review of the literature 2000-2014.

Background And Objectives: Adolescence is a time during which not only gambling, but also tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use, usually begin. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated review of the literature on gambling and its associations with tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among US youth.

Methods: An electronic literature search of PubMed and PsycInfo was conducted for studies since 2000 using the keywords "smoking," "tobacco," "nicotine," "cigarette," "gambling," "adolescence," "adolescent," "alcohol," and "substance use.

A meta-analysis investigating the prevalence and moderators of migraines among people with bipolar disorder.

Background: Uncertainty exists regarding the prevalence and moderators of migraine comorbidity among people with bipolar disorder (BD). We conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression to investigate the prevalence and moderators of migraine among people with BD.

Method: Two authors independently searched major electronic databases from inception till 02/2015.

The Use of Technology in Participant Tracking and Study Retention: Lessons Learned From a Clinical Trials Network Study.

Background: The growing use of newer communication and Internet technologies, even among low-income and transient populations, require research staff to update their outreach strategies to ensure high follow-up and participant retention rates. This paper presents the views of research assistants on the use of cell phones and the Internet to track participants in a multisite randomized trial of substance use disorder treatment.

Methods: Preinterview questionnaires exploring tracking and other study-related activities were collected from 21 research staff across the 10 participating US sites.

Neurobehavioral and Developmental Traiectories Associated with Level of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure.

Introduction: In experimental models, prenatal cocaine exposure has been found to perturb GABA and dopamine development. Clinically, abnormalities in tone, posture and state regulation are noted in early infancy but the evolution of these findings over time is not well described. The current study assesses the longitudinal effects of prenatal cocaine exposure in dose-dependent fashion on developmental & behavioral and neurological trajectories over the first 2 years of life.

Abuse potential of intranasal buprenorphine versus buprenorphine/naloxone in buprenorphine-maintained heroin users.

In spite of the clinical utility of buprenorphine, parenteral abuse of this medication has been reported in several laboratory investigations and in the real world. Studies have demonstrated lower abuse liability of the buprenorphine/naloxone combination relative to buprenorphine alone. However, clinical research has not yet examined the utility of the combined formulation to deter intranasal use in a buprenorphine-maintained population.

The reinforcing and subjective effects of intravenous and intranasal buprenorphine in heroin users.

Abuse of buprenorphine (BUP) by the intravenous (IV) route has been documented in several studies, and reports of intranasal (IN) abuse are increasing. However, no studies have directly compared the effects of BUP when it is administered intranasally and intravenously. The present secondary analysis used data from two separate studies to compare the reinforcing and subjective effects of IV and IN buprenorphine.

Developing an eBook-Integrated High-Fidelity Mobile App Prototype for Promoting Child Motor Skills and Taxonomically Assessing Children's Emotional Responses Using Face and Sound Topology.

Developing gross and fine motor skills and expressing complex emotion is critical for child development. We introduce "StorySense", an eBook-integrated mobile app prototype that can sense face and sound topologies and identify movement and expression to promote children's motor skills and emotional developmental. Currently, most interactive eBooks on mobile devices only leverage "low-motor" interaction (i.

Marijuana's dose-dependent effects in daily marijuana smokers.

Active marijuana produces significant subjective, psychomotor, and physiological effects relative to inactive marijuana, yet demonstrating that these effects are dose-dependent has proven difficult. This within-subject, double-blind study was designed to develop a smoking procedure to obtain a marijuana dose-response function. In four outpatient laboratory sessions, daily marijuana smokers (N = 17 males, 1 female) smoked six 5-s puffs from 3 marijuana cigarettes (2 puffs/cigarette).

A review of human drug self-administration procedures.

Drug self-administration procedures in laboratory settings allow us to closely model drug-taking behavior in real-world settings. This review provides an overview of many of the common self-administration methods used in human laboratory research. Typically, self-administration studies provide a quantifiable measure of the reinforcing effect of a drug, which is believed to be predictive of its potential for abuse.

Polydrug abuse: a review of opioid and benzodiazepine combination use.

This paper reviews studies examining the pharmacological interactions and epidemiology of the combined use of opioids and benzodiazepines (BZDs). A search of English language publications from 1970 to 2012 was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO(®). Our search found approximately 200 articles appropriate for inclusion in this paper.

Cultural influences on antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-infected Puerto Ricans.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is integral to the successful treatment of HIV infection. Research has indicated that HIV-infected Latinos may have difficulty adhering to ART. While studies have demonstrated strong relationships between numerous psychosocial factors and ART adherence, no research has examined if cultural factors are also involved in ART adherence among Latinos.

Effects of repeated oxycodone administration on its analgesic and subjective effects in normal, healthy volunteers.

Tolerance to the analgesic effects of opioids has been demonstrated in laboratory animals after repeated drug administration; yet, this effect has been studied less frequently under controlled laboratory conditions in humans. This within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to determine whether tolerance developed to the analgesic, subjective, and physiological effects of the commonly prescribed opioid oxycodone when it was administered daily for 5 days. The effects of oxycodone (0, 5, and 20 mg/70 kg, orally) were compared, using a within-session cumulative dosing procedure, on the first and fifth days of the 'daily' dosing phase to assess for tolerance; active oxycodone was administered on the second and fourth days of the daily dosing phase.

Comparison of substance use milestones in cannabis- and cocaine-dependent patients.

Objectives: To compare the progression of substance use milestones between cocaine- and cannabis-dependent patients.

Methods: Using data gathered from two separate clinical studies for treatment of cocaine dependence and cannabis dependence, 130 cannabis-dependent and 112 cocaine-dependent individuals were compared on milestones related to their substance use.

Results: In cannabis- vs.

Linear and nonlinear prefrontal and parietal activity during multiple-item working memory.

Most parts of the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices show sustained activity during short-term maintenance of visual information and their activity increases with increasing memory set size. To investigate the interplay of feature selectivity, memory load and inter-item interaction (or interference) on sustained activity, we compared and contrasted fMRI signal during the retention of two items from the same or different visual feature categories (e.g.

Opioid antagonism enhances marijuana's effects in heavy marijuana smokers.

Rationale And Objective: Studies in laboratory animals strongly suggest reciprocal modulation of the opioidergic and endocannabinoid systems, a relationship that has not been demonstrated in humans. This study sought to clarify this interaction by assessing how a range of naltrexone doses altered the subjective, cognitive, and cardiovascular effects of marijuana.

Material And Methods: Daily marijuana smokers (n = 29) participated in this within-subject, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Development of a patient adherence scale for exposure and response prevention therapy.

Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is an evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For EX/RP to be maximally effective, it is believed that patients must adhere outside of sessions to the procedures they learn in therapy. To date, there is no standard measure of patient EX/RP adherence, despite the importance of accurately assessing EX/RP adherence in both clinical research and practice.

Breast feeding: A time to craft new policies.

New studies of breastfeeding have discovered or confirmed the benefits to mother and child. They reinforce an emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding - no other food or fluids - during the first 6 months. Studies include findings from across the world, in well-resourced and poorly resourced settings.

Comparison of subjective, pharmacokinetic, and physiological effects of marijuana smoked as joints and blunts.

Recent increases in marijuana smoking among the young adult population have been accompanied by the popularization of smoking marijuana as blunts instead of as joints. Blunts consist of marijuana wrapped in tobacco leaves, whereas joints consist of marijuana wrapped in cigarette paper. To date, the effects of marijuana smoked as joints and blunts have not been systematically compared.

Actions of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis: relation to use, abuse, dependence.

Cannabis use disorders have been recently identified as a relevant clinical issue: a subset of cannabis smokers seeks treatment for their cannabis use, yet few succeed in maintaining long-term abstinence. The rewarding and positive reinforcing effects of the primary psychoactive component of smoked cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are mediated by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. The CB1 receptor has also been shown to mediate cannabinoid dependence and expression of withdrawal upon cessation of drug administration, a phenomenon verified across species.

Development of and change in cognitive control: a comparison of children, young adults, and older adults.

Cognitive control involves adjustments in behavior to conflicting information, develops throughout childhood, and declines in aging. Accordingly, developmental and age-related changes in cognitive control and response-conflict detection were assessed in a response-compatibility task. We recorded performance measures, pre-response time (pre-RT) activity and medial frontal negativity (MFN)-sequentially occurring, putative event-related potential (ERP) indexes, respectively, of cognitive control and response-conflict detection.

Antipsychotics in early onset Schizophrenia: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: To develop an evidence base for using antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia in children and adolescents.

Method: Data sources were identified in PsychINFO (1872-2003), MEDLINE (1966-2003), and articles in reference lists. Study selection criteria: (1) treatment with antipsychotics; (2) ages were between 5 and 18 years; (3) sample diagnosed with schizophrenia; (4) prospective design; (5) rating instruments used.