Steep Discounting of Future Rewards as an Impulsivity Phenotype: A Concise Review.

This chapter provides an overview over the behavioral economic index of impulsivity known as delay discounting. Specifically, delay discounting refers to an individual's preference for smaller immediate rewards over a larger delayed rewards. The more precipitously an individual discounts future rewards, the more impulsive they are considered to be.

Refining the marijuana purchase task: Using qualitative methods to inform measure development.

Behavioral economic demand for cannabis (i.e., relative reinforcing value) can be measured via marijuana purchase tasks (MPTs).

Cannabis use, cognitive performance, and symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in community adults.

There is some evidence that cannabis use is associated with lower cognitive performance and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the existing literature is relatively inconsistent, potentially due to small samples in previous studies. Using a dimensional design, the current study examined cannabis use severity and age of first cannabis use in relation to neurocognitive performance and ADHD symptoms in a large sample of community adults ( = 1,008, = 38.49, 56.

Recent cannabis use is associated with smaller hippocampus volume: High-resolution segmentation of structural subfields in a large non-clinical sample.

There is mixed evidence that individuals who use cannabis have reduced hippocampal and amygdalar gray matter volume, potentially because of small sample sizes and imprecise morphological characterization. New automated segmentation procedures have improved the measurement of these structures and allow better examination of their subfields, which have been linked to distinct aspects of memory and emotion. The current study applies this new segmentation procedure to the Human Connectome Project Young Adult dataset (N = 1080) to investigate associations of cannabis use with gray matter volume in the hippocampus and amygdala.

Spiritual experiences are related to engagement of a ventral frontotemporal functional brain network: Implications for prevention and treatment of behavioral and substance addictions.

Background And Aims: Spirituality is an important component of 12-step programs for behavioral and substance addictions and has been linked to recovery processes. Understanding the neural correlates of spiritual experiences may help to promote efforts to enhance recovery processes in behavioral addictions. We recently used general linear model (GLM) analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging data to examine neural correlates of spiritual experiences, with findings implicating cortical and subcortical brain regions.

Common neurobiological and psychological underpinnings of gambling and substance-use disorders.

Both psychological and neurobiological studies in gambling disorder have increased in the past 10-15 years. This review examines the current state of the literature, with a focus on recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in gambling disorder. The review compares and contrasts findings across gambling and substance-use disorders.

Deficits in executive function and suppression of default mode network in obesity.

Background: Although nutritional and metabolic factors are well established in obesity, neurocognitive determinants are less understood. Using data from the Human Connectome Project, this study concurrently investigated neurocognitive performance, neural activation during a working memory task, and cortical brain morphometry in relation to obesity in a group of young adults, 22-35 years old.

Methods: Using a case-control design, obese individuals (n = 243, body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m) were compared to a control group of lean BMI individuals (n = 469, BMI = 18-24.

Association between impulsivity traits and body mass index at the observational and genetic epidemiology level.

We investigated the association between impulsivity related traits and BMI at the observational and genetic epidemiology level in a cross-sectional population of healthy young American-European adults. We studied 998 students and university staff of European ancestry recruited from Chicago (Illinois) and Athens (Georgia). We measured 14 impulsivity variables using three broad categories: impulsive choice, action and personality.

Brief interventions for cannabis use in emerging adults: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence map.

Purpose: This systematic review summarizes and critically appraises the existing literature on brief interventions (BIs) for cannabis use among emerging adults.

Methods: Eligible BIs were operationalized as 1-2 sessions focused exclusively on cannabis use for samples with mean ages between 15 and 30. Outcomes related to cannabis use, other substance use, mental health, help-seeking, or functional status were included.

Translating knowledge into action to prevent pediatric and adolescent diabesity: a meeting report.

Background: The obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) rates are at an all-time high globally. This diabesity epidemic is increasingly impacting children and adolescents, and there is scarce evidence of interventions with favourable long-term outcomes.

Purpose: In order to understand the determinants of diabesity and how to address them, multiple stakeholders were invited to a meeting to discuss current state of knowledge and to help design a program to prevent pediatric and adolescent diabesity.

The role of cannabis in treating anxiety: an update.

Purpose Of Review: Cannabis use for medical purposes has become increasingly common, including as treatment for mental health disorders such as anxiety. Unfortunately, the evidence examining its use in mental health has been slow to evolve, but is emerging. Given the widespread use of cannabis, it is important for both clinicians and those who suffer with anxiety to understand the effects of cannabis on symptoms of anxiety.

Experimental manipulations of behavioral economic demand for addictive commodities: a meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Reinforcing value, an index of motivation for a drug, is commonly measured using behavioral economic purchase tasks. State-oriented purchase tasks are sensitive to phasic manipulations, but with heterogeneous methods and findings. The aim of this meta-analysis was to characterize the literature examining manipulations of reinforcing value, as measured by purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures, to inform etiological models and treatment approaches METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis of published findings in peer-reviewed articles.

Discounting of delayed monetary and cannabis rewards in a crowdsourced sample of adults.

Excessive delayed reward discounting (DD) is observed across many addictive disorders. However, research on DD among cannabis users is limited, with even less research on discounting of cannabis rewards. This study examined monetary and cannabis reward discounting among cannabis and noncannabis users.

Characterizing the reinforcing value of tobacco using a cigarette purchase task: An item response theory approach.

The Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT) affords a high-resolution index of the reinforcing efficacy of nicotine. Although a high number and steep progression of prices have traditionally been used, attention is now placed on developing brief measures of this task. This study sought to assess the psychometric properties of a brief CPT for assessing cigarette demand in treatment-seeking smokers with and without depressive symptoms.

Predictors of aging out of heavy episodic drinking in emerging adults: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) refers to alcohol consumption that exceeds the recommended threshold for a given episode and increases risk for diverse negative alcohol-related consequences. A pattern of weekly HED is most prevalent in emerging adults (i.e.

Delay Discounting as a Transdiagnostic Process in Psychiatric Disorders: A Meta-analysis.

Importance: Delay discounting is a behavioral economic index of impulsive preferences for smaller-immediate or larger-delayed rewards that is argued to be a transdiagnostic process across health conditions. Studies suggest some psychiatric disorders are associated with differences in discounting compared with controls, but null findings have also been reported.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of the published literature on delay discounting in people with psychiatric disorders.

Effects of Estradiol Therapy on Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Transgender Women After Gender-Affirming Related Gonadectomy.

An extreme incongruence between sex and gender identity leads individuals with gender dysphoria (GD) to seek cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT), and gender-affirming surgery (GAS). Although few studies have investigated the effects of CSHT on the brain prior to GAS, no studies in the extant literature have evaluated its impact during hypogonadism in post-GAS individuals. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of estradiol on resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and basal ganglia following surgical hypogonadism.

Associations Between Drinking and Cortical Thickness in Younger Adult Drinkers: Findings From the Human Connectome Project.

Background: Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical thickness have revealed that increased drinking quantity and alcohol-related problems are associated with thinner cortex. Although conflicting regional effects are often observed, associations are generally localized to frontal regions (e.g.

Effects of 12-step mutual support and professional outpatient services on short-term substance use outcomes among adults who received inpatient treatment.

Background: Continuing care is increasingly prioritized in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). Ongoing engagement in continuing care, including mutual support (e.g.

Gambling disorder.

Gambling disorder is characterized by a persistent, recurrent pattern of gambling that is associated with substantial distress or impairment. The prevalence of gambling disorder has been estimated at 0.5% of the adult population in the United States, with comparable or slightly higher estimates in other countries.

Alcohol demand moderates brief motivational intervention outcomes in underage young adult drinkers.

Introduction: The Alcohol Purchase Task (APT), a behavioral economic measure of alcohol's reinforcing value (demand), has been used to predict the effects of Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) on alcohol use outcomes. However, it is not known whether BMI may be more or less efficacious, relative to control, among those with different levels of alcohol demand prior to treatment.

Methods: Non college-attending young adults (N = 150) reporting past-month heavy drinking were randomized to a single in-person session of BMI or a relaxation training control (REL).

Behavioral economic tobacco demand in relation to cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence: a meta-analysis of cross-sectional relationships.

Background And Aims: A cigarette purchase task (CPT) aims to characterize individual variation in the reinforcing value of tobacco. This meta-analysis estimated the associations between cigarette demand, tobacco consumption and nicotine dependence using this task.

Design: A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies identified by PubMed and PsycINFO databases was conducted.