Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialThe impact of long-term maintenance treatment with buprenorphine on complex psychomotor and cognitive function.
Despite the fact that buprenorphine is effective, well tolerated and due to its pharmacological profile a very safe drug, the impact of long-term buprenorphine substitution therapy on complex psychomotor and cognitive function predicting driving ability is not yet clear. Therefore, a prospective comparison between patients receiving sublingual buprenorphine and a control group of untreated, healthy volunteers was performed. ⋯ Patients receiving a stable dose of sublingual buprenorphine showed no significant impairment of complex psychomotor or cognitive performance as compared to healthy controls. However intake of illicit drugs as well as the lack of social reliability are major problems in this specific patients group. Despite of the absence of a relevant impact of the drug on driving ability, those patients do not seem to be qualified for getting their driving license.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2011
Prevalence of alcohol and other substances of abuse among injured patients in a Norwegian emergency department.
Studies have found a high prevalence of both alcohol and other impairing psychoactive drugs in injured patient populations. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of potentially impairing psychoactive substances in all patients admitted to a hospital emergency department with injuries from accidents, assault or deliberate self harm. ⋯ Psychoactive substances were found in nearly half the patients admitted with injuries. The most common substance was alcohol. Alcohol was particularly related to violence, whereas medicinal drugs were most prevalent in accidents at home.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2011
Alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms over time: a longitudinal study of patients with and without HIV infection.
The impact of alcohol consumption on depressive symptoms over time among patients who do not meet criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence is not known. ⋯ HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected hazardous and binge drinkers have depressive symptoms that are more severe than non-hazardous and non-drinkers and similar to those with alcohol abuse or dependence. Patients who switch to a higher or lower level of drinking experience a similar alteration in their depressive symptoms. Interventions to decrease unhealthy alcohol consumption may improve depressive symptoms.
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Aroma, Spice, K2 and Dream are examples of a class of new and increasingly popular recreational drugs. Ostensibly branded "herbal incense", they have been intentionally adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids such as JWH-018 in order to confer on them cannabimimetic psychoactive properties while circumventing drug legislation. JWH-018 is a potent cannabinoid receptor agonist. Little is known about its pharmacology and toxicology in humans. This is the first research considering the effects of JWH-018 on a psychiatric population and exploring the relationship between JWH-018 and psychotic symptoms. ⋯ It seems likely that JWH-018 can precipitate psychosis in vulnerable individuals. People with risk factors for psychosis should be counseled against using synthetic cannabinoids.