Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2012
Reductions in convictions for violent crime during opioid maintenance treatment: a longitudinal national cohort study.
Although opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) has been found to reduce crime, less is known about its associations with violent crime. This study investigates changes in violent crime convictions prior to, during, and after OMT, and examines the relationship between violent crime convictions prior to OMT with the risk of violent and non-violent crime convictions during treatment. ⋯ Violent crime is reduced during OMT. Screening for violent behaviour and violence risk assessment should be implemented in the treatment system.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2012
Development of the caffeine withdrawal symptom questionnaire: caffeine withdrawal symptoms cluster into 7 factors.
Habitual caffeine consumers who abstain from caffeine experience withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and flu-like symptoms (Juliano and Griffiths, 2004). The caffeine withdrawal syndrome has been documented across many experimental studies; however, little is known about how withdrawal symptoms co-vary during a discrete episode. Furthermore, a validated measure of caffeine withdrawal is lacking. ⋯ Future directions include replication, assessment on a clinical population, and further examination of psychometric properties of the CWSQ. The CWSQ should facilitate the assessment and diagnosis of caffeine withdrawal and increase our knowledge of the caffeine withdrawal syndrome.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2012
Impulsivity differences in recreational cannabis users and binge drinkers in a university population.
Recreational cannabis use and alcohol binge drinking are the most common drug consumption patterns in young adults. Impulsivity and several psychopathological signs are increased in chronic drug users, but the implications of recreational use are still poorly understood. ⋯ Our observations of this population of non-dependent drug users are consistent with the increased impulsivity traits and behaviors that have been described previously in chronic drug abusers. In this study, compared to no drug use, the recreational use of cannabis was associated with a major dysfunction of the different facets of impulsive behaviors. However, alcohol binge drinking was related only to impulsive decision-making. These results suggest that impulsivity traits and behaviors are present not only in chronic drug abusers but also in recreational drug users. Future work should continue to investigate the long-term effects of these common consumption patterns on various impulsive behaviors and psychopathological symptoms.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jul 2012
Prevalence and trends of benzodiazepine use among Veterans Affairs patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, 2003-2010.
Although the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) clinical guidelines for management of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recommend against routine benzodiazepine use, little is known about the trends and clinical and prescription profiles of benzodiazepine use since these guidelines were released in 2004. ⋯ Despite VA/DoD clinical guidelines recommending against routine use of benzodiazepines for PTSD, the adjusted prevalence of long-term use increased among men and women with PTSD in VISN 20. Widespread concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids suggests risk management systems and research on the efficacy and safety of these medications are needed.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jun 2012
Review Meta AnalysisEthnic-specific meta-analyses of association between the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism and alcohol dependence among Asians and Caucasians.
Many studies have investigated the association between the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism (rs1799971) and alcohol dependence, but the results were inconsistent. To better understand this relationship, ethnicity-specific meta-analyses were conducted. ⋯ The OPRM1 A118G polymorphism may contribute to the susceptibility of alcohol dependence in Asians but not in Caucasians.