Addictive behaviors
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe impact of pre-cessation varenicline on behavioral economic indices of smoking reinforcement.
Varenicline was developed to aid smoking cessation by reducing smoking reinforcement. The present study tests this reinforcement-reduction hypothesis among smokers preparing to quit. ⋯ Simulated smoking demand can be validly assessed in the natural environment of treatment-seeking smokers. Simulated demand indices of smoking reinforcement diminished as smokers approached their target quit date. However, there was no evidence that varenicline facilitated these changes over a three-week period, leaving open the mechanisms by which varenicline reduces smoking rate prior to cessation and improves long-term abstinence.
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2014
Sleep disturbances and pain among individuals with prescription opioid dependence.
Poor sleep quality has been observed in individuals with substance use disorders and is often a trigger for relapse. To date, little research has investigated sleep quality among individuals with prescription opioid (PO) dependence. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining subjective and objective sleep disturbances among PO dependent individuals. ⋯ Results indicate high rates of sleep impairment and poor sleep quality among PO dependent individuals. Pain severity was significantly correlated with sleep quality. Although preliminary, the findings highlight the importance of assessing and treating sleep disturbances, as well as pain, among patients with PO dependence.
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2014
Positive posttraumatic stress disorder screens among first-time medical cannabis patients: prevalence and association with other substance use.
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation allowing for the use of medical cannabis for those individuals with qualifying medical conditions, which include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a growing number of states. Little information is available regarding PTSD among medical cannabis patients. This study seeks to provide initial data on this topic by examining the prevalence and correlates of positive PTSD screens among a sample of patients seeking medical cannabis certification for the first time (n=186). ⋯ Moreover, the group that screened positive for PTSD had higher percentages of lifetime prescription opioid, cocaine, prescription sedative, and street opioid use, as well as a higher percentage of recent prescription sedative use, than the group that screened negative for PTSD. These findings highlight the relatively common use of other substances among medical cannabis patients with significant PTSD symptoms, even when compared with other patients seeking medical cannabis for the first time. As a growing number of states include PTSD among the list of qualifying medical conditions for medical cannabis, additional research is needed to better characterize the longitudinal relationship between medical cannabis use and PTSD symptoms.