Psychopharmacology
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Pupillometry can be used to characterize autonomic drug effects. ⋯ The MDMA-induced prolongation of the latency to and reduction of light-induced miosis indicate indirect central parasympathetic inhibition, and the faster recovery time reflects an increased sympathomimetic action. Both norepinephrine and serotonin mediate the effects of MDMA on pupillary function. Although mydriasis is lasting and mirrors the plasma concentration-time curve of MDMA, the impairment in the reaction to light is associated with the subjective and other autonomic effects of MDMA and exhibits acute tolerance.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Detecting impairment associated with cannabis with and without alcohol on the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.
Cannabis and alcohol are the most popular drugs amongst recreational users and most prevalent in injured and deceased drivers. The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST) are commonly used to establish impairment due to drugs and alcohol, but limited empirical evidence exists concerning the combined effects of these drugs on SFST performance. ⋯ The current results highlight the limited ability of the SFST to identify drug consumption in the absence of any evidence of driving impairment or physiological indicators.
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Alterations in cost-benefit decision making accompany numerous neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction. Central cholinergic systems have been linked to the etiology and/or treatment of many of these conditions, but little is known about the role of cholinergic signaling in cost-benefit decision making. ⋯ These data suggest that cholinergic receptors play multiple roles in decision making contexts which include consideration of reward delay or probability. These roles should be considered when targeting these receptors for therapeutic purposes.
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Comparative Study
Attenuation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis by curcumin prevents cognitive deficits in rats postnatally exposed to ethanol.
Clinical and experimental evidence have demonstrated that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can disrupt brain development, leading to a variety of behavioral alterations including hyperactivity, motor dysfunction, and cognitive deficits in offsprings. Alcohol-induced neurocognitive deficits are associated with activation of oxidative-inflammatory cascade coupled with extensive apoptotic neurodegeneration in different brain regions. ⋯ The current study demonstrates the possible involvement of oxidative-inflammatory cascade-mediated apoptotic signaling in cognitive deficits associated with postnatal ethanol exposure and points towards the neuroprotective potential of curcumin in mitigating alcohol-induced behavioral, biochemical, and molecular deficits.