Psychopharmacology
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Clinical Trial
The moderating effect of anxiety sensitivity on caffeine-induced hypoalgesia in healthy women.
Caffeine is an analgesic adjuvant, but also has panicogenic properties. Anxiety sensitivity is a trait vulnerability factor related to negative responses to pain, and is known to moderate negative psychological responses to caffeine. ⋯ These results suggest that the analgesic effects of caffeine may depend on anxiety sensitivity status, and that the fear of bodily sensations should be considered in pain management programmes.
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The dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG) has been implicated in the modulation of defensive behavior. Electrical stimulation of this structure can be used as an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned fear reaction expressed by freezing, antinociception, and autonomic responses. ⋯ (1) Conditioned freezing and antinociception are modulated by benzodiazepine mechanisms into dPAG. (2) 5-HT(2) receptors seem to regulate conditioned freezing behavior. However, conditioned antinociception was not affected by 13 nmol naltrexone. (3) Opioid mechanisms do not seem to be involved in the conditioned responses using electrical stimulation of the dPAG as unconditioned stimulus. Further studies with other opioid and 5-HT(2) receptor antagonists are still needed to confirm the conclusions drawn from the present work.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
St John's wort extract (LI 160) in somatoform disorders: results of a placebo-controlled trial.
Preliminary data have shown that St John's wort might possess some specific efficacy in patients with somatoform complaints. Therefore, the efficacy of the Hypericum extract LI 160 in patients with somatoform disorders should be studied in a double-blind placebo-controlled fashion. ⋯ The data from this trial show excellent efficacy and tolerability for LI 160 in somatoform disorders. The efficacy is independent of an existing depressive mood. This is the first study showing the efficacy of a drug in patients with somatisation disorder independent of depressive symptomatology.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Smokers deprived of cigarettes for 72 h: effect of nicotine patches on craving and withdrawal.
Research on the effects of nicotine abstinence and nicotine replacement has not provided consistent information about the impact of replacement therapies on tobacco withdrawal and craving. ⋯ The data suggested that craving and withdrawal symptoms may be sustained by different physiological pathways, and that only selected components of cigarette craving are influenced by NRT.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Cognitive and subjective dose-response effects of acute oral Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in infrequent cannabis users.
Although some aspects of memory functions are known to be acutely impaired by delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta(9)-THC; the main active constituent of marijuana), effects on other aspects of memory are not known and the time course of functional impairments is unclear. ⋯ These data demonstrate that oral delta(9)-THC impairs episodic memory and learning in a dose-dependent manner whilst sparing perceptual priming and working memory.