Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2016
Interrelationships between marijuana demand and discounting of delayed rewards: Convergence in behavioral economic methods.
Distinct behavioral economic domains, including high perceived drug value (demand) and delay discounting (DD), have been implicated in the initiation of drug use and the progression to dependence. However, it is unclear whether frequent marijuana users conform to a "reinforcer pathology" addiction model wherein marijuana demand and DD jointly increase risk for problematic marijuana use and cannabis dependence (CD). ⋯ These findings suggest that frequent marijuana users exhibit key constituents of the reinforcer pathology model: high marijuana demand and steep discounting of delayed rewards. However, demand and DD appear to be independent rather than synergistic risk factors for elevated marijuana use and risk for progression to CD. Findings also provide support for using AUC as a singular marijuana demand metric, particularly when also examining other behavioral economic constructs that apply similar statistical approaches, such as DD, to support analytic methodological convergence.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2016
The relationships of childhood trauma and adulthood prescription pain reliever misuse and injection drug use.
We examined associations between childhood trauma and adulthood prescription pain reliever misuse (PPRM) and injection drug use (IDU) in a nationally-representative U.S. sample to further understanding of factors associated with these epidemics. ⋯ Associations between childhood trauma and PPRM/IDU highlight the need for trauma-informed interventions for drug users and early trauma screening and treatment for prevention of drug misuse over the life course.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2016
Initiation into prescription opioid injection and associated trends in heroin use among people who use illicit drugs.
Prescription opioid (PO) injection among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) is an ongoing concern, yet little is known about drug use trajectories associated with initiating PO injection, including potential associations with heroin use. This study aimed to identify predictors of PO injection initiation among PWUD, and examine trends in heroin use before and after initiating PO injection. ⋯ In this study, heroin use and non-injection PO use strongly predicted PO injection initiation. Those who initiated PO injecting had elevated heroin use patterns post-initiation compared to controls. These findings suggest that transitioning to PO injection does not appear to be a substitute for heroin use among PWUD. These findings highlight the importance of addressing PO injection in harm reduction and treatment settings.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2016
Delay discounting in opioid use disorder: Differences between heroin and prescription opioid users.
Among those with opioid use disorder, heroin use is associated with poorer prognosis relative to use of prescription opioids alone. However, relatively little is known about distinguishing features between those who use heroin relative to those who use prescription opioids. In the present study we evaluated differences in delay discounting in those with opioid use disorder based on primary opioid of use. Delay discounting is associated with a range of negative outcomes and is an important therapeutic target in this population. ⋯ Adults with opioid dependence who exclusively used prescription opioids had lower delay discounting relative to those who used heroin. This finding contributes further to the literature suggesting that heroin use is associated with greater clinical severity among those with opioid use disorder.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2016
Prevalence and correlates of "Vaping" as a route of cannabis administration in medical cannabis patients.
To examine the prevalence and correlates of vaporization (i.e., "vaping") as a route of cannabis administration in a sample of medical cannabis patients. ⋯ highlight the importance of monitoring trends in vaping and other substance use behaviors in this population and underscore the need for longitudinal research into the motives, correlates, and consequences of cannabis vaping in medical cannabis patients.