Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Nov 2018
Cigarette smoking is associated with cortical thinning in anterior frontal regions, insula and regions showing atrophy in early Alzheimer's Disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging studies of cigarette smoking-related effects on human brain structure primarily focused on cortical volumes. Much less is known about the effects of smoking on cortical thickness. Smokers and Non-smokers were compared on regional cortical thickness. We predicted smokers would demonstrate greater age-related thinning localized to anterior frontal regions that serve as nodes for the executive, salience, and emotional regulation networks (ESER regions) and those demonstrating significant atrophy in early Alzheimer's Disease (AD regions). ⋯ This study provides additional evidence that cigarette smoking is associated with thinner cortices in regions implicated in the development and maintenance of substance use disorders and in regions demonstrating significant atrophy in early AD. The novel structure-function relationships in Smokers further our understanding of the neurobiological substrates potentially underlying the neuropsychological abnormalities documented in smokers.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Nov 2018
Harm perceptions of electronic cigarettes and nicotine: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey of young people in Great Britain.
E-cigarettes often contain nicotine without the most harmful constituents of tobacco smoke. ⋯ Many young people have inaccurate harm perceptions of e-cigarettes and nicotine. Accurate e-cigarette and nicotine harm perceptions were associated with one another. E-cigarette use was associated with accurate e-cigarette but not nicotine harm perceptions; smoking was not associated with either.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Nov 2018
Comparative StudyThe G-protein biased mu-opioid agonist, TRV130, produces reinforcing and antinociceptive effects that are comparable to oxycodone in rats.
Mu-opioid agonists (e.g., oxycodone) are highly effective therapeutics for pain. However, they also produce reinforcing effects that increase their likelihood of abuse. Recent strategies in drug development have focused on opioids with biased receptor-signaling profiles that favor activation of specific intracellular pathways over others with the aim of increasing therapeutic selectivity. ⋯ For the Hot-Plate test, male rats (n = 7) received subcutaneous injections of TRV130 (0.1-3.2 mg/kg/inj) or oxycodone (0.1-5.6 mg/kg/inj), and nociceptive response latencies were measured. TRV130 and oxycodone were equi-potent and equi-effective in self-administration and thermal antinociception. This study demonstrates that TRV130 produces reinforcing and antinociceptive effects that are quantitatively similar to oxycodone, and that a biased-signaling profile does not necessarily reduce abuse potential.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Multicenter Study Observational StudyDuration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care.
Although nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) is a public health problem, few studies have examined the new-onset NMUPO in clinical populations. We estimated NMUPO incidence among veterans in medical care who had received prescription opioid medication and examined correlates of new-onset NMUPO. ⋯ Duration of prescription opioid receipt is a risk factor for incident NMUPO among veterans receiving medical care. Providers who prescribe opioids should monitor for NMUPO, especially among those with a longer duration of opioid therapy.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Prospective predictors of flavored e-cigarette use: A one-year longitudinal study of young adults in the U.S.
E-cigarettes with fruit and candy flavors are appealing among young adults. This study examined the prospective predictors of young adults' flavored e-cigarette use to inform regulation and prevention efforts. ⋯ This study highlights high rates of NTM flavor use and specific predictors of NTM flavored e-cigarettes use among young adults in the U.S. Regulation and prevention efforts for curbing flavored e-cigarette use among young adults should focus on these risk factors and high-risk groups (e.g., 18-24 years, female, and never cigarette smokers).