Addiction
04 Mar Herbal Cannabis Not Proven Effective For Rheumatic Diseases
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mary-Ann Fitzcharles, MB, ChB, MRCP(UK), FRCP(C)
McGill University Health Centre
Division of Rheumatology and Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit
MedicalResearch.com: What are the highlights of your review?
Dr. Fitzcharles: Thank you for your interest in the review article which will shortly be published in Arthritis Care & Research. This was not a research study but rather a review focused towards the use of herbal cannabis for patients with rheumatic diseases.
The essence of our message after a thorough review of the literature is that there is not a single study published regarding efficacy or side effects of herbal cannabis in the rheumatic diseases. It is notable that almost 2 thirds of persons using herbal cannabis for therapeutic reasons report use for musculoskeletal complaints. In the 21st century, we cannot rely upon heresay or anecdote to justify use of a treatment intervention. It is unacceptable to recommend use of a substance without knowledge of concentration of molecules in the product, any knowledge of blood concentrations that might have a positive or negative effect, and formal study in defined patient populations with acceptable endpoint criteria and evidence for short and long term risks.
18 Feb Alcohol Toxic to Placenta During Pregnancy
MedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Sylvia Lui Tommy’s Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre The University of Manchester MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The research shows women who drink alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta – the organ responsible for supplying everything that a developing infant needs until birth14 Feb Gene Modifies Response to Topiramate in Heavy Drinkers
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Henry R. Kranzler, MD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director of the Center for Studies of Addiction.
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Kranzler: The study had two main findings:
- First, topiramate, at a maximal dosage of 200 mg/day, which is lower than the 300 mg/day used in prior treatment trials, substantially reduced the frequency of heavy drinking and increased the frequency of abstinent days more than placebo. The lower dosage was well tolerated.
- Second, a variant in a gene that encodes a receptor subunit that binds topiramate moderated the response to topiramate. That is, C-allele homozygotes in the single nucleotide polymorphism rs2832407 in GRIK1, the gene encoding the GluK1 subunit of the kainate receptor, were the subgroup that accounted for the effects of topiramate on heavy drinking. This has important implications for the personalized treatment of alcohol use disorder, in that 40% of people of European ancestry have this genotype and, if confirmed, these findings would make it possible to screen people genetically to select an effective treatment.
13 Feb Tobacco Appeal Would Be Reduced By Standarized Packaging
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Jenny L Hatchard
University of Bath and UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Hatchard: Our study found that global tobacco companies’ claims that standardised packaging ‘won’t work’ should be viewed sceptically.
The aim of standardised packaging, with no logos, brand imagery, symbols, or promotional text, is to restrict the already limited opportunities that tobacco companies have to market their products, and deter people from starting smoking. It was introduced in Australia in 2012 and the UK Government is currently considering following suit.
We analysed the evidence cited by four global tobacco companies in their lengthy responses (1521 pages in total) to a recent UK Government consultation on standardised packaging for cigarettes.
10 Feb Raising Alcohol Price Might Reduce Some Health Inequalities
MedicalResearch.com with:
Dr John Holmes PhD, MA, BA (Hons) (York)
Section of Public Health, ScHARR,
University of Sheffield,
Sheffield S1 4DA, UK
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Holmes: The study aimed to examine which groups in society would be affected by a 45p minimum unit price for alcohol. This was in response to concerns expressed by, among others, the UK Government that the policy may not tackle harmful drinking and may penalise responsible drinkers.
We found no support for these concerns. As the policy targets the cheap alcohol which is disproportionately purchased by those drinking at harmful levels, the effects are mainly felt by those at greatest risk of suffering harm from their drinking. On the other hand, moderate drinkers, including those on low incomes, buy very little of this cheap alcohol so are relatively unaffected.
03 Feb Epidemic of Cannabis Related Drugged Driving Fatalities
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Joanne E. Brady SM
Senior Staff Associate
Department of Anesthesiology
Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY 10032
Department of Epidemiology,
Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: The prevalence of non-alcohol drugs detected in fatally injured drivers in the U.S. increased from 17% in 1999 to 28% in 2010. The increases are largely driven by the tripling in the prevalence of cannabis.
21 Jan Cannabis Withdrawal: Nabiximols as an Agonist Replacement Therapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
David J. Allsop, PhD
National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine
Now with the School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Allsop: We found that administering a botanical preparation of the cannabinoids Tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC - the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) and Cannabidiol (a lesser known component of the cannabis plant that
counteracts the psychotogenic effects of THC with anxiolytic properties) to
dependent cannabis smokers during initial abstinence from cannabis
substantially dampened their withdrawal experience. In essence this is akin
to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) but for cannabis users. It might seem
obvious - sure you give cannabis users a cannabis preparation and they find
it easier to quit - but this is important because it has never been done
before - and we currently have no consensus evidence based medicines to
offer cannabis users who ask for help.
17 Jan Low Daily Alcohol Consumption Associated with Longer Survival
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Andrea Bellavia MSc
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden
Dr. Montgomery: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We evaluated for 15 years a cohort of Swedish men and women and observed, after taking into account various socio-demographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors, that a low daily consumption of alcoholic beverages is tied with longer survival.
16 Jan Heavy Alcohol Consumption Bad for the Aging Brain
Posted at 13:49h
in Alcohol
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Séverine Sabia, PhD
Epidemiology & Public Health, Div of Population Health
University College London - Gower Street - London
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Sabia: The present study shows a detrimental effect of heavy alcohol consumption on cognitive ageing, and the effects are seen as early as 55 years old.
16 Jan Alcohol Still Sold to Obviously Drunk Patrons
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Karen Hughes
Professor in Behavioural Epidemiology
Centre for Public Health
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool L3 2ET
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We used trained actors to test whether servers in pubs, bars and nightclubs would sell alcohol to people showing signs of extreme intoxication, despite this being illegal in the UK. In over four fifths (83.6%) of purchase attempts, bar servers sold alcohol to the pseudo-drunk actors – even though many clearly identified the actors as being drunk. We also collected data on bar environments, looking specifically at ten factors that have been associated with alcohol-related harm in previous studies: low levels of seating, loud noise, crowding, poor lighting, dirtiness, cheap drink promotions, young bar staff, young customers, rowdiness, and customer drunkenness. We found that the more of these characteristics bars had, the more likely they were to sell alcohol to drunks, with 100% of bars with 8 or more of these characteristics serving the pseudo-drunk actors. However, even in bars with none of these characteristics, two thirds of purchase attempts resulted in an alcohol sale. Having security staff managing entrance to the premises was also associated with alcohol service; possibly suggesting that bar servers in premises with door staff believe responsibility for vetting customers lies with such staff.
10 Jan Severe Psychotic Disorders and Substance Use Patterns
 MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sarah M. Hartz, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study?
Dr. Hartz: This is the first large-scale study to comprehensively evaluate substance use in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illness.We found that people with severe mental illness have rates of smoking, alcohol use, and other substance use that are 3 to 5 times higher than people in the general population.
|
16 Dec Cannabis: Heavy Use Associated with Working Memory Deficits
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Matthew J. Smith PhD Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive, 13th Floor, Abbott Hall, Chicago, IL 60611 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Smith: We observed that the shapes of brain structures involved in a working memory brain circuit seemed to collapse inward in a similar fashion among both of the groups that had a history of daily cannabis use. These cannabis-related changes in shape were directly related to the participants’ poor performance on working memory tasks. Some of the shape abnormalities were more severe in the group with schizophrenia and the history of daily cannabis use. We also found that participants with an earlier age of daily cannabis use had more abnormal brain shapes.22 Nov Ischemic Stroke after Synthetic Marijuana Use
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
W. Scott Burgin, MD
Professor and Chief, Cerebrovascular Division
Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center
Department of Neurology
USF College of Medicine
Tampa General Hospital Stroke Center.
MedicalResearch.com What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Burgin: Two cases of stroke, of embolic appearance, shortly after smoking synthetic marijuana.
02 Oct Opiod Use after Bariatric Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Marsha A. Raebel, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP
Investigator in Pharmacotherapy
Institute for Health Research
10065 E. Harvard Ave Suite 300
Denver, CO 80231.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: We found that in a group of patients who took chronic opioids for non-cancer pain and who underwent bariatric surgery there was greater chronic use of opioids after surgery compared with before surgery, findings that suggest the need for proactive management of chronic pain in these patients after surgery.
25 Sep Cocaine: Brain Reward Circuitry Altered, even in Former Users
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Krishna Patel, M.S. Clinical Data Analyst Hartford Hospital|Institute of Living Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center Hartford, CT-06106 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We looked at brain response to a monetary incentive delay (MID) task in current and former cocaine users compared to healthy controls using functional MRI. The task measures aspects of sensitivity to rewards and punishments. Current cocaine users showed abnormal under-activation in reward circuitry compared to healthy controls. In some of those regions former cocaine users (who had an average of 4years of abstinence from cocaine) also showed abnormalities. These former users also showed over-activation in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain, (an important region containing dopamine cell bodies) compared to both healthy controls and current cocaine users. Current and former cocaine users also scored higher on specific impulsivity measures, compared to healthy controls.19 Sep Addiction: Does Chronic Care Management Improve Outcomes?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Richard Saitz, MD MPH
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health
Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Saitz: Chronic care management in primary care did not improve health outcomes (abstinence from cocaine, opioids or heavy drinking; or any other clinical outcomes, like addiction consequences, emergency or hospital use, health-related quality of life, addiction severity) for people with alcohol or other drug dependence.
13 Sep Child Care Settings: Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndromes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Svetlana Popova, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Social and Epidemiological Research,
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology Division
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Assistant Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Graduate Faculty Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
CAMH, 33 Russell Street, Room # T507
Toronto Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Popova: We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of internationally published and unpublished studies that reported the prevalence of FAS and/or FASD in all types of child care systems (e.g., orphanage, foster care, boarding school, adoption centre, or child welfare system).
The primary objective was to estimate a pooled (combined) prevalence for FAS and FASD in various child care systems using data from existing studies that used an Active Case Ascertainment method (when researchers/clinicians actively seek and diagnose FASD cases). The available data was analyzed by using a standard statistical technique (called meta-analysis).
This study revealed that the vast majority of existing studies report that the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the various child-care settings in the different countries is extremely high.
Our analysis of these studies demonstrated that the pooled prevalence of FAS in child care settings (6%) was found to be approximately 9-30 times higher than the prevalence of FAS in the general population of North America, which is reported to range from 2 to 7 cases per 1,000 individuals in the USA and 1 per 1,000 in Canada. Thus, children in care represent a high-risk population for FASD.
11 Sep Methamphetamine: Research Aims to Disrupt Drug-Associated Memories
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Courtney A. Miller, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Metabolism & Aging
Department of Neuroscience
The Scripps Research Institute
Jupiter, FL 33458
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Miller: The relapse rate for drug abusers, smokers and alcoholics is high because abstinence is so difficult. A major factor is the craving that drug associations can trigger. These range from seeing the neighborhood where someone used to buy, in the case of illicit drugs, to social drinking for a smoker. We’ve found a way to disrupt these drug-associated memories without affecting other, more benign memories.
30 Aug Breast Cancer Risk: Increased by Pre- First Pregnancy Alcohol Intake
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ying Liu, MD, PhD Instructor, Division of Public Health Sciences Department of Surgery Washington University School of Medicine 660 South Euclid Ave Campus Box 8100 St. Louis, MO 63110 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Alcohol intake between menarche (first menstrual period) and first pregnancy was consistently associated with increased risks of breast cancer and proliferative benign breast disease. For every 10 gram/day alcohol intake (approximately a drink a day) during this specific time period, the risk for breast cancer increased by 11% and the risk for proliferative benign breast disease increased by 16%.14 Aug Young-Onset Dementia in Men: Alcohol Association
Posted at 00:44h
in Alcohol, Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, JAMA, Mental Health Research
MedicalResearch.com: Interview with Peter Nordström Ph.D
Umeå University in Sweden
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: I would say that the main finding of our study is the nine independent risk factors identified for Young-Onset Dementia.
24 Jul MS Progression: Cannabis Active Ingredient Ineffective
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor John Zajicek
Professor of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Clinical Trials & Health Research - Translational & Stratified Medicine (Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry)
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Prof. Zajicek: Our study investigated whether dronabinol (one of the major active ingredients of cannabis) may slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. We currently have no treatments that are effective in modifying the disease course in people with either primary or secondary MS. We did a clinical trial across the UK involving nearly 500 patients, who were randomly allocated to dronabinol or placebo, and followed them up for three years to look at progression on rates. Overall we failed to find an effect of dronabinol on disease progression, either clinically (using a variety of clinical measures) or using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There was a suggestion of an effect in people with the least disability (who didn't need a stick to help them walk), and there were no major problems with serious side effects. However, over all the population that took part in the study also progressed less than we expected, which reduced our chances of finding an effect of treatment. The study was not designed to investigate an effect on MS-related symptoms (such as pain and muscle stiffness), which have been investigated before.
15 Nov Study: Gene impedes recovery from Alcoholism
People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Researchers in the longitudinal project Göteborg...
26 Oct NIH to Support Addiction Medicine Education Programs
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 Contact:NIAAA Press Office 301-443-3860 NIH grant will help translate addiction research into practice A new grant will help establish a core of post-graduate addiction medicine education programs in academic medical centers throughout the United States. The National Infrastructure for Translating Addiction Research into Clinical Practice grant, awarded last month...
22 Jul Misuse of Pain Medication May Be Pathway to High-Risk Drug Behaviors
Philadelphia (July 22, 2011)—A new study by researchers at Drexel University’s School of Public Health suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs. The study, published in...