View clinical trials related to Drug Abuse.
Filter by:The overall goals of this study are to (1) expand knowledge about interactions of levetiracetam with alcohol by assessing the effects of levetiracetam compared to placebo in moderate and heavy social alcohol users and (2) to test the AccuswayTM platform as a tool to measure postural control (which has been used as a marker of intoxication) and the effects of levetiracetam on postural control.
The investigators study will use a randomized controlled design. Eligible and consenting participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) DARSSA Intervention condition, or (2) Minimal Intervention Control condition. All enrolled participants will undergo the DARSSA baseline assessment and will be interviewed immediately following their ED discharge to assess relevant outcomes, such as whether they were asked about substance use and given a referral during their visit. This is referred to as the post-visit interview. All risky substance users enrolled during all phases will be interviewed again at 1- and 3-months post-visit to assess substance use, treatment engagement, and other outcomes. The primary difference between the two conditions is that, for the DARSSA Intervention condition, the subjects will have their reports printed and will be given the option of receiving the dynamic referral, while for the Minimal Intervention Control condition the subjects will undergo the assessment and will receive the standard substance abuse treatment referral list currently in use clinically at each site. The number of assessments and interactions with research staff will remain equal between the two conditions, with the only difference being the active intervention of the DARSSA reports and referrals, and any counseling by healthcare providers this engenders. The remainder of this section describes each phase of the study and enrollment procedures.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness in reducing drug use and its associated problems of a brief intervention for drug use delivered by a behavioral health counselor as compared to a brief intervention delivered by a computerized intervention.
Screening, brief interventions, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for drug use/abuse offers opportunities for early detection, brief intervention/treatment, and substance use treatment referrals for patients in medical settings. Although SBIRT components, particularly screening and brief interventions, have been shown to be effective strategies for addressing alcohol misuse in primary care, data are limited on using all of the components of SBIRT for drug-using patients, particularly in the Emergency Department (ED). Further, because of the often chaotic environment of EDs, many logistical and practical impediments exist for the adoption of the entire SBIRT model in this setting.
Background: - Little research has been done on how different components of cannabis (marijuana) appear in oral fluid (i.e., saliva) after smoking. Cannabinoids have been well studied in whole blood, plasma, and urine after cannabis use, but less is known about how cannabinoids appear in oral fluid after controlled drug administration and how long these biomarkers last after use. In addition, the issue of stability of cannabinoids and their glucuronide metabolites is a controversial topic that is poorly understood. These data are critical to the interpretation of cannabinoid test results. Objectives: - To collect whole blood, plasma, urine, and oral fluid specimens after smoking cannabis, to characterize the disposition and pharmacokinetics of cannabinoids in multiple biological matrices and to provide scientifically reliable data on the stability of cannabinoids and metabolites. - To test basic brain function and thinking processes after smoking cannabis. Eligibility: - Healthy volunteers between 18 and 45 years of age who use cannabis (an average of at least twice per month in the 3 months before the study.) Design: - Participants may complete the single study session as outpatients, or they may spend the night prior to and/or following drug administration at the residential research unit in Baltimore, MD. Participants must provide a negative urine drug screen if they have not spent the evening prior to testing at the research unit. - Participants will provide whole blood, plasma, oral fluid, and urine samples, and will complete several tests of thinking and brain function at the start of the study. - Participants will smoke one standardized cannabis cigarette. Blood and oral fluid samples will be collected, and participants will repeat the tests of thinking and brain function multiple times after smoking. - Six hours after smoking the cigarette, participants must pass a neuromotor exam (testing balance and coordination) before they can be discharged from the study. Participants may be asked to stay overnight at the clinical center if there are concerns for their safety because of intoxication.
In France, the Afssaps is the body in charge of the evaluation of pharmacodependance. In order to fulfil its mission, the Afssaps has created a network of 11 Centres for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependance (CEIP), coordinated by the Drugs and Psychotropics Unit. Pharmacodependence notifications issued by professionals are collected by each Centre which evaluates them. Nantes' CEIP created an original tool to harmonize case reporting and make it possible to homogeneously evaluate the seriousness of pharmacodependence cases as each CEIP had his own way of analysing his cases. The aim of this study is to assess this tool.
The primary purpose of the project entitled: Multidisciplinary Approach to Reduce Injury and Substance Abuse, which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (5R01DA026088-02), is to compare the effectiveness of brief intervention, brief intervention plus a booster, and brief advice for adult patients who abuse drugs and present to a trauma department for treatment of an injury.
Background: - Nicotine addiction is common among people who smoke tobacco, and the addictive properties of nicotine make smoking cessation difficult even for people who want to quit. Research has shown that smoking causes changes in the brain that lead to addiction and craving, but more research is needed to determine how different doses of nicotine and different intervals of receiving nicotine affect brain function. A greater understanding of nicotine's effect on the brain, as studied through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), may improve the effectiveness of smoking cessation therapies and treatments. Objectives: - To determine the effects of nicotine on brain function and chemistry in experienced cigarette smokers. Eligibility: - Current smokers (at least 20 cigarettes per day for at least 1 year) between 18 and 50 years of age. Design: - The study involves five separate research experiments. Most participants will be involved in only one experiment. - The experiments will evaluate brain activity and function using fMRI. Participants will be trained in a series of tests on cognitive function before beginning the experimental part of the study. - Experiment 1: Participants will have three fMRI scan sessions after receiving different dose levels of intravenous nicotine. - Experiment 2: Participants will have four fMRI scan sessions after receiving two doses of nicotine separated by 1/4, 1/2, 3, and 24 hours. - Experiment 3: Participants will have two sets of nicotine injections separated by 45 minutes, with each injection series containing five rapid injections of small amounts of nicotine (to mimic five puffs on a cigarette). - Experiment 4: Participants will have three fMRI sessions after receiving a single injection of nicotine at three different rates (over 15, 60, or 120 seconds). In addition there will be three more sessions involving a nicotine patch and a nicotine injection as well as a placebo session. - Experiment 5: Participants will have three fMRI sessions that will involve looking at different kinds of pictures related to or not related to smoking after receiving a single injection of nicotine. - Participants will also provide blood samples for further study....
Background: - Many cigarette smokers claim that smoking improves their ability to think and concentrate, and have reported problems in thinking and concentration after quitting smoking. Some research has indicated that nicotine can enhance certain aspects of attention and memory in humans. However, more research is needed to determine how nicotine affects different elements of the brain s ability to think, pay attention, respond to rewards, and make decisions. Researchers are interested in using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the effects of nicotine on brain function and activity. Objectives: - To determine the effects of nicotine on attentional and other thinking processes, including reward-seeking behavior. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 50 years of age who are either current smokers (10 or more cigarettes per day for at least 1 year) or nonsmokers. Design: - The study has four experiments. Each experiment requires two MRI scanning sessions and a training session. Participant can do one or all of the experiments. - Participants will receive training on the types of computerized tests that will be given during the active portion of the study. Participants will also fill out questionnaires on nicotine use and other alcohol and drug use, and provide breath and urine samples. - During the test sessions, participants will have fMRI scanning while performing up to four different sets of tasks that test attention, memory, concentration, reward-seeking behavior, and decision making. Smokers will wear a nicotine patch or placebo patch during the test sessions, but will not be told which patch they are receiving. The order of these sessions will be different for individual participants. - Participants will provide blood and urine samples throughout the research study for evaluation purposes.
Background: - Cues related to past drug use induce a particular pattern of brain activation, which has been correlated with craving for cocaine in active cocaine abusers. Researchers are interested in determining the role of the brain chemical dopamine in cue-elicited as well as spontaneous craving for cocaine. - To study the role of dopamine in cocaine craving, researchers will use positron emission tomography (PET) to compare the neural reactions of cocaine users with those of non-substance-abusing healthy volunteers. Researchers hope that the data gathered from this study will lead to the development of more effective anti-craving medications. Objectives: - To clarify the role of dopamine in cue-elicited responses that contribute to cocaine abuse. - To determine if PET results of this study differ with various means of administering PET chemicals. Eligibility: - Individuals 21 to 44 years of age who are either current cocaine users (at least twice per week) or healthy volunteers without a history of drug abuse. Design: - Cocaine-using participants will enter the inpatient clinical research ward at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Addiction Research Center for 2 nights before the day of the study. In addition, these participants will stay overnight at NIDA the evening after each PET session and will be discharged the following day. Cocaine-using participants will be required to perform a balance test before the study to provide a baseline response in case they require anti-anxiety medications to cope with the effects of the study. - Control subjects will not be required to stay overnight and will arrive as outpatients for the PET session. All participants will be required to abstain from alcohol and caffeine consumption from midnight before each study session, and will not be permitted to smoke on the day of testing. - - On the day of the study, participants will undergo a practice session to set up the PET scanning equipment. Following the practice session, participants will be shown video recordings of images that are related to nature (e.g., seashells) or to drug abuse (e.g., drug paraphernalia). Participant reactions will be studied through the PET monitoring, and the study will be conducted in two separate PET sessions with a break in between. Individuals in the cocaine-using group may receive anti-anxiety medication if the stimulus cues increase anxiety related to cocaine craving. - Different groups of participants will receive different methods of PET chemical administration, and researchers will compare these methods.