The Core component will provide essential shared resources to all components of the Behavior Therapy Treatment Research Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Key Medical Center. These Core resources and services include recruitment, screening, and intake of study participants; psychiatric, diagnostic and behavioral assessment of study participants; medical evaluation, screening, and supervision of study participants; collection of clinical-interview outcome assessment results; microcomputer technology services for collection, secure management, controlled access, and intercommunication of data; statistical consultation and data analysis services; and administrative and secretarial support. Core resources will permit conduct of studies described in the other Center components. The proposed Center research will emphasize a consistent theme which is development and evaluation of contingency management interventions for treatment of substance abuse. The proposed research will extend current knowledge about the use of contingency management approaches while obtaining important information on both mechanisms and practical application of these approaches. The studies will be conducted at three sites- The methadone treatment research clinic of the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU), the smoking cessation treatment research clinic of the BPRU and the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy, an intensive specialty program for pregnant female drug abusers located on the FSKMC campus. Additional assessment research objectives are proposed as part of the Core component. Psychiatric/behavioral assessment data will be used to characterize the study populations and to make interesting comparisons of specific populations, where appropriate. Assessment data will also be used within the components research to stratify study populations prior to random assignment and as predictors of treatment outcome to provide information pertinent to patient-treatment matching. Overall, these Core resources will provide detailed characterization of research participants including psychiatric/diagnostic profiles. Core resources will contribute to a coordinated research effort that will provide systematic information about the mechanisms and effectiveness of contingency management approaches for treatment of substance abuse across several specific populations of substance abusers.
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