Among the most ubiquitous effects of addictive drugs, but least well studied, is drug craving. There has not even existed a validated psychometric instrument for the evaluation of craving that would lend itself to the systematic development of medications for treating drug craving. The Addiction Research Center is presently developing such instrumentation for cocaine, heroin, and alcohol and other drugs of abuse. This research should help us to identify mechanisms of addictive action which are common across drug classes and therefore lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms which underlie the drug cravings. Our initial findings indicated that cocaine craving is a multidimensional construct, involving an admixture of urges and desire, intent to use, loss of control over use, and anticipation of positive outcome. A similar multidimensional structure was found among responses from subjects evaluated using the heroin instrument. One hundred and-sixty subjects have completed the new Alcohol Craving Questionnaire. The project was modified in June 1993 to include measurement of craving and psychomotor/cognitive testing for outpatient research volunteers and those on the residential unit as a secondary study to examine the relationship between drug cravings and human performance. The Marijuana Craving Questionnaire is under development for administration in FY 1994. The utility of computer administration of the series will be assessed to improve the efficiency of the testing. Finally, to extend the generality of the research and investigate ethnic and cultural factors, a Standard Spanish version of the Cocaine Craving Questionnaires and Manual has also been developed. These advances in instrument development and the enhanced understanding of craving should enable more rapid progress in the ability to produce more selective and efficacious medications and other interventions to meet the needs of a those addicted to drugs. With these instruments we should be able to predict which craving dimensions may be relieved by medications and which will require other intervention to enable the person to achieve and sustain drug abstinence.
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