Drug abusers vary widely in their acute and chronic responses to drugs and in their compliance with and response to drug abuse treatment. A better understanding of the factors associated with individual differences in response should result in the development of more effective and efficient treatment interventions. This project assesses several biological and psychosocial characteristics of drug abusers and correlates them with abusers' response to their abused drug or to the abusers' treatment compliance and outcome. One component, in collaboration with Dr. Raymond Woosley, Department of Pharmacology, Georgetown University, measures activity of the plasma enzyme butyrylcholinesterase, the main cocaine-metabolizing enzyme in humans. Preliminary results indicate that cocaine addicts tend to have normal enzyme activity, which can vary four-fold between addicts. A second component assesses psychiatric co-morbidity, personality traits, mood, neuropsychological function, and sociodemographic characteristics in drug abusers using structured and semi-structured diagnostic interviews and computer-administered psychological tests. A third component, in collaboration with Dr. James Frost, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, uses positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to evaluate the effect of chronic cocaine abuse on mu-opiate receptor function in the brain, and the relationship between such receptor function and the severity and time course of cocaine withdrawal. Another component, in collaboration with the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, assesses various neurotransmitter-associated genotypes with the goal of identifying alleles significantly associated with particular substance use disorders.
| Kanneganti, Praveen; Huestis, Marilyn A; Kolbrich, Erin A et al. (2008) Signal-averaged electrocardiogram in physically healthy, chronic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 34:712-20 |
| Kolbrich, Erin A; Goodwin, Robert S; Gorelick, David A et al. (2008) Physiological and subjective responses to controlled oral 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration. J Clin Psychopharmacol 28:432-40 |
| Kolbrich, Erin A; Goodwin, Robert S; Gorelick, David A et al. (2008) Plasma pharmacokinetics of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine after controlled oral administration to young adults. Ther Drug Monit 30:320-32 |
| Kanneganti, Praveen; Nelson, Richard A; Boyd, Susan J et al. (2008) Exercise stress testing in recently abstinent chronic cocaine abusers. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 34:489-98 |
| Levin, Kenneth H; Copersino, Marc L; Epstein, David et al. (2008) Longitudinal ECG changes in cocaine users during extended abstinence. Drug Alcohol Depend 95:160-3 |
| Martins, Silvia S; Copersino, Marc L; Soderstrom, Carl A et al. (2007) Sociodemographic characteristics associated with substance use status in a trauma inpatient population. J Addict Dis 26:53-62 |
| Ghitza, Udi E; Rothman, Richard B; Gorelick, David A et al. (2007) Serotonergic responsiveness in human cocaine users. Drug Alcohol Depend 86:207-13 |
| Martins, Silvia S; Copersino, Marc L; Soderstrom, Carl A et al. (2007) Risk of psychoactive substance dependence among substance users in a trauma inpatient population. J Addict Dis 26:71-7 |
| Kurlander, Jacob E; Simon-Dack, Stephanie L; Gorelick, David A (2006) Spending of remuneration by subjects in non-treatment drug abuse research studies. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 32:527-40 |
| Gorelick, David A (2006) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule and research consent documents. Ann Intern Med 145:790; 790-1 |
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