Positron emission tomography (PET) findings suggesting lower D2-type dopamine receptors and dopamine concentration in brains of stimulant users have prompted speculation that increasing dopamine signaling might help in drug treatment. However, this strategy needs to consider the possibility, based on animal and postmortem human data, that dopaminergic activity at the related D3 receptor might, ...

Noninjecting heroin use (NIU) is spreading among social networks of young Mexican American polydrug users. This article examines the influence of family and peer networks on NIU behavior and other drug practices and risks. This study delineates the extent to which a culturally relevant modification of the "network facilitation" theoretical approach can increase both a theoretical and practical ...

The present study investigated aspects of sleep quality in ecstasy and cannabis users. Two-hundred and twenty seven participants (117 ecstasy/polydrug users, 53 cannabis users and 57 drug naive participants) took part. The participants completed measures of daytime sleepiness, and indicators of sleep quality. The results demonstrated that ecstasy/polydrug users viewed themselves as being more e...

BACKGROUND Pharmacological cognitive enhancement, using chemicals to change cellular processes in the brain in order to enhance one's cognitive capacities, is an often discussed phenomenon. The prevalence among Dutch university students is unknown. METHODS The study set out to achieve the following goals: (1) give an overview of different methods in order to assess the prevalence of use of pr...

People seeking treatment for alcohol problems frequently abuse other drugs as well, such as tobacco, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and opiates. The problem of polydrug use raises important issues for treatment providers. A person who abuses multiple drugs may have a more difficult time stopping drinking and a higher risk for relapse to alcohol use after treatment. Conversely, a person wh...

Criminality as expressed by self-reported arrests and convictions was studied in a sample of 294 drug--mainly heroin--abusing subjects, 77.6% of whom had been arrested and 57.1% convicted. The majority had more than one arrest or conviction for a variety of crimes. Arrests and convictions for other than drug offences outnumbered the drug offences. Only a minority of the subjects were responsibl...

OBJECTIVES In this study, we examined the prevalence and correlates of current synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use among high school seniors in the United States. METHODS Monitoring the Future, an annual nationally representative survey of high school seniors, began querying current (30-day) SC use in 2014. Data were examined from the 2 most recent cohorts (2014-2015; N = 7805). Prevalence of self...