Cannabidiol for the treatment of crack-cocaine craving: an exploratory double-blind study

Objective: To assess the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) in the management of crack-cocaine craving and the treatment of frequent withdrawal symptoms. Methods: Thirty-one men with a diagnosis of crack-cocaine dependence were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. We applied neuropsychological tests and assessed craving intensity, anxiety and depression symptoms, and substance use patterns at baseline and at the end of the trial. The participants were treated with CBD 300 mg/day or placebo for 10 days. During this period, we used a technique to induce craving and assessed the intensity of symptoms before and after the induction procedure. Results: Craving levels reduced significantly over the 10 days of the trial, although no differences were found between the CBD and placebo groups. Craving induction was successful in both groups, with no significant differences between them. Indicators of anxiety, depression, and sleep alterations before and after treatment also did not differ across groups. Conclusion: Under the conditions of this trial, CBD was unable to interfere with symptoms of crack-cocaine withdrawal. Further studies with larger outpatient samples involving different doses and treatment periods would be desirable and timely to elucidate the potential of CBD to induce reductions in crack-cocaine self-administration.

Estresse percebido e o uso de álcool, tabaco e outras drogas entre universitários / Stress and the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in undergraduates

Avaliar a consumo de drogas em uma população de universitários e verificar as associações com estresse percebido foi o objetivo desta pesquisa. A metodologia utilizada foi de pesquisa descritiva com uma população de 373 universitários. A coleta dos dados se deu de forma online; os participantes responderam ao TCLE, o questionário sociodemográfico, o instrumento para mensurar estresse (escala de Estresse Percebido - EP-10) e consumo abusivo de droga (ASSIST). Para verificar a associação entre o uso abusivo de drogas e a variável estudada foi utilizado o modelo de regressão logística com a significância de p<0,05. A regressão logística revelou associação significativa entre uso de tabaco, ter religião e morar com os pais. Para o consumo de álcool e outras drogas a regressão logística apresentou associação com alto estresse. Concluímos que quanto mais os universitários são expostos a fatores de risco, como estresse, maiores as probabilidades para o consumo de drogas.

Current study analyzes drug consumption in undergraduates and verifies the association with stress. Methodology involves descriptive research in 373 undergraduates. Data were collected online and participants responded to TCLE, sociodemographic questionnaire, stress measuring tool (Perceived Stress Scale ­ EP-10) and illicit drug consumption. Logistic regression at 0.05% significance was employed to assess the association between abuse drugs and the variable under analysis. Logistic regression revealed significant association between tobacco usage, religion and living with parents. In the case of alcohol consumption and other drugs, logistic regression provided association with high stress. The more undergraduates are exposed to risk factors, such as stress, the more their possibilities in drug consumption.

Brazilian cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire (LTE-Q)

Objective: To perform a construct validation of the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire (LTE-Q), as well as convergence validation by identifying its association with drug use in a sample of the Brazilian population. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey (II BNADS), which used a cross-cultural adaptation of the LTE-Q in a probabilistic sample of 4,607 participants aged 14 years and older. Latent class analysis was used to validate the latent trait adversity (which considered the number of events from the list of 12 item in the LTE experienced by the respondent in the previous year) and logistic regression was performed to find its association with binge drinking and cocaine use. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis returned a chi-square of 108.341, weighted root mean square residual (WRMR) of 1.240, confirmatory fit indices (CFI) of 0.970, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.962, and root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) score of 1.000. LTE-Q convergence validation showed that the adversity latent trait increased the chances of binge drinking by 1.31 time and doubled the chances of previous year cocaine use (adjusted by sociodemographic variables). Conclusion: The use of the LTE-Q in Brazil should be encouraged in different research fields, including large epidemiological surveys, as it is also appropriate when time and budget are limited. The LTE-Q can be a useful tool in the development of targeted and more efficient prevention strategies.

Implicações do uso de álcool, tabaco e outras drogas na vida do universitário / Implications of the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in the university student’s life / Implicaciones del consumo de alcohol, tabaco y otras drogas en la vida del universitario

OBJECTIVE: To assess risk behaviours related to the use of alcohol and other drugs among university students. METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in 2012 in a town of Alto Paranaíba region, in Minas Gerais State, with a sample of 123 university students, who answered questionnaires containing the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the questionnaire on Risk Behaviours Associated with Alcohol and Other Drugs Abuse. Statistical analyses were performed with a significance level of p<0.05. RESULTS: ASSIST results indicated that 50.9% (24) of the university students are alcohol users, 46.2% (56) are tobacco users, and 16.4% (4) of the marijuana users presented risk behaviours associated with drugs use, such as accidents, constraints with the law, and different diseases. CONCLUSION: The study evidenced, among the university students, risk behaviours associated with alcohol and drugs use, like accidents, constraints with the law, and non-use of condom

OBJETIVO: Verificar os comportamentos de risco relacionados ao uso de álcool e outrasdrogas entre universitários. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, transversal, realizado em 2012, em um município da Região do Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, com amostra de 123 estudantes universitários, os quais responderam a questionários contendo o teste para Triagem do Envolvimento com Fumo, Álcool e Outras Drogas (ASSIST), o teste para Identificação de Problemas Relacionados ao Uso de Álcool (AUDIT) e o questionário sobre Comportamentos de Risco Associados ao Abuso de Álcool e Outras Drogas. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas com nível de significância de p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Os resultados do ASSIST indicaram que 50,9% (n=24) dos universitários eram usuários de álcool, 46,2% (n=56) de tabaco e 16,4% (n=4) dos consumidores de maconha apresentaram comportamentos de risco associado ao uso de drogas. CONCLUSÃO: O presente estudo constatou, nos universitários investigados, comportamentos de risco relacionados ao uso de álcool e drogas, como envolvimento em acidentes, constrangimento com a lei e ausência de uso de preservativo

OBJETIVO: Verificar las conductas de riesgo relacionadas al consumo del alcohol y otras drogas en los universitarios. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo y transversal realizado en 2012 en un municipio de la Región del Alto de Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, con una muestra de 123 estudiantes universitarios los cuales contestaron a cuestionarios con el teste de Selección del Envolvimiento con el Tabaco, el Alcohol y otras Drogas (ASSIST), el teste para la Identificación de Problemas Relacionados al consumo del Alcohol (AUDIT) y el cuestionario de Conductas de Riesgo Asociadas al abuso del Alcohol y otras drogas. Los análisis estadísticos fueron realizados con el nivel de significación de p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Los resultados del ASSIST indicaron que el 50,9% (24) de los universitarios eran usuarios del alcohol, el 46,2% (56) eran usuarios del tabaco y el 16,4% (4) de los consumidores de marihuana presentaron conductas de riesgo asociado al uso de las drogas. CONCLUSIÓN: El estudio constató conductas de riesgo relacionadas al alcohol y drogas en los universitarios investigados como la participación en accidentes, el constreñimiento con la ley y la ausencia del uso del condón

Avaliação antropométrica e metabólica de parentes de primeiro grau do sexo masculino de mulheres com síndrome do ovário policístico / Anthropometric and metabolic evaluation of first-degree male relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJETIVO: avaliar as características clínicas e laboratoriais de parentes de primeiro grau do sexo masculino de pacientes com diagnóstico confirmado de síndrome de ovários policísticos (SOP) e comparar os achados com um grupo controle sem história familiar de SOP. MÉTODOS: foram selecionados aleatoriamente 28 homens com idade entre 18 e 65 anos que possuíam parentesco de primeiro grau com mulheres diagnosticadas com SOP e 28 controles pareados por idade, cintura e índice de massa corporal (IMC). RESULTADOS: homens com parentesco de 1º grau com mulheres com SOP comparados ao Grupo Controle apresentaram níveis mais elevados de triglicerídeos (189,6±103,1 versus 99,4±37,1; p<0,0001), HOMA-IR (Homeostase Model Assesment) (3,5±9,1 versus 1,0±1,0; p=0,0077) e glicemia (130,1±81,7 versus 89,5±7,8; p=0,005), além de menores níveis da globulina ligadora de hormônios sexuais (SHBG) (23,8±13,8 versus 31,1±9,1; p=0,003). Os níveis de SHBG se correlacionaram independentemente com os níveis de triglicérides. Os parentes de 1º grau também apresentavam mais sinais clínicos de hiperandrogenismo. CONCLUSÕES: parentes de primeiro grau do sexo masculino das pacientes com SOP apresentam maior grau de dislipidemia e de resistência à insulina, além de níveis mais baixos de SHBG com mais sinais clínicos de hiperandrogenismo. Esses achados sugerem que a resistência à insulina pode ter origem hereditária em indivíduos com história familiar de SOP, independentemente de parâmetros antropométricos.

PURPOSE: to evaluate clinical and laboratory characteristics of first-degree male relatives of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare the findings with a control group with no family history of PCOS. METHODS: we randomly selected 28 male individuals aged 18 to 65 years who were first-degree relatives of women diagnosed with PCOS and 28 controls matched for age, waist and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: men with 1st degree kinship with women with PCOS had higher levels of triglycerides (189.6±103.1 versus 99.4±37.1, p<0.0001), Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) (3.5±9.1 versus 1.0±1.0, p=0.0077) and glucose (130.1±81.7 versus 89.5±7.8, p=0.005), and lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (23.8±13.8 versus 31.1±9.1, p=0.003). SHBG levels correlated independently with triglyceride levels. These individuals also had more clinical signs of hyperandrogenism. CONCLUSIONS: male individuals who are first-degree relatives of patients with PCOS have a higher degree of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, lower levels of SHBG, and more evident clinical signs of hyperandrogenism. These findings suggest that insulin resistance may be of hereditary origin in individuals with a family history of PCOS regardless of anthropometric parameters.

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): an updated systematic review of psychometric properties

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is an instrument used to screen for alcohol-related problems. It has been increasingly used in many different countries in both the original English-language version and its many translated versions. Because of the need for screening instruments of faster administration, shortened versions of the AUDIT have also been developed. This study was aimed at expanding the work by Berner and colleagues (2007) in an attempt to answer some remaining questions as well as to identify and evaluate studies on the validation of modified versions of the AUDIT, which have not been previously analyzed. In order to do so, we identified indexed articles published between 2002 and 2009 related to the psychometric qualities of the AUDIT by matching the keywords: alcohol, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and AUDIT. We found 47 articles that evaluated the AUDIT in different countries and in diverse health and community contexts, involving adolescent, adult, and elderly samples. The studies confirmed the validity and efficiency of the AUDIT in the identification of harmful use, abuse, and dependence of alcohol, both in the original version and in modified ones. The possibility of using brief and efficient versions is of great value, since certain health contexts demand faster assessment. The results also showed that the reduced versions have satisfactory psychometric qualities, sometimes with sensitivity values higher than those of the AUDIT itself. The studies analyzed confirm the efficiency of the AUDIT both in its original, reduced, and language-adapted versions in different contexts and cultures.