The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

Op-Ed/Editorials: List of selected recipients for June giveaway

The Division on Addiction is pleased to announce the following people will receive a copy of Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward Recovery, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report - Claude, Peggy Fox, Anne-Franςoise Goalic, Luke Leonard, Gale Newton, Linda Norton, Theodote Pontikes, Nanciellen Poulin, Judith Powsnew, Edward Rubin, Andrea Ryan, Stephen Whiting, Amanda Winters, Trish Wright, and six others. Thank you for celebrating our 20th anniversary with us! Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 8(6) – Brain fitness games and alcohol treatment

Recent studies have provided evidence that cognitive impairments interfere with the treatment processes of individuals with alcohol use disorder (Blume, Schmaling, & Marlatt, 2005; Rinn, Desai, Rosenblatt, & Gastfriend, 2002; Teichner, Horner, & Harvey, 2001). Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) involves a battery of tasks designed to improve attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility and other neurocognitive abilities. This week’s DRAM reviews a study that attempts to determine whether computer-based cognitive remediation (CR), in addition to a conventional inpatient treatment for alcohol dependence, produces cognitive improvement and improves treatment outcomes (Rupp, Kemmler, Kurz, Hinterhuber, & Fleischhacker, 2012). Methods Forty-one individuals in treatment... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - June Reminder

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward Recovery, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report. There is one week left to enter. To be eligible to receive a copy of this new book, tell us how you use the BASIS at [email protected] by June 28. On June 29, we will post a list of 20 report recipients who email us the best uses of The BASIS or Division website/research. Thanks for celebrating with... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 17(5) – Reward-Driven, not Loss-Blind: Anticipation of Reward as a Marker of Disordered Gambling

Previous studies have identified differences in the processing of risk and reward in pathological gamblers (PG). For example, PGs tend to incorrectly overestimate their chances of winning, and discount their losses (Linnet et al., 2012). The underpinnings of these cognitive distortions remain unknown. This week’s WAGER explores whether these tendencies have a neurobiological origin (van Holst, Veltman, Buchel, van den Brink, & Goudriaan, 2012). Methods Researchers recruited 15 disordered gamblers from Dutch addiction treatment centers and 16 controls through local newspapers. All participants were male. Participants completed a questionnaire, including the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS: Lesieur & Blume, 1987)... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - June Reminder

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward Recovery, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report. There are two weeks left to enter. To be eligible to receive a copy of this new book, tell us how you use the BASIS at [email protected] by June 28. On June 29, we will post a list of 20 report recipients who email us the best uses of The BASIS or Division website/research. Thanks for celebrating with... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 8(5) - Coping and co-morbidity: Patterns of substance use among people with mental health conditions

Substance use disorders often co-occur with mental health conditions, such as depression and psychosis (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, & Walters, 2005). Increasingly, health care providers are developing integrated treatment plans to promote recovery from both substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health (MH) conditions. To facilitate this goal, some researchers have begun to examine reasons for use of particular substances among people with different MH conditions. This week’s STASH reviews one such study (Thornton et al., 2012). Methods The authors combined data from 5 randomized controlled trials conducted at the Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research at the University of... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 8(5) – Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll: The portrayal of substance use in popular music

In the last issue of Addiction & the Humanities, we looked at the presence of alcohol in movies, and its relationship to teen drinking (Humanities 8(4)). In contrast to the episodic nature of movie going, music listening can occur during any part of a teenager’s day – and this can add up to much larger exposure to substance use imagery. Today’s Addiction & the Humanities looks at a study that examined references to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in popular music (Primack, Dalton, Carroll et al., 2008). Methods Researchers collected data from Billboard magazine’s lists of popular song titles (based... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - June

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. During May, we gave away 20 scholarships for our online CME course, Addiction in Your Practice. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward Recovery, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report. To be eligible to receive a copy of this new book, tell us how you use the BASIS at [email protected] by June 28. On June 29, we will post a list of 20 eport recipients who email us the best uses of... Read more →