The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH, Vol. 13(12) - Comparing Naltrexone and Buprenorphine-naloxone: Which reduces opioid relapse?

To prevent opioid relapse, doctors can turn to medication assisted treatment (MAT), which often includes combining counseling with medications such as methadone, Buprenorphine, or extended-release naltrexone. Previous research with criminal justice offenders has shown extended release naltrexone to reduce relapse by about 30%. However, little is known about how extended release naltrexone, a newer form of treatment, compared to more traditional forms of treatment, such as Buprenorphine for opioid relapse prevention within the general population. This week’s STASH reviews a study by Dr. Joshua Lee and his colleagues that assessed the effectiveness of both extended-release naltrexone and Buprenorphine-naloxone for opioid... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 13(12) – Are cigarette prices and smoking bans effective levers for change?

Policymakers and advocates often argue that increasing the “cost” of smoking – whether in the form of an increase in cigarette price, or in the form of the added inconvenience for a smoker to step outside the bar/restaurant -- causes individuals to smoke less. This week the ASHES reviews a longitudinal study conducted by Dr. Amy H. Auchincloss and colleagues that followed individuals over time to see how these policy levers were associated with their smoking behavior. What is the research question? Are changes in local cigarette prices and/or smoking bans at bars/restaurants associated with changes in smoking behavior? What... Read more →

Can vaping help smokers quit? The real story from a real story

Editor's Note: This op-ed comes from Dr. William G. Shadel, Associate Director, Population Health Program and Senior Behavioral Scientist at RAND Corporation. A couple of years ago, my son’s coach approached me after practice and asked, “Can this thing really help me quit smoking?” He was holding a large, black box in his hand – a sort of stylized plastic straw jutted out from one side of the box and four green and red lighted buttons littered the other side. I recognized this as a “vape mod,” a more complicated and some would say, advanced version of the typical electronic... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol.13(12) - Running to recovery: Adding exercise to alcohol use disorder treatment

There are a number of effective, evidence-based treatments available for individuals suffering from alcohol use disorder. However, relapse rates are often high even for effective treatments, and not all individuals experience the same amount of relief from the standard treatments. In addition, people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) tend to have more health issues than those without AUD, which can complicate recovery. Some have suggested that including an exercise regimen in the treatment plan for individuals with AUD might improve outcomes and alleviate some of these health issues. Kirsten Roessler and her colleagues tested out this idea using a large... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 22(12) - Mind or matter: Is gambling craving biologically based?

Cue reactivity refers to the craving a person with a substance use disorder feels when exposed to drug paraphernalia. Cue reactivity studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have led to the incentive sensitization theory of addiction. This theory suggests that cue reactivity activates the reward pathways of the brain and that these regions are more reactive in people with substance use disorders. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Eve Limbrick-Oldfield and her colleagues that explores cue reactivity in people with Gambling Disorder. What is the research question? Does exposure to gambling-related images increase cue reactivity among people... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(11) - #NotHowThatDrugShouldBeUsed: Tweets on nonmedical use of prescription drugs

Recently, computer scientists have been developing algorithms for sifting through social media feeds and searching key terms and topics to predict diverse outcomes related to the stock market, shopping habits, depression, and more. This week’s STASH reviews surveillance of Twitter traffic by Janani Kalyanam and her colleagues. They searched millions of tweets for references to nonmedical use of prescription drugs. What was the research question? Is it possible to monitor Twitter traffic to detect trends in nonmedical use of prescription drugs? What did the researchers do? Between June and November 2015, Kalyanam and her colleagues used Twitter’s Application Programming Interface... Read more →