The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

ASHES, Vol. 15(1) - Pain in quitting: How smoking relates to pain sensitivity

This week, ASHES reviews a study by Joseph Ditre and colleagues that explored whether abstaining from smoking increases pain sensitivity. Read more →

The DRAM, Vol.15(1) - Front or back seat: Do patients with AUD prefer to make their own treatment decisions?

This week, The DRAM reviews a study that explored the treatment decision-making preferences of patients with AUD. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 24(1): Electric stimulation improves decision-making in people experiencing Gambling Disorder

This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Ahmet Zihni Soyata and colleagues that examined if transcranial direct current stimulation can heighten executive functions in people with gambling disorder. Read more →

The BASIS 2018 Roundup - Top 5 and Editor's Picks

2018 has been a busy year here for The BASIS. We presented Special Series on Addiction and Homelessness, Gambling Disorder, Addiction in the LGBTQ Community (sponsored by Fenway Health), and Self-Directed Change. We have shared op-eds written by Boston’s “street doctor” Dr. James O'Connell, social worker Frank Busconi, an anonymous writer sharing her experiences of achieving sobriety as a member among the LGBTQ community, gambling expert Dr. Sally Gainsbury, and addiction scientist Dr. Wendy Slutske. Today, we look back on the year with our top 5 most-read science reviews of 2018, followed by top picks from our editorial staff. What's... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 14(13) - What can twins tell us about cannabis dependence and IQ?

Adolescents who use cannabis often show signs of cognitive impairment. It could be that cannabis causes these impairments. Another possibility is that underlying family risk factors-- like socioeconomic status, parenting style, neighborhood, and educational opportunities-- contribute both to cannabis use and cognitive impairment. Studying twins can help us tease apart these explanations, because twins share the same family background but don’t necessarily use substances in the same way. This week, STASH reviews a study by Madeline Meier and colleagues that explored how cannabis dependence among twins relates to IQ. What is the research question? Among pairs of twins, what is... Read more →

ASHES, Vol.14(13) - Separation by motivation: Exploring why 12th-graders vape

Vaping is popular among adolescents, but has negative health consequences including increased chance of future smoking and substance use. While experimentation and flavoring seem to be the most popular reasons for vaping in this population, we still don’t know very much about adolescents’ reasons for vaping. This week, ASHES reviews a study by Rebecca Evans-Polce and colleagues that explored why adolescents vape. What was the research question? Among U.S. adolescents, what are common reasons for vaping? What did the researchers do? The researchers used data from Monitoring the Future, an annual cross-sectional health survey of U.S. 12th graders. The sample... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol.14(13) - Drinking before sex: Are people with Borderline Personality Disorder more at risk?

This week, The DRAM reviews a study that examined whether people who have BPD are at greater risk of regularly drinking before sex. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 23(12) - Slots and forethought: Examining impulsivity in problem slot machine gambling

This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Núria Aragay and colleagues that explored different levels of impulsivity in people with slot machine gambling disorder. Read more →

STASH, Vol. 14(12) - Recovery is impacted by our social connections

This week, as part of our Special Series on Self-Directed Recovery, STASH reviews a study by Elizabeth Elms and colleagues that explored how peer substance use habits relate to successful self-directed recovery. Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 14(12) - Bad moods and anxious feelings: Factors influencing self-guided quit attempts

This week, as part of our Special Series on Self-Directed Recovery, ASHES covers a study by Kirsten Langdon and colleagues that investigated the influence of anxiety sensitivity and negative affect on people who are attempting to quit smoking on their own. Read more →