Self-reported collision involvement associated with driving after alcohol use, cannabis use or both

Abstract

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 140 (2014) e169–e251 e197 may play a role in the abuse-related effects of BZs. Here, we evaluated the role of this receptor subtype in anxiolytic-like effects. Methods: Rhesus macaques (n=3) were trained on a multiple component operant conflict procedure. A fixed ratio (FR) 18 was in effect for food (non-suppressed responding, NSR) while in alternating components a concurrent FR20 for a mild noxious stimulus (suppressed responding, SR) was in effect. Anxiolytic-like effects were concluded by increases in responding during the SR components. A range of doses of 3 novel 3GABAA functionally selective compounds were administered i.v.: EMJ-I-026 (0.3–10mg/kg), YTIII-31 (0.1–1mg/kg), and YT-III-271 (0.03–3mg/kg). Results: EMJ-I-026 produced significant rate-suppressant effects in the NSR component (F(4, 7) = 4.32; p=0.045) at 10mg/kg with no significant increase in SR rates, although 1 animal showed full anxiolytic-like effects at 1 and 3mg/kg. YT-III-31 showed a trend towards increasing SR (F(3, 6) = 3.664; p=0.08) at 1mg/kg, but also reduced NSR rates in 2 of 3 monkeys. YT-III-271 had no significant group effects, but increased SR rates in 1 monkey. Conclusions: These results suggest that, in contrast to abuse potential, the 3GABAA receptor may not play a key role in BZinduced anxiolysis, since compounds acting at this receptor do not exhibit robust anti-conflict effects separable from rate-decreasing effects. Financial support: These studieswere supportedbyDA011792, DA033795, MH046851, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Research Growth Initiative UWM, and RR000168/OD011103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.548 Self-reported collision involvement associated with driving after alcohol use, cannabis use or both G. Sayer1,2, R. Mann1,2, G. Stoduto1, C. Wickens1, A. Ialomiteanu1, Bruna Brands3,1,2 1 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada 2 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 3 Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada Aims: Research suggests that driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) and driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) increases the risk of collision involvement. It has been suggested that the increased collision risk associatedwithDUICmay in fact be attributable to alcohol, since it is oftenused togetherwith cannabis. We examined self-reported collision involvement associated with DUIA, DUIC or both in the past 12 months. Methods: Data were derived from the CAMHMonitor, an ongoing population survey of Ontario adults (18 years and older). Data from 2002 to 2010 were merged for this study (N=16,054). Analysis examined self-reported collision involvement in the past 12 months by four groups (no DUIA and no DUIC, DUIA only, DUIC only, or both DUIA and DUIC). Results: We found significant differences in the prevalence of self-reported collision involvement by driving after substance use. Drivers reporting neither DUIA nor DUIC had the lowest prevalence of collision involvement (6.7%), those reporting eitherDUIAorDUIC alone reported higher prevalence of collision involvement (8.6% and 13.8% respectively). Nearly a third (30.5%) of drivers reporting both DUIA and DUIC reported collision involvement. Conclusions: These results suggest that any increase in collision risk associated with DUIC cannot simply be attributed to alcohol. Individuals who report both DUIA and DUIC in the past year report a very high prevalence of collision involvement. More research is needed to determine the reasons for this finding. Financial support: Funding was provided by AUTO21, a member of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program that is administered and funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, in partnership with Industry Canada. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.549 Effects of working-memory training in methadone maintenance patients Rebecca L. Schacht, Matthew W. Johnson, Eric C. Strain, Miriam Mintzer Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States Aims: Working memory (WM) is the capacity to store and manipulate small amounts of information to serve current goals; it is often impaired in methadone maintenance patients (MMP). With executive function as its core component, WM is critical for overall cognitive functioning. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial withMMPwas to test the effects of a cognitive training program that has been shown to improve WM and other cognitive functions in other populations. Methods: MMP were randomly assigned to an experimental group who performed 25 sessions of computerized WM training (TRAIN) or an active control group who performed a version of the program that does not train WM (CON). An assessment battery measuring WM, other cognitive functions, and substance use treatment outcomes was administered before and after training. Results: Preliminary analyses on WM outcome measures were conducted in 45 MMP (22 female). The TRAIN (N=23) and CON (N=22) groups did not differ on age, gender, level of education, estimated IQ, or methadone dose (ps >0.35). Within the TRAIN group, improvement on the WM training tasks themselves was comparable to improvement observed in other clinical populations undergoing similar training. Within-group t-tests indicated that the TRAIN group showed significant improvement (p<0.05) from preto post-training on both a verbal WM task (WAIS Digit Span Backwards) and a visual-spatial WM task. The CON group did not show improvement on these tasks. Additional analyseswill be conducted to test the effects of training on other cognitive functions and substance use treatment outcomes. Conclusions: Thesepreliminary results suggest thatWMismalleable in response to training in MMP and that improvement on WM training tasks can transfer to non-trained WM tasks. As WM is a core cognitive process that is necessary for the performance of many cognitive functions and that may support recovery from substanceusedisorders (e.g., treatmentengagement, substanceuse avoidance), this finding has potentially important clinical implications. Financial support: DA029708, DA023186, T32 DA07209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.550