ALTERING BEHAVIORAL RISK FOR DRUG DEPENDENCE

改变药物依赖的行为风险

基本信息

批准号：
6265670
负责人：
Don R Cherek
金额：
$ 1.11万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
1998
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
1998-12-01 至 1999-11-30
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

Traditional approaches to the problem of drug dependence have focused upon treatment after drug dependence has been well established. A number of pharmacotherapy approaches to the treatment of drug dependence have been undertaken, and these studies have consistently produced negative results. In fact, the very drugs we propose to study in this proposal have been investigated as possible treatments for drug dependence. Even though these drugs are not effective in the treatment of drug dependent patients, such drugs may be used to alter behaviors which place individuals at high risk for drug dependence. Once the drug reinforcement and associated dependence are in operation in the drug dependent individual, such drug interventions may be of little value. In the non drug dependent individual, these drugs may be effective via a totally different mechanism. Modifying high risk behaviors, like aggression and impulsivity, may reduce the probability that the individual will engage in drug seeking behavior prior to the development of drug dependence. Rather than attempting to interfere with the reinforcing effects of the drug of abuse, the proposed research would be an initial step toward examining the possibility of reducing drug seeking by altering antecedent high risk behavior. We propose to examine an area which may lead to a different approach to the treatment of drug dependence, namely the pharmacological alteration of certain classes of behavior which are associated with drug dependence. These behaviors are aggression and impulsivity; taken together they contribute to a ""temperament"" which has been predictive of subsequent drug dependence, aggression and criminal behavior. We propose to examine the alteration of aggressive and impulsive behavior under controlled laboratory conditions employing drugs which have been used to treat patients with similar types of behavior problems. There is suggestive evidence that these drugs may be useful in altering behaviors which frequently lead to drug dependence. Four pharmacological agents will be used to examine their effects on aggressive and impulsive behavior in two different populations of subjects: 1) subjects with a history of childhood conduct disorder (CD) + current antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), probably the highest risk population, and 2) matched controls. The drugs to be employed are carbamazepine, fenfluramine, methylphenidate, and paroxetine. The proposed research will provide information about the effects of selected therapeutics agents on fundamental aspects of behavior (aggression and impulsivity) which may place individuals at risk for drug dependence. Pharmacological effects of these therapeutics drugs on such behavior in a high risk population may provide information relating to alternative strategies in dealing with drug dependence.

在药物依赖性之后，传统的药物依赖问题方法集中在治疗上。已经进行了许多药物治疗的药物治疗方法，并且这些研究始终产生负面结果。实际上，我们建议在该建议中研究的药物已被研究为药物依赖性的可能治疗方法。即使这些药物在治疗依赖药物的患者方面无效，这种药物也可以用于改变使个人受到高风险的行为。一旦药物依赖人在药物依赖人中起作用，这种药物干预可能几乎没有价值。在非药物依赖的个体中，这些药物可能通过完全不同的机制有效。修改高风险行为，例如侵略性和冲动性，可能会减少个人在制定药物依赖性之前从事毒品寻求行为的可能性。拟议的研究不是试图干扰滥用药物的加强作用，而是朝着检查通过改变先行高风险行为来减少药物寻求药物的可能性的第一步。我们建议检查一个可能导致药物依赖治疗方法的区域，即某些与药物依赖性相关的行为的药理改变。这些行为是侵略性和冲动性。综上所述，它们有助于“气质”，这可以预测随后的毒品依赖，侵略和犯罪行为。我们建议在受控的实验室条件下检查使用药物来治疗具有相似类型行为问题的患者的侵略性和冲动行为的改变。有暗示的证据表明，这些药物可能有助于改变经常导致药物依赖性的行为。在两个不同的受试者中，将使用四种药理药物检查其对侵略性和冲动行为的影响：1）具有儿童行为障碍史（CD） +当前反社会人格障碍（ASPD）的受试者（可能是最高风险人群，以及2个）匹配的控制。要使用的药物是卡马西平，富氟胺，哌醋甲酯和帕罗西汀。拟议的研究将提供有关选定的治疗剂对行为基本方面（侵略性和冲动性）的影响的信息，这可能使个人处于毒品依赖的风险。这些治疗药物对高风险人群中这种行为的药理作用可能会提供与处理药物依赖性有关的替代策略的信息。