Caren Steinmiller - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Caren Steinmiller

Psychopharmacology, 2007

Objectives-CTAP, the classical antagonist naltrexone, the kappa-selective antagonist nor-BNI, and... more Objectives-CTAP, the classical antagonist naltrexone, the kappa-selective antagonist nor-BNI, and the delta-selective antagonist naltrindole were compared as antagonists of representative mu, kappa, and delta agonists in a warm water tail-withdrawal assay.

Drug and alcohol dependence, 2014

We previously observed that behavioral economic factors predict naturalistic heroin seeking behav... more We previously observed that behavioral economic factors predict naturalistic heroin seeking behavior that correlates with opioid seeking in the experimental laboratory. The present study sought to replicate and extend these prior findings with regular cocaine users. Participants (N=83) completed a semi-structured interview to establish income-generating and cocaine-purchasing/use repertoire during the past month. Questions addressed sources/amounts of income and expenditures; price (money and time) per purchase; and frequency/amounts of cocaine purchased and consumed. Naturalistic cocaine purchasing and use patterns were: (1) analyzed as a function of income quartile, (2) perturbed by hypothetical changes in cost factors to assess changes in purchasing/use habits, and (3) correlated with experimental cocaine seeking. Income was positively related to naturalistic cocaine seeking/use pattern (i.e., income elastic), and behaviors were cost-efficient and sensitive to supply chain. Incom...

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2011

Semi-structured interviews were used to assess behavioral economic drug demand in heroin dependen... more Semi-structured interviews were used to assess behavioral economic drug demand in heroin dependent research volunteers. Findings on drug price, competing purchases, and past 30-day income and consumption, established in a previous study, are replicated. We extended these findings by having participants indicate whether hypothetical environmental changes would alter heroin purchasing. Participants (n ϭ 109) reported they would significantly (p Ͻ .005) decrease heroin daily purchasing amounts (DPA) from past 30-day levels (M ϭ 60/day)if:(a)theyencountereda3360/day) if: (a) they encountered a 33% decrease in income (DPA ϭ 60/day)if:(a)theyencountereda3334), (b) family/friends no longer paid their living expenses (DPA ϭ 32),or(c)theyfacedfour−foldgreaterlikelihoodofpolicearrestattheirpurchasinglocation(DPAϭ32), or (c) they faced four-fold greater likelihood of police arrest at their purchasing location (DPA ϭ 32),or(c)theyfacedfour−foldgreaterlikelihoodofpolicearrestattheirpurchasinglocation(DPAϭ42). Participants in higher income quartiles (who purchase more heroin) show greater DPA reductions (but would still buy more heroin) than those in lower income quartiles. For participants receiving government aid (n ϭ 31), heroin purchasing would decrease if those subsidies were eliminated (DPA ϭ $28). Compared to participants whose urine tested negative for cocaine (n ϭ 31), cocaine-positive subjects (n ϭ 32) reported more efficient heroin purchasing, that is, they live closer to their primary dealer; are more likely to have heroin delivered or walk to obtain it (and less likely to ride the bus), thus reducing purchasing time (52 vs. 31 min, respectively); and purchase more heroin per episode. These simulation results have treatment and policy implications: Daily heroin users' purchasing repertoire is very cost-effective, more so for those also using cocaine, and only potent environmental changes (income reductions or increased legal sanctions) may impact this behavior.

Neuropsychopharmacology, 2010

The aim of this study was to determine whether oral sustained release d-amphetamine (SR-AMP) redu... more The aim of this study was to determine whether oral sustained release d-amphetamine (SR-AMP) reduces cocaine and opioid/cocaine combination ('speedball'-like) seeking in volunteers with current opioid dependence and cocaine dependence. Following outpatient buprenorphine (BUP) 8 mg/day stabilization without SR-AMP, eight participants completed a 3-week in-patient study with continued BUP 8 mg/day maintenance and double-blind ascending SR-AMP weekly doses of 0, 30, and 60 mg/day, respectively. After 3 days (Saturday-Monday) stabilization at each SR-AMP weekly dose (0, 15, or 30 mg administered at 0700 and 1225 each day), on Tuesday-Friday mornings (0900-1200 hours), participants sampled four drug combinations in randomized, counterbalanced order under doubleblind, double-dummy (intranasal cocaine and intramuscular hydromorphone) conditions: cocaine (COC 100 mg + saline); hydromorphone (COC 4 mg + HYD 24 mg); 'speedball' (COC 100 mg + HYD 24 mg); and placebo (COC 4 mg + saline). Subjective and physiological effects of these drug combinations were measured. From 1230 to 1530 hours, participants could respond on a choice, 12-trial progressive ratio schedule to earn drug units (1/12th of total morning dose) or money units (US$2). SR-AMP significantly reduced COC, but not HYD or speedball, choices and breakpoints. SR-AMP also significantly reduced COC subjective (eg, abuse-related) effects and did not potentiate COC-induced cardiovascular responses. This study shows the ability of SR-AMP to attenuate COC self-administration, as well as its selectivity, in cocaine/heroin polydrug abusers. Further research is warranted to ascertain whether SR-AMP combined with BUP could be a useful dual-agonist pharmacotherapy.

Neurological Sciences, 2011

The aim of the present study was to develop a new experimental pain model by adapting the chronic... more The aim of the present study was to develop a new experimental pain model by adapting the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of the sciatic nerve to the exclusively sensory saphenous nerve in rats. Animals were divided into naïve, sham, and two experimental groups, in which two or four 4-0 chromic gut ligatures were loosely ligated around the saphenous nerve. Then, behavioral signs of neuropathic pain were observed for 8 weeks. In rats with four ligatures, prominent mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia developed; these behavioral signs were not prominent in rats with two ligatures. Pharmacological analysis was made in rats with four loose ligations; morphine and WIN 55,212-2, a cannabinoid agonist, reversed all of the modalities tested, whereas gabapentin only suppressed mechanical allodynia and amitriptyline only reduced mechanical hyperalgesia. Our data establish a rat model of saphenous CCI with significant allodynia and hyperalgesia, which is sensitive to a number of analgesic compounds.

Journal of Opioid Management, 2012

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2010

Basal sleepiness-alertness modulates drug effects. Sleepiness produced by sleep restriction leads... more Basal sleepiness-alertness modulates drug effects. Sleepiness produced by sleep restriction leads to increased nociceptive sensitivity, suggesting opioid analgesia may also be modulated by sleepiness-alertness. This study compared thermal nociceptive sensitivity in sleepy versus nonsleepy participants after codeine or placebo. Twelve healthy normal adults, 18 to 35 years of age, had an 8-hr nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG) followed by a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT; . All had sleep efficiencies Ͼ 80% on their NPSG; 6 had average MSLT Ն 8 min (nonsleepy group) and 6 had latencies Ͻ 8 min (sleepy group). Participants were assessed following 8-hr time-in-bed with standard MSLT, and nociceptive assessments (using a radiant heat stimulation method) were conducted the following day with codeine 30 mg b.i.d. (0900 and 1300) or placebo b.i.d. Finger withdrawal latency (FWL) in seconds was measured to 5 different heat intensities randomly presented to the index finger pad of each hand. Mean Ϯ 1 SD MSLT values in the sleepy group were 4.72 Ϯ 1.83 min and 13.04 Ϯ 4.90 min in the nonsleepy group. As hypothesized, increased FWL (decreased nociception) was observed with lower heat intensities, codeine, and in the nonsleepy group. More important, there was a Group ϫ Drug interaction with codeine increasing FWL in the nonsleepy, but not the sleepy, group. These data show the analgesic effects of codeine are diminished in sleepy versus nonsleepy individuals. They suggest clinical differences in response to analgesics are partly explained by basal state of sleepiness-alertness.

Drug Development Research, 1999

... Anticonvulsant activities of 4-(4′-fluorophenoxy) benzaldehyde semicarbazone. Jonathan R. Dim... more ... Anticonvulsant activities of 4-(4′-fluorophenoxy) benzaldehyde semicarbazone. Jonathan R. Dimmock 1 ,; Ramanan N. Puthucode 1 ,; John Tuchek 2 ,; Glen B. Baker 3 ,; Christine N. Hinko 4 ,; Caren L. Steinmiller 4 ,; James P. Stables 5. Article first published online: 23 APR 1999 ...

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2014

Please cite this article in press as: Greenwald, M.K., et al., Effect of experimental analogs of ... more Please cite this article in press as: Greenwald, M.K., et al., Effect of experimental analogs of contingency management treatment on cocaine seeking behavior. Drug Alcohol Depend. (2014), http://dx.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2009

This study investigated the extent to which hydromorphone (HYD) choice and behavioral economic de... more This study investigated the extent to which hydromorphone (HYD) choice and behavioral economic demand were influenced by HYD unit price (UP), alternative money reinforcement magnitude and postsession HYD supply. Heroin-dependent research volunteers (n = 13) stabilized on buprenorphine 8 mg/day first sampled two HYD doses (12 and 24 mg IM, labeled Drug A [session 1] and Drug B [session 2]). In each of the final six sessions, volunteers were given access to a 12-trial choice progressive ratio (PR) task and could earn a HYD unit dose (2 mg, fixed) or money ($2 or 4,variedacrosssessions),administeredimmediatelyaftertheworksession.BeforethePRtask,volunteersweretoldwhichHYDsupplementaldose(none,DrugAorB)wouldbeavailable3hafterreceivingthePR−contingentdose.PR−contingentHYDchoicesignificantlydecreasedwhen4, varied across sessions), administered immediately after the work session. Before the PR task, volunteers were told which HYD supplemental dose (none, Drug A or B) would be available 3 h after receiving the PR-contingent dose. PR-contingent HYD choice significantly decreased when 4,variedacrosssessions),administeredimmediatelyaftertheworksession.BeforethePRtask,volunteersweretoldwhichHYDsupplementaldose(none,DrugAorB)wouldbeavailable3hafterreceivingthePR−contingentdose.PR−contingentHYDchoicesignificantlydecreasedwhen4 relative to 2wasconcurrentlyavailable.Informationaboutthepost−sessionHYDsupplementmoderatedthiseffect:whensubjectsweretoldasupplementaldosewasavailable,HYD−seekingbehaviordecreasedwhenthemoneyalternativewassmaller(2 was concurrently available. Information about the post-session HYD supplement moderated this effect: when subjects were told a supplemental dose was available, HYD-seeking behavior decreased when the money alternative was smaller (2wasconcurrentlyavailable.Informationaboutthepost−sessionHYDsupplementmoderatedthiseffect:whensubjectsweretoldasupplementaldosewasavailable,HYD−seekingbehaviordecreasedwhenthemoneyalternativewassmaller(2), but this information did not further attenuate HYD choice, which was already low, when the money alternative was higher ($4). HYD demand elasticity was only increased by the 4relativeto4 relative to 4relativeto2 alternative without the HYD supplement. In summary, opioid-seeking behavior is influenced by the availability of concurrent non-drug and drug alternatives. These findings show that drug availability and non-drug alternatives interact to modulate drug-seeking behavior.

Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 2014

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education requires that written communication be assessed ... more The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education requires that written communication be assessed in Doctor of Pharmacy admissions processes. Reliability is a standard for ethical testing, and inter-rater reliability with scoring essays necessitates continued quality assurance. Both inter-rater consistency and inter-rater agreement are part of inter-rater reliability and so both need scrutiny. Within our admission process, we analyzed inter-rater reliability for faculty rater essay scores from 2008-2012 using intraclass correlation (ICC) for consistency and standard error of measurement (SEM) for agreement. Trends in these scores were examined to evaluate the impact of rubric implementation, revisions, and rater training integrated over the course of those five admission cycles. For regular admission (RA) candidates, an analytic rubric was implemented in 2009. Scoring without a rubric began with an ICC of 0.595 (2008) and improved to 0.860 (2012) after rubric implementation, revisions, and rater training. In a separate but similar process for contingent admission (CA) candidates, a holistic rubric was implemented in 2010. The ICC for CA essay scoring before rubric was 0.586 (2009), and it improved to 0.772 (2012). With both rubrics, interrater agreement (using SEM) improved with smaller scoring scales (i.e., 4-point 4 20-point 4 50-point). In our experience, rubric implementation and training appeared to improve inter-rater consistency, though inter-rater agreement was not improved with every rubric revision. Our holistic rubrics' 4-point scale was most precise for both inter-rater consistency and inter-rater agreement. Our rubrics with larger scoring scales appeared to foster false confidence in precision of scores-with larger variation in scores introducing more measurement error.

Behavioural Pharmacology, 2004

The present study examined the effects of pre-exposure to eticlopride, a D2 dopamine receptor ant... more The present study examined the effects of pre-exposure to eticlopride, a D2 dopamine receptor antagonist, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on the subsequent locomotor activating effects of amphetamine (AMPH). Rats were pre-exposed to one of three doses of eticlopride (0.75, 3.0 or 12.0 microg/0.5 microl per side) or saline (0.5 microl/side) in the VTA, once every third day, for a total of three infusions. Locomotor activity was recorded for 2 h following each pre-exposure injection. The low and intermediate doses of eticlopride produced no effects, while the high dose decreased locomotor activity compared to saline controls. 10-14 days following the last pre-exposure injection, all rats were challenged with AMPH (1.0 mg/kg, ip) and locomotor activity was recorded. Rats pre-exposed to the low dose of eticlopride exhibited enhanced locomotor activity whereas those pre-exposed to the intermediate or high doses did not differ from saline pre-exposed controls, suggesting that blockade of D2 dopamine receptors in the VTA can lead to sensitized locomotor responding to AMPH. To investigate the possible mechanism by which the low dose of eticlopride induced sensitization, extracellular levels of dopamine were measured as increasing concentrations of eticlopride (0.1, 1.0, 10.0 and 100.0 micromol/l) were perfused through a microdialysis probe implanted in the VTA. Only the lowest eticlopride concentration elevated extracellular dopamine levels. Therefore, as in the case of AMPH-induced sensitization, the induction by eticlopride of sensitization to AMPH may be initiated by the ability of eticlopride to increase extracellular levels of dopamine in the VTA.

Addiction Biology, 2013

ABSTRACTa db_431 1..10 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val 66 Met genotype has been asso... more ABSTRACTa db_431 1..10 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val 66 Met genotype has been associated with neurobehavioral deficits. To examine its relevance for addiction, we examined BDNF genotype differences in drug-seeking behavior. Heroindependent volunteers (n = 128) completed an interview that assessed past-month naturalistic drug-seeking/use behaviors. In African Americans (n = 74), the Met allele was uncommon (carrier frequency 6.8%); thus, analyses focused on European Americans (n = 54), in whom the Met allele was common (carrier frequency 37.0%). In their natural setting, Met carriers (n = 20) reported more time-and cost-intensive heroin-seeking and more cigarette use than Val homozygotes (n = 34). BDNF Val 66 Met genotype predicted 18.4% of variance in 'weekly heroin investment' (purchasing time ¥ amount ¥ frequency). These data suggest that the BDNF Met allele may confer a 'preferred druginvested' phenotype, resistant to moderating effects of higher drug prices and non-drug reinforcement. These preliminary hypothesis-generating findings require replication, but are consistent with pre-clinical data that demonstrate neurotrophic influence in drug reinforcement. Whether this genotype is relevant to other abused substances besides opioids or nicotine, or treatment response, remains to be determined.