Tashia Petker - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tashia Petker

Research paper thumbnail of Daily, but not occasional, cannabis use is selectively associated with more impulsive delay discounting and hyperactive ADHD symptoms in binge-drinking young adults

Research paper thumbnail of Cannabis use, cognitive performance, and symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in community adults

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Research paper thumbnail of Cannabis involvement and neuropsychological performance: findings from the Human Connectome Project

Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Background: There is evidence that heavy cannabis use is associated with decrements in cognitive ... more Background: There is evidence that heavy cannabis use is associated with decrements in cognitive performance, but findings are mixed and studies are often limited by small sample sizes and narrow adjustment for potential confounding variables. In a comparatively large sample, the current study examined associations between multiple indicators of cannabis use in relation to performance on a variety of neuropsychological tasks. Methods: Participants were 1121 adults (54% female) enrolled in the Human Connectome Project. Cannabis involvement comprised recent cannabis use (positive tetrahydrocannabinol screen), total number of lifetime uses, cannabis use disorder and age at first use. The neuropsychological battery comprised performance in episodic memory, fluid intelligence, attention, working memory, executive function, impulsive decision-making, processing speed and psychomotor dexterity. Covariates were age, sex, income, family structure and alcohol and tobacco use. Results: Positive urinary tetrahydrocannabinol status was associated with worse performance in episodic memory and processing speed, and positive cannabis use disorder status was associated with lower fluid intelligence (all p < 0.005). No other significant associations were present. Limitations: The sample was limited to young adults aged 22-36 years. The measures of cannabis involvement were relatively coarse. Conclusion: Beyond an array of potential confounders, recent cannabis use was associated with deficits in memory and psychomotor performance, and cannabis use disorder was associated with lower overall cognitive functioning in a large normative sample of adults. The findings pertaining to recent use have particular relevance for occupational settings.

Research paper thumbnail of Brief interventions for cannabis use in emerging adults: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence map

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of aging out of heavy episodic drinking in emerging adults: a systematic review protocol

Systematic Reviews

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) refers to alcohol consumption that exceeds the recommen... more Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) refers to alcohol consumption that exceeds the recommended threshold for a given episode and increases risk for diverse negative alcohol-related consequences. A pattern of weekly HED is most prevalent in emerging adults (i.e., age 18-25). However, rates of HED consistently decline in the mid to late twenties, referred to as 'aging out' or 'maturing out' of HED. Although many individual studies have followed changes in drinking behaviour over the transition to adulthood, there has yet to be a systematic review to identify consistent factors contributing to risk (i.e. failure to age out) and protection (i.e. successful aging out). The objective of this review will be to summarize and critically appraise the literature on factors contributing to aging out of HED among emerging adults. Methods: A systematic search of observational cohort studies following drinking behaviours in age cohorts overlapping with the emerging adulthood period will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychInfo, and CINAHL. Two independent reviewers will evaluate identified studies for inclusion eligibility, extract study data, and assess the quality of included studies. Primary outcomes will be quantity/frequency of alcohol use (e.g. drinks/week) and severity of alcohol-related problems. Predictors of maturing out of HED will be reported narratively, and where appropriate, random effects metaanalyses will be conducted to provide pooled effect sizes. An evidence map will be created to characterize the overall pattern of findings. Discussion: This systematic review will provide a timely and warranted summary of published work contributing to understanding aging out of heavy episodic drinking. Our findings will provide critical commentary on the developmental course of HED during the transition from adolescence to adulthood and will be the first review to consider both protective and risk factors for maturing out of frequent binge drinking. By highlighting factors identifying those at-risk for prolonged heavy episodic drinking, our conclusions will have important treatment implications for primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention strategies. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42017078436.

Research paper thumbnail of Associations Between Drinking and Cortical Thickness in Younger Adult Drinkers: Findings From the Human Connectome Project

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Research paper thumbnail of Technological advances in the assessment of impulse control in offenders: A systematic review

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

Research paper thumbnail of Associations between drinking and cortical thickness in young adult drinkers: Findings from the Human Connectome Project

Background. Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical... more Background. Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical thickness have revealed that increased drinking quantity and alcohol use disorder severity are associated with thinner cortex. Although conflicting regional effects are often observed, associations are generally localized to frontal regions (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and anterior cingulate cortex), with parietal and temporal cortex also implicated in some studies. Inconsistent findings may be attributed to methodological differences, modest sample sizes, and limited consideration of sex differences. Method. This study examined neuroanatomical correlates of drinking quantity and heavy episodic drinking in a large sample of young adults (N=706; M age = 28.8; 51% female) using magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). Results. Hierarchical linear regression models (controlling for age, sex, education, income, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Urinary tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with poorer working memory performance and alterations in associated brain activity

Neuropsychopharmacology

Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has b... more Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has been implicated in poorer performance in several cognitive domains, including working memory (WM). However, the neural mechanisms underlying these WM decrements are not well understood and the current study investigated the association of cannabis involvement with WM performance and associated neural activation in the Human Connectome Project (N = 1038). Multiple indicators of cannabis involvement were examined in relation to behavioral performance and brain activity in a visual N-back task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A positive urine drug screen for tetrahydocannabinol (THC+ status), the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis, was associated with worse WM performance and differential brain response in areas previously linked to WM performance. Furthermore, decreases in blood-activation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in WM task-positive brain regions and increases in task-negative regions mediated the relationship between THC+ status and WM performance. In contrast, WM performance and BOLD response during the N-back task were not associated with total lifetime cannabis use, age of first use, or other indicators of involvement, suggesting that the effects of cannabis on WM were short-term residual effects, rather than longterm persistent effects. These findings elucidate differential influences of cannabis involvement on neurocognition and have significant potential implications for occupational performance in diverse settings.

Research paper thumbnail of Brief interventions for cannabis use in emerging adults: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence map

Systematic Reviews

Background: Rates of cannabis use are highest during emerging adulthood (age 18-25), with the pre... more Background: Rates of cannabis use are highest during emerging adulthood (age 18-25), with the prevalence of near daily and daily increasing among this age group. Emerging adults are clinically challenging in terms of harmful cannabis use due to perceptions of high rates of peer use, social acceptance, and low risk of harm. Brief interventions to increase awareness and promote motivation to change are therefore particularly important for this age group. There is existing evidence on the effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol in emerging adults, but it is not clear if comparable evidence is present for cannabis. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize and critically appraise the existing literature of brief interventions for cannabis use both narratively, to describe the content and delivery of existing interventions, and meta-analytically, to determine the aggregated efficacy of these interventions on cannabis use and other outcomes (e.g., other substance use, mental health, help-seeking behaviors, and academic and occupational outcomes). Methods: A systematic search of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental trials, and pre-post designs will be conducted in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO. Ongoing trials will be identified using the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Current Controlled Trials. Unpublished trials will be identified using Proquest Dissertations, OpenGrey, Google Scholar, and brief interventions on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration webpage. Two authors will independently screen and extract data from articles using a predetermined screening and extraction forms (which will include risk of bias assessments). Calibration exercises will be performed prior to full screening and extraction. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion or consultation with a third reviewer. All studies will be reported narratively, and if appropriate, we will perform random effects meta-analyses with subgroup analyses and meta-regression. Discussion: Results of this review are expected to provide guidance on the content, delivery methods, and effectiveness of brief interventions for cannabis use to assist post-secondary institutions in identifying brief intervention strategies to implement prior to or in response to legalization. Systematic review registration: CRD42018085412

Research paper thumbnail of Using Crowdsourcing to Examine Behavioral Economic Measures of Alcohol Value and Proportionate Alcohol Reinforcement

Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, Jan 19, 2017

Online crowdsourcing websites such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are increasingly being... more Online crowdsourcing websites such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are increasingly being used in addictions research. However, there is a relative paucity of such research examining the validity of administering behavioral economic alcohol-related measures, via an online crowdsourcing platform. This study sought to validate an alcohol purchase task (APT) for assessing demand and a questionnaire measure of proportionate alcohol reinforcement, using an online sample of participants recruited via MTurk. Participants (N = 865, 59% female) were recruited via MTurk to complete the APT, proportionate alcohol reinforcement questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and demographics. Responses on the APT were highly systematic (<3% nonsystematic data) and conformed to prototypical demand curves. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations among AUDIT total scores with a majority of the alcohol demand indices (r values .08-53, p values < .05) a...

Research paper thumbnail of Urinary tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with poorer working memory performance and alterations in associated brain activity

Neuropsychopharmacology

Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has b... more Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has been implicated in poorer performance in several cognitive domains, including working memory (WM). However, the neural mechanisms underlying these WM decrements are not well understood and the current study investigated the association of cannabis involvement with WM performance and associated neural activation in the Human Connectome Project (N = 1038). Multiple indicators of cannabis involvement were examined in relation to behavioral performance and brain activity in a visual N-back task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A positive urine drug screen for tetrahydocannabinol (THC+ status), the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis, was associated with worse WM performance and differential brain response in areas previously linked to WM performance. Furthermore, decreases in blood-activation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in WM task-positive brain regions and increases in task-negative regions mediated the relationship between THC+ status and WM performance. In contrast, WM performance and BOLD response during the N-back task were not associated with total lifetime cannabis use, age of first use, or other indicators of involvement, suggesting that the effects of cannabis on WM were short-term residual effects, rather than longterm persistent effects. These findings elucidate differential influences of cannabis involvement on neurocognition and have significant potential implications for occupational performance in diverse settings.

Research paper thumbnail of Daily, but not occasional, cannabis use is selectively associated with more impulsive delay discounting and hyperactive ADHD symptoms in binge-drinking young adults

Research paper thumbnail of Cannabis use, cognitive performance, and symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in community adults

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Research paper thumbnail of Cannabis involvement and neuropsychological performance: findings from the Human Connectome Project

Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Background: There is evidence that heavy cannabis use is associated with decrements in cognitive ... more Background: There is evidence that heavy cannabis use is associated with decrements in cognitive performance, but findings are mixed and studies are often limited by small sample sizes and narrow adjustment for potential confounding variables. In a comparatively large sample, the current study examined associations between multiple indicators of cannabis use in relation to performance on a variety of neuropsychological tasks. Methods: Participants were 1121 adults (54% female) enrolled in the Human Connectome Project. Cannabis involvement comprised recent cannabis use (positive tetrahydrocannabinol screen), total number of lifetime uses, cannabis use disorder and age at first use. The neuropsychological battery comprised performance in episodic memory, fluid intelligence, attention, working memory, executive function, impulsive decision-making, processing speed and psychomotor dexterity. Covariates were age, sex, income, family structure and alcohol and tobacco use. Results: Positive urinary tetrahydrocannabinol status was associated with worse performance in episodic memory and processing speed, and positive cannabis use disorder status was associated with lower fluid intelligence (all p < 0.005). No other significant associations were present. Limitations: The sample was limited to young adults aged 22-36 years. The measures of cannabis involvement were relatively coarse. Conclusion: Beyond an array of potential confounders, recent cannabis use was associated with deficits in memory and psychomotor performance, and cannabis use disorder was associated with lower overall cognitive functioning in a large normative sample of adults. The findings pertaining to recent use have particular relevance for occupational settings.

Research paper thumbnail of Brief interventions for cannabis use in emerging adults: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence map

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of aging out of heavy episodic drinking in emerging adults: a systematic review protocol

Systematic Reviews

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) refers to alcohol consumption that exceeds the recommen... more Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) refers to alcohol consumption that exceeds the recommended threshold for a given episode and increases risk for diverse negative alcohol-related consequences. A pattern of weekly HED is most prevalent in emerging adults (i.e., age 18-25). However, rates of HED consistently decline in the mid to late twenties, referred to as 'aging out' or 'maturing out' of HED. Although many individual studies have followed changes in drinking behaviour over the transition to adulthood, there has yet to be a systematic review to identify consistent factors contributing to risk (i.e. failure to age out) and protection (i.e. successful aging out). The objective of this review will be to summarize and critically appraise the literature on factors contributing to aging out of HED among emerging adults. Methods: A systematic search of observational cohort studies following drinking behaviours in age cohorts overlapping with the emerging adulthood period will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychInfo, and CINAHL. Two independent reviewers will evaluate identified studies for inclusion eligibility, extract study data, and assess the quality of included studies. Primary outcomes will be quantity/frequency of alcohol use (e.g. drinks/week) and severity of alcohol-related problems. Predictors of maturing out of HED will be reported narratively, and where appropriate, random effects metaanalyses will be conducted to provide pooled effect sizes. An evidence map will be created to characterize the overall pattern of findings. Discussion: This systematic review will provide a timely and warranted summary of published work contributing to understanding aging out of heavy episodic drinking. Our findings will provide critical commentary on the developmental course of HED during the transition from adolescence to adulthood and will be the first review to consider both protective and risk factors for maturing out of frequent binge drinking. By highlighting factors identifying those at-risk for prolonged heavy episodic drinking, our conclusions will have important treatment implications for primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention strategies. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42017078436.

Research paper thumbnail of Associations Between Drinking and Cortical Thickness in Younger Adult Drinkers: Findings From the Human Connectome Project

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Research paper thumbnail of Technological advances in the assessment of impulse control in offenders: A systematic review

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

Research paper thumbnail of Associations between drinking and cortical thickness in young adult drinkers: Findings from the Human Connectome Project

Background. Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical... more Background. Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical thickness have revealed that increased drinking quantity and alcohol use disorder severity are associated with thinner cortex. Although conflicting regional effects are often observed, associations are generally localized to frontal regions (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and anterior cingulate cortex), with parietal and temporal cortex also implicated in some studies. Inconsistent findings may be attributed to methodological differences, modest sample sizes, and limited consideration of sex differences. Method. This study examined neuroanatomical correlates of drinking quantity and heavy episodic drinking in a large sample of young adults (N=706; M age = 28.8; 51% female) using magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). Results. Hierarchical linear regression models (controlling for age, sex, education, income, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Urinary tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with poorer working memory performance and alterations in associated brain activity

Neuropsychopharmacology

Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has b... more Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has been implicated in poorer performance in several cognitive domains, including working memory (WM). However, the neural mechanisms underlying these WM decrements are not well understood and the current study investigated the association of cannabis involvement with WM performance and associated neural activation in the Human Connectome Project (N = 1038). Multiple indicators of cannabis involvement were examined in relation to behavioral performance and brain activity in a visual N-back task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A positive urine drug screen for tetrahydocannabinol (THC+ status), the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis, was associated with worse WM performance and differential brain response in areas previously linked to WM performance. Furthermore, decreases in blood-activation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in WM task-positive brain regions and increases in task-negative regions mediated the relationship between THC+ status and WM performance. In contrast, WM performance and BOLD response during the N-back task were not associated with total lifetime cannabis use, age of first use, or other indicators of involvement, suggesting that the effects of cannabis on WM were short-term residual effects, rather than longterm persistent effects. These findings elucidate differential influences of cannabis involvement on neurocognition and have significant potential implications for occupational performance in diverse settings.

Research paper thumbnail of Brief interventions for cannabis use in emerging adults: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis, and evidence map

Systematic Reviews

Background: Rates of cannabis use are highest during emerging adulthood (age 18-25), with the pre... more Background: Rates of cannabis use are highest during emerging adulthood (age 18-25), with the prevalence of near daily and daily increasing among this age group. Emerging adults are clinically challenging in terms of harmful cannabis use due to perceptions of high rates of peer use, social acceptance, and low risk of harm. Brief interventions to increase awareness and promote motivation to change are therefore particularly important for this age group. There is existing evidence on the effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol in emerging adults, but it is not clear if comparable evidence is present for cannabis. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize and critically appraise the existing literature of brief interventions for cannabis use both narratively, to describe the content and delivery of existing interventions, and meta-analytically, to determine the aggregated efficacy of these interventions on cannabis use and other outcomes (e.g., other substance use, mental health, help-seeking behaviors, and academic and occupational outcomes). Methods: A systematic search of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental trials, and pre-post designs will be conducted in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO. Ongoing trials will be identified using the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Current Controlled Trials. Unpublished trials will be identified using Proquest Dissertations, OpenGrey, Google Scholar, and brief interventions on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration webpage. Two authors will independently screen and extract data from articles using a predetermined screening and extraction forms (which will include risk of bias assessments). Calibration exercises will be performed prior to full screening and extraction. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion or consultation with a third reviewer. All studies will be reported narratively, and if appropriate, we will perform random effects meta-analyses with subgroup analyses and meta-regression. Discussion: Results of this review are expected to provide guidance on the content, delivery methods, and effectiveness of brief interventions for cannabis use to assist post-secondary institutions in identifying brief intervention strategies to implement prior to or in response to legalization. Systematic review registration: CRD42018085412

Research paper thumbnail of Using Crowdsourcing to Examine Behavioral Economic Measures of Alcohol Value and Proportionate Alcohol Reinforcement

Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, Jan 19, 2017

Online crowdsourcing websites such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are increasingly being... more Online crowdsourcing websites such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are increasingly being used in addictions research. However, there is a relative paucity of such research examining the validity of administering behavioral economic alcohol-related measures, via an online crowdsourcing platform. This study sought to validate an alcohol purchase task (APT) for assessing demand and a questionnaire measure of proportionate alcohol reinforcement, using an online sample of participants recruited via MTurk. Participants (N = 865, 59% female) were recruited via MTurk to complete the APT, proportionate alcohol reinforcement questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and demographics. Responses on the APT were highly systematic (<3% nonsystematic data) and conformed to prototypical demand curves. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations among AUDIT total scores with a majority of the alcohol demand indices (r values .08-53, p values < .05) a...

Research paper thumbnail of Urinary tetrahydrocannabinol is associated with poorer working memory performance and alterations in associated brain activity

Neuropsychopharmacology

Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has b... more Worldwide, cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances and cannabis use has been implicated in poorer performance in several cognitive domains, including working memory (WM). However, the neural mechanisms underlying these WM decrements are not well understood and the current study investigated the association of cannabis involvement with WM performance and associated neural activation in the Human Connectome Project (N = 1038). Multiple indicators of cannabis involvement were examined in relation to behavioral performance and brain activity in a visual N-back task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A positive urine drug screen for tetrahydocannabinol (THC+ status), the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis, was associated with worse WM performance and differential brain response in areas previously linked to WM performance. Furthermore, decreases in blood-activation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in WM task-positive brain regions and increases in task-negative regions mediated the relationship between THC+ status and WM performance. In contrast, WM performance and BOLD response during the N-back task were not associated with total lifetime cannabis use, age of first use, or other indicators of involvement, suggesting that the effects of cannabis on WM were short-term residual effects, rather than longterm persistent effects. These findings elucidate differential influences of cannabis involvement on neurocognition and have significant potential implications for occupational performance in diverse settings.