Cocaine and Its Variations in Forms of Presentation and Addiction (original) (raw)
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Etiology and Treatment of Cocaine Addictive Disorder
Transformacoes Em Psicologia, 2010
Addictive disorders are considered one of the main problems facing society today. In this article an elaboration will be made on the etiology, mechanisms of action and treatment of cocaine addictive disorder by unraveling its impacts on society and the human body. The drug cocaine will be used as a role model for explaining addictive disorders. After an introduction the reader will be guided towards medical aspects of addictive disorders, where history, toxicity, manifestations of toxicity and the mechanisms of action of cocaine are explained. The second part discusses the social aspects of the addiction to cocaine. The relation between cocaine and AntiSocial Personality Disorder are unraveled followed by issues such as priming, stress and relapse. Also the extent of the relationship between drug usage and addiction are explained, as well as the psychological and pharmaceutical treatment methods for addictive disorders widely applied today.
Cocaine: Patterns of Use, Route of Administration, and Severity of Dependence
British Journal of Psychiatry, 1994
We contacted and interviewed 150 cocaine users in south London community settings. Most were taking cocaine regularly, but not daily, and in substantial doses. Three main routes of administration were used: smoking (40%), intranasal (32%), and injecting (24%). Injectors reported having used cocaine more frequently, in higher doses and for longer periods of time. Despite their frequent and extensive use of cocaine, the overall level of dependence was low for the great majority of the sample. Two-thirds (66%) of the full sample (and two-thirds (65%) of the crack smokers) reported only minor signs of dependence during the year prior to interview. Route of drug administration was related to severity of dependence. Cocaine taken by injection was associated with the highest levels of dependence; intranasal use was associated with the lowest levels, and crack smoking was intermediate between the two. There had been substantial changes in the initial route by which cocaine was used, with a ...
Cocaine: Pharmacology, effects, and treatment of abuse
1994
NIDA Research Monographs are prepared by the research divisions of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published by its Office of Science. The primary objective of the series is to provide critical reviews of research problem areas and techniaues, the content of ...
Cocaine Addiction, its Effects, and Treatment
The great depression of late 1940s and the more recent, severe 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) in the world finance sector in conjunction with political turmoil emanated from such issues as income disparity, environmental degradation, global warming, Industrial accidents, work-place gender inequality, exploitation of labour and large scale emigration, eviction and poverty of marginalized people, have made not only the common man but also the hardened capitalist, apprehensive about the future of capitalism (Carol, H 2002). The present global society faces a great task of stopping the adoresaid all round degradation by finding an alternative to the present production system in order to increase welbeing of the present as well as future generations. This article is an effort to look at the issues more objectively and discuss new alternative theories that attempt to address some of the serious issues faced by present and more severely by the future generations, which capitalistic system created but failed to tackle.
The effects of cocaine: A shifting target over the course of addiction
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2007
Repeated exposure to psychostimulant drugs such as cocaine has been shown in numerous studies to produce significant neuroadaptations in both structure and function throughout the brain. Nonhuman primate models provide a way to systematically evaluate these adaptations engendered by cocaine self-administration and simulate the progressive nature of cocaine addiction in humans. Functional activity, measured using the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method, was evaluated at selected critical time points over the course of chronic cocaine self-administration in rhesus monkeys. The effects of cocaine exposure in the initial stages of self-administration resulted in changes in functional activity in a highly restricted network of interconnected brain regions when compared to activity in food-reinforced controls. This pattern of changes was confined mainly to ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Following chronic exposure to cocaine self-administration, however, the spatial extent and intensity of significant alterations in functional activity expanded considerably. The shift in topography of these changes was orderly, originating ventromedially in the prefrontal cortical-ventral striatal network and expanding dorsally to encompass the dorsal striatum. A strikingly similar progression occurred within the cortical areas that project to each of these striatal regions. Preliminary studies suggest that this pattern is maintained despite periods of abstinence from cocaine. The shifting patterns of cerebral metabolic function that accompany longer durations of cocaine self-administration may underlie many of the characteristics of chronic drug exposure, and may provide transitional mechanisms to more compulsive cocaine use.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2010
Cocaine has high abuse liability but only a subset of individuals who experiment with it develop dependence. The DSM-IV (APA. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-R. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 2000) provides criteria for diagnosing cocaine abuse and cocaine dependence as distinct disorders-the latter characterized by additional symptoms related to loss of control over drug use. In this study, two groups of cocaine users (n = 8/group), matched on demographic factors and length of cocaine use history and meeting criteria for either cocaine abuse (CocAb) or cocaine dependence (CocDep), were compared on (1) measures related to impulsivity and sensation seeking, (2) response to experimenter-administered cocaine (0, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/70 kg, i.v.), and (3) cocaine self-administration using a Relapse Choice and a Progressive Ratio Procedure (0, 12.5 and 25 mg/70 kg, i.v.). Groups did not differ on impulsivity or sensation seeking scores. After experimenter-administered cocaine, the CocAb group reported feeling more suspicious and observers rated them significantly higher on unpleasant effects (e.g., irritability, difficulty concentrating). In contrast, the CocDep group reported significantly greater desire for cocaine, which was sustained over the course of the study, and gave higher street value estimates for cocaine (p < 0.05). While cocaine self-administration was dose-related and generally comparable across the two procedures, the CocDep users chose to take significantly more cocaine than the CocAb users. These data suggest that, while regular long-term users of cocaine with cocaine abuse or dependence diagnoses cannot be distinguished by trait measures related to impulsivity, they do exhibit significant differences with regard to cocaine-directed behavior and response to cocaine administration.
Addiction, 1999
Aims. To examine transitions in the route of administration of cocaine and the variables associated with them. Design. A cross-sectional study undertaken between January 1996 and October 1997. Setting. Fifteen different services that offer treatment, counselling or assistance to drug users or HIV positive patients in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants. 294 current or ex-cocaine and crack cocaine users. Measurements. A structured interview schedule was developed consisting of 246 questions covering sociodemographic details, drug history, cocaine transitions and HIV-risk behaviours. Findings. 87% of patients began using cocaine by snorting but 74% subsequently underwent a transition of route-68% towards smoking and 20% to injecting. Half of all transitions occurred in the first three years following initiation into cocaine use. Factors associated with transitions were: younger age at cocaine initiation, more frequent use at peak usage, starting to use cocaine by snorting or injecting, a lower level of scholastic attainment and experience with a wider range of drug classes. A cohort effect was apparent with younger cocaine users and those who had begun using after 1990 being more likely to undergo a transition to smoking crack and less likely to start injecting. Conclusions. Cocaine transitions are very common and are usually towards routes associated with a higher dependency potential and increased HIV-risk behaviour. Further research is needed to see if transitions can be prevented by early identification of potential cases.