Addiction

Lamoure J. How Do You Treat Internet Addiction. Cdn J of CME 2012; 24(3): 14

by Dr. Joel Lamoure

Lamoure J. How Do You Treat Internet Addiction. Cdn J of CME 2012; 24(3): 14

There are not many formats or forums at this point that address Internet addiction, and there is even some debate over... more There are not many formats or forums at this point that address Internet addiction, and there is even some debate over whether internet addiction is a true addiction. In my clinical experience and given definitions of addiction, "I would place internet as
being a very highly addictive medium."........

...... It provides a strong “hook” to those who are looking for a form of escapism. That being said, it is legal, cost effective, accessible, and provides instant gratification. It can, however, have a deleterious impact on the patient’s quality and quantity of life, with psychosocial retardation, financial challenges, and relationship challenges.

Much like patients with food or shopping addictions, there is the challenge that it cannot be easily extricated from daily life, especially in western and first/second world countries. Standard strategies that include removal of the offending agent will not work with internet addictions as there is exposure in insidious ways.......

From "Lamoure J. How Do You Treat Internet Addiction. Cdn J of CME 2012; 24(3): 14" (In press)

Dr. Joel W. Lamoure RPh., DD., FASCP
http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id6.html

Family history of alcohol dependence and gray matter abnormalities in non-alcoholic adults

by Zsuzsika Sjoerds

published in 'World Journal of Biological Psychiatry', 2012

Objectives. Alcohol-use disorders in adolescents are associated with gray matter (GM) abnormalities suggesting... more Objectives. Alcohol-use disorders in adolescents are associated with gray matter (GM) abnormalities suggesting neurotoxicity by alcohol. However, recently similar GM abnormalities were found in non-drinking children with a family history (FH) of alcohol dependence (AD). The question thus rises whether these abnormalities represent a transient delay in brain maturation or a persistent risk factor for developing neuropsychiatric disorders, rather than a (neurotoxic) consequence of AD. This study investigated whether a FH of AD in non-drinking adults is associated with abnormal GM-volumes similar to those observed in drinking and non-drinking adolescents with a FH of AD. Methods. GM-images were analyzed using Voxel-Based Morphometry in non-alcoholics with (FH+; N = 36) and without (FH-; N = 107) familial AD. Additionally we controlled for possible confounders: diagnosis of depression/anxiety, childhood trauma and familial depression/anxiety. Results. Smaller GM-volumes were shown in the right parahippocampal gyrus in FH+ compared with FH-. Results were unaffected by confounders. Conclusions. We demonstrated an effect of familial AD in non-alcoholic adults on GM volume in the parahippocampal gyrus, similar to drinking and non-drinking FH+ adolescents. These findings suggest that GM abnormalities in the parahippocampal gyrus represent a persistent biological susceptibility for AD or related psychopathology and not neurotoxicity of alcohol or delayed brain maturation.

Addiction and Actants: the Autonomy Possible in Assemblages

by Paul Boshears

accepted February, 2012 in American Journal of Bioethics–Neuroscience

What would an assemblage theory of addiction tell us about the process of becoming an addict and in what ways would it... more What would an assemblage theory of addiction tell us about the process of becoming an addict and in what ways would it inform our understanding of recovering from addiction? That process through which one develops problematic use of methamphetamine may also be that which leads to the cessation of methamphetamine use. Based on an ethnographic study of methamphetamine use in suburban Atlanta, I suggest that the interdependencies which form as methamphetamine users pursue opportunities: to practice their methamphetamine use, to disclose the consequences of their practices, and to display recovering identities, illustrate a fundamentally relational character to methamphetamine use. In this paper I explore what Jane Bennett's concept of thing-power, an effervescence of capacity realized across a range of human and non-human actors, can do for developing responses to the myriad effects associated with sustained problematic use and manufacturing of methamphetamine.

*The project described was funded by NIDA Award Number 1R15DA021164-01A1 and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health, Kennesaw State University nor the European Graduate School.

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Focus sur... Mark GRIFFITHS. Focus (Centre de Référence sur le Jeu Excessif), January 31.

by Mark Griffiths

Nous remercions Mark GRIFFITHS, Directeur de l'unité internationale de recherche sur le jeu à l'Université Trent de... more Nous remercions Mark GRIFFITHS, Directeur de l'unité internationale de recherche sur le jeu à l'Université Trent de Nottingham (Angleterre) d'avoir répondu très aimablement à nos questions sur son activité de chercheur dans le domaine des addictions comportementales et plus spécifiquement du jeu pathologique. Nous avons voulu également donner un FOCUS sur le blog qu'il a ouvert en novembre 2011 et dans lequel il propose des écrits sur les addictions comportementales.

Griffiths, M.D. (1997). Glued to the screen: An investigation into information addiction in the UK and worldwide. London: Reuters.

by Mark Griffiths

Consent and Coercion in Addiction Treatment

by Elaine Hyshka

Wild, T.C., Wolfe, J. & Hyshka, E. (2012). “Consent and Coercion in Addiction Treatment” In Carter, A., Hall, W., & Illes, J. Addiction Neuroethics. London: Elsevier.

Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Hetland, J., & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a Work Addiction Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

Research into excessive work has gained increasing attention over the last 20 years. Terms such as ‘workaholism’,... more Research into excessive work has gained increasing attention over the last 20 years. Terms such as ‘workaholism’, ‘work addiction’ and ‘excessive work’ have been used interchangeably. Given the increase of empirical research, this study presents the development of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS), a new psychometrically validated scale for the assessment of work addiction. A pool of 14 items, with two reflecting each of seven core elements of addiction (i.e., salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse, and problems) was initially constructed. The items were then administered to two samples, one recruited by a web survey following a television broadcast about workaholism (n = 11,769) and one comprising participants in the second wave of a longitudinal internet-based survey about working life (n = 368). The items with the highest corrected item-total correlation from within each of the seven addiction elements were retained in the final scale. The assumed one-factor solution of the refined seven-item scale was acceptable (RMSEA = .077, CFI = .96, TLI = .95) and the internal reliability of the two samples were .84 and .80, respectively. The scores of the BWAS converged with scores on other workaholism scales, except for a Work Enjoyment subscale. A suggested cut-off for categorization of workaholics showed good discriminative ability in terms of working hours, leadership position, and subjective health complaints. It is concluded that the BWAS has good psychometric properties.

Verslaving en autonomie: een probleem van karakter, capaciteiten of bijziendheid?

by Anke Snoek

Snoek, Anke. "Verslaving En Autonomie: Een Probleem Van Karakter, Capaciteiten of Bijziendheid?" NVBe Nieuwsbrief 18, no. 5 (2011): 8-10.

Addiction and autonomy: a problem of character, capacities or being myopic?

This article explores... more Addiction and autonomy: a problem of character, capacities or being myopic?

This article explores different hypothesis on how addiction or substance dependency can influence autonomy.

Lamoure J., Stovel J. Varenicline and Suicidal Ideations. How Common is It?. Cdn J of CME 2012; 24(2): 14

by Dr. Joel Lamoure

Lamoure J., Stovel J. Varenicline and Suicidal Ideations. How Common is It?. Cdn J of CME 2012; 24(2): 14
Dr Joel Lamoure

In Canada, varenicline is currently indicated for smoking cessation in conjunction with counselling.1 There have been... more In Canada, varenicline is currently indicated for smoking cessation in conjunction with counselling.1 There have been numerous reports of increased suicidal ideation in patients taking varenicline, and in patients that are quitting smok- ing. This has resulted in the Health Canada Advisory warning health- care providers about the increased risk of serious neuropsychiatric adverse events in those patients taking varenicline. Specifically, depressed mood, agitation, hostili- ty, changes in behaviour, suicidal ideation and suicide, as well as worsening of pre-existing psychi- atric illness have been observed.2 This scenario is very reminiscent for me of the mid 1980’s when fluoxe- tine was first launched in the USA.

Effects of measurement methods on the relationship between smoking and delay reward discounting

by Richard Tunney

"Thomistic Hylomorphism, Self-Determination, Neuroplasticity, and Grace: The Case of Addiction"

by Daniel D. De Haan

A version of this paper was presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, October 28-30, 2011. For a citable version see the forthcoming, “Thomistic Hylomorphism, Self-Determination, Neuroplasticity, and Grace: The Case of Addiction” in the Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association: Science, Reason, and Religion, Vol. 85,
(2012).

This paper presents a Thomistic analysis of addiction that incorporates scientific, philosophical and theological... more This paper presents a Thomistic analysis of addiction that incorporates scientific, philosophical and theological features of addiction. I will argue first, that a Thomistic hylomorphic anthropology provides a cogent explanation of the causal interactions between human action and neuroplasticity. I employ Karol Wojtyła’s account of self-determination to further clarify the kind of neuroplasticity involved in addiction. Next, I will elucidate how a Thomistic anthropology can accommodate, without reductionism, both the neurophysiological and psychological elements of addiction, and finally, I will make clear how Thomism can provide an ethics and theology of grace that can be integrated with these ontological and scientific considerations into a holistic theory of addiction.

Treatment for tobacco dependence: a potential application for stratified medicine?

by Alistair Brock

Alistair J Brock, Andrea Takeda, Caroline Brennan & Robert T Walton. Personalized Medicine. 2011; 8(5):571–579.

Tobacco addiction is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide and places a heavy social and financial burden on... more Tobacco addiction is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide and places a heavy social and financial burden on society. Therefore, ways of helping people to overcome nicotine dependence are a key element of strategies aimed at improving public health. Current treatments are only partially effective and there is a need to develop more efficient approaches to help smokers to stop. There exists a substantial genetic variability in smoking behavior and the likelihood of cessation – tailoring treatment according to an individual’s genetic profile is now technologically feasible and could lead to more successful cessation attempts. Here we review studies of the genetic effects on smoking cessation in randomized controlled trials of pharmacological therapy and discuss the potential value of a personalized approach to help people stop smoking.

Online gaming addiction: Classification, prediction and associated risk factors

by Thom Baguley

Online gaming addiction: classification, prediction and associated risk factorsby Zaheer Hussain | Papers by Zaheer
Hussain, Z., Griffiths, M.D. & Baguley, T. (2012). Addiction Research & Theory (in press).

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have gained increased popularity over the last decade.... more Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have gained increased popularity over the last decade. Despite the many positives of gaming, alleged problems relating to MMORPG playing have emerged, more specifically in relation to addiction to MMORPGs among a small minority of players. The present study set out to establish the prevalence of MMORPG addiction using validated addiction criteria. Factors relating to online gaming were examined to establish whether they were linked to MMORPG addiction. A self-selected sample of 1,420 gamers ranging in age from 12 years to 62 years (mean age 23 years) completed an online questionnaire. The results showed that 44.5% of gamers were classified as addicted according to the polythetic format and 3.6% were classified as addicted according to the monothetic format. Ordered logistic regression analysis showed that the variables years of gaming, total time spent playing online per week and employment status can have a major impact on the probability of MMORPG addiction. The implications of these findings for the assessment of MMORPG addiction are discussed.

The cycle of drug use in addiction: a pathological narcissistic organisation

by Kevin Standish

Jasinska_Ramamoorthy_Crew_JNeurosci_2011

by Agnes Jasinska

To Hell and Back: Excessive Drug Use, Addiction, and the Process of Recovery in Mainstream Rock Autobiographies

by Atte Oksanen

Oksanen, Atte (2012): To Hell and Back: Excessive Drug Use, Addiction, and the Process of Recovery in Mainstream Rock Autobiographies. Substance Use & Misuse, 47: 2, 143–154.

Rock autobiographies have become increasingly popular since the 1990s. This article analyzes 31 mainstream rock... more Rock autobiographies have become increasingly popular since the 1990s. This article analyzes 31 mainstream rock autobiographies describing a wide variety of legal and illegal substances used and reckless behavior. Narrative analysis shows that books concentrate on recovering from addiction. The majority of writers have participated in some kind of treatment. Rock autobiographies use therapeutic vocabulary and borrow discursive elements from culturally familiar Alcoholics Anonymous texts recounting recovery stories. The analysis shows that drugs and alcohol are not associated with rebellion and authenticity as they once were in rock music. Surviving addiction has become a key theme of rock culture.

Keywords: addiction, recovery, narratives, rock music, popular culture, narrative theory, excessive appetites

Anesthesia and Addiction, International Anesthesiology Clinics 49 (1), Winter 2011

by Ethan Bryson

By Ethan O. Bryson, M.D., and Elizabeth A. M. Frost, M.D.
Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011.
Pages: 176. Price: $176.00.

This is a review of the special issue of the International Anesthesiology Clinics book on Anesthesia and Addiction... more This is a review of the special issue of the International Anesthesiology Clinics book on Anesthesia and Addiction that Dr. Frost and I put together that was published in the January 2012 issue of Anesthesiology.

Australian guideline for treatment of problem gambling: An abridged outline

by Shane Thomas

Published in Medical Journal of Australia, December 2011

Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Si fa presto a dire internet addiction. Pediatria, 8, 8.

by Mark Griffiths

Uno dei massimi esperti mondiali sul tema avverte: guai a confondere con la dipendenza quello che è solo un eccesso... more Uno dei massimi esperti mondiali sul tema avverte: guai a confondere con la dipendenza quello che è solo un eccesso transitorio

Opiate dependence and withdrawal--A new synthesis?

by Colin Hendrie

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) may have a physiological role as an... more There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) may have a physiological role as an endogenous contra-opioid (inverse) agonist. In addition to having appreciable affinity for opiate receptors and inducing many behavioural and intracellular effects opposite to those observed following opioid administration, ACTH may interact with endorphins in a mutually antagonistic manner. On the basis of these data a model of opiate dependence is proposed whereby several aspects of the opiate abstinence syndrome may be attributed to the excitatory actions of ACTH acting at opiate receptors. Thus, it may be predicted that opiate antagonist administration during primary abstinence should significantly
attenuate many aspects of this behavioural syndrome. The present study was conducted in order to investigate this hypothesis. Results inicated that whilst naloxone (1.5 mg/kg) exerted little influence in non-dependent animals, it significantly
attenuated abstinence-exacerbated grooming, body shaking, teeth chattering and sneezing, in addition to completely antagonizing withdrawal hyperalgesia in post-dependent animals. These data are consistent with the proposed existence of
an endogenous contra-opioid ligand, the antagonism of which markedly reduces the severity of the morphine withdrawal
syndrome.