Home  About us  Contact
 

Marijuana Dependence (marijuana + dependence)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences75%

Selected Abstracts

Pharmacotherapy for Marijuana Dependence: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study of Divalproex Sodium

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 1 2004
Frances Rudnick Levin M.D.
There is a noticeable lack of targeted treatment options for marijuana dependence, in particular pharmacologic approaches. This is the first study evaluating a targeted pharmacologic approach for marijuana dependence. The goals of the study were to determine if such patients would seek pharmacologic treatment, whether these patients could be retained in treatment using a design previously developed for cocaine-dependent patients, and especially whether divalproex sodium showed promise as a treatment agent for marijuana dependence. We found that marijuana-dependent patients will seek treatment, and such patients can be adequately maintained in a pharmacologic trial. Regardless of treatment group, patients reported a significant reduction in their frequency and amount of marijuana use as well as a reduction in irritability. Given the lack of proven effective treatments for marijuana dependence, pharmacotherapies should be sought. The design of a preliminary clinical trial should include a psychosocial/behavioral intervention emphasizing motivation and medication compliance and a placebo control group. [source]

Possible age-associated bias in reporting of clinical features of drug dependence: epidemiological evidence on adolescent-onset marijuana use

ADDICTION, Issue 1 2003
Chuan-Yu Chen
ABSTRACT Aims, To probe recent evidence on apparent excess occurrence of marijuana dependence when marijuana smoking starts in adolescence. Design and participants, A national sample of recent-onset marijuana users was identified within public data files of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), 1995,98 (1866 adolescents and 762 adults). Measurements, Marijuana dependence was assessed via seven standardized questions about its clinical features, such as being unable to cut down. Multivariate response models (GLM/GEE and MIMIC) were used to evaluate adolescent excess risk and possible item biases. Findings, Among people who had just started to use marijuana, clinical features of marijuana dependence occurred twice as often among adolescents compared to adults, even with statistical adjustment for other covariates (P < 0.01 from GLM/GEE). MIMIC analyses suggest that adolescent-onset users have somewhat higher levels of marijuana dependence, and they also provide evidence of age-associated response bias for some but not all clinical features of marijuana dependence. That is, even with level of marijuana dependence held constant, adolescent recent-onset users were more likely than adults to report being unable to cut down (P = 0.01) and tolerance (P = 0.029). Conclusion, Nosologic, methodological and substantive reasons for observed age-related excess in occurrence of marijuana dependence problems among early onset users deserve more attention in future research. [source]

The targets of violence committed by young offenders with alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: findings from a birth cohort

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2002
Louise Arseneault
Background: Estimates of who is most at risk from violence by people with mental illness rest mainly on identified patient samples. This study, without such selection bias, examined the targets of violence committed by young adults with as-yet untreated alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, to determine the extent to which their victims were co-residents or non-household members. Methods: In a total birth cohort of 21-year-olds (n = 956), past-year prevalence of alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were diagnosed using standardized DSM-III-R interviews. None of the people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder has been hospitalized in the past year. Past-year violence and victim targets were measured using self-reports. Results: Compared with controls, cohort members with substance dependence or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders had higher prevalence and frequency rates of assault against co-residents, against non-household members, and also robbery and gang fights. Out of 39, five individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder committed violent street crimes. Persons with substance dependence had similar proportions of violence against co-resident and non-household members, but persons with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders tended to victimize co-residents more than others. Conclusions: At the age when they are most likely to contribute to the community's violence burden, young untreated offenders with alcohol or marijuana dependence or with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders assault not only co-residents, but others as well, and commit violent street crimes. Families, schoolteachers and primary care physicians have an important potentially preventive role in early identification and treatment of the disorders. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]

Treatment process, alliance and outcome in brief versus extended treatments for marijuana dependence

ADDICTION, Issue 10 2010
Carly J. Gibbons
ABSTRACT Aims The Marijuana Treatment Project, a large multi-site randomized clinical trial, compared a delayed treatment control condition with a brief (two-session) and extended (nine-session) multi-component treatment among 450 marijuana-dependent participants. In this report we present treatment process data, including the fidelity of treatment delivery in the three community-based treatment settings as well as the relationships between treatment process and outcome. Design Independent evaluations of clinician adherence and competence ratings were made based on 633 videotaped sessions from 163 participants. Relationships between clinician adherence and competence, ratings of the working alliance and marijuana treatment outcomes were evaluated. Findings Protocol treatments were implemented with strong fidelity to manual specifications and with few significant differences in adherence and competence ratings across sites. In the brief two-session treatment condition, only the working alliance was associated significantly with frequency of marijuana use, but in the extended treatment therapist ratings of working alliance predicted outcomes, as did the interaction of alliance and curvilinear adherence. Conclusions Behavioral treatments for marijuana use were delivered in community settings with good fidelity. Participant and therapist working alliance scores were associated significantly with improved marijuana use outcomes in a brief behavioral treatment for adults with marijuana dependence. In extended treatment the therapist ratings of working alliance were associated with more positive outcome. However, in that treatment there was also a significant interaction between alliance and curvilinear adherence. [source]

Possible age-associated bias in reporting of clinical features of drug dependence: epidemiological evidence on adolescent-onset marijuana use

ADDICTION, Issue 1 2003
Chuan-Yu Chen
ABSTRACT Aims, To probe recent evidence on apparent excess occurrence of marijuana dependence when marijuana smoking starts in adolescence. Design and participants, A national sample of recent-onset marijuana users was identified within public data files of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), 1995,98 (1866 adolescents and 762 adults). Measurements, Marijuana dependence was assessed via seven standardized questions about its clinical features, such as being unable to cut down. Multivariate response models (GLM/GEE and MIMIC) were used to evaluate adolescent excess risk and possible item biases. Findings, Among people who had just started to use marijuana, clinical features of marijuana dependence occurred twice as often among adolescents compared to adults, even with statistical adjustment for other covariates (P < 0.01 from GLM/GEE). MIMIC analyses suggest that adolescent-onset users have somewhat higher levels of marijuana dependence, and they also provide evidence of age-associated response bias for some but not all clinical features of marijuana dependence. That is, even with level of marijuana dependence held constant, adolescent recent-onset users were more likely than adults to report being unable to cut down (P = 0.01) and tolerance (P = 0.029). Conclusion, Nosologic, methodological and substantive reasons for observed age-related excess in occurrence of marijuana dependence problems among early onset users deserve more attention in future research. [source]

Pharmacotherapy for Marijuana Dependence: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study of Divalproex Sodium

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 1 2004
Frances Rudnick Levin M.D.
There is a noticeable lack of targeted treatment options for marijuana dependence, in particular pharmacologic approaches. This is the first study evaluating a targeted pharmacologic approach for marijuana dependence. The goals of the study were to determine if such patients would seek pharmacologic treatment, whether these patients could be retained in treatment using a design previously developed for cocaine-dependent patients, and especially whether divalproex sodium showed promise as a treatment agent for marijuana dependence. We found that marijuana-dependent patients will seek treatment, and such patients can be adequately maintained in a pharmacologic trial. Regardless of treatment group, patients reported a significant reduction in their frequency and amount of marijuana use as well as a reduction in irritability. Given the lack of proven effective treatments for marijuana dependence, pharmacotherapies should be sought. The design of a preliminary clinical trial should include a psychosocial/behavioral intervention emphasizing motivation and medication compliance and a placebo control group. [source]