Neuropsychology And Substance Use

Substance use continues to be a major public health problem, and the ramifications of this are manifold. For instance, at present, on a yearly basis, the total economic cost of substance misuse is literally hundreds of billions of dollars. These costs are related to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, treatment and prevention, reduced job productivity and/or absenteeism, interdiction by the criminal justice, and incarceration. There are many more psychosocial consequences of substance misuse, and these have been well–documented over the past four to five decades; in contrast, with the exception of alcohol, the effects of substance misuse on the brain have received attention only in the past 10 to 15 years. An emerging body of literature has reported on the effects of various drugs on neuropsychological functioning, including benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, methamphetamine, nicotine, and opioids. Despite the fact that the neuropsychological consequences of many drugs of abuse are well–documented, to our knowledge, no one had previously published an edited volume that focused exclusively on this issue. Based on this fact, we decided to create a volume that would review the available literature regarding on this topic. Neuropsychology and Substance Misuse: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions explores cutting-edge issues, and will be of interest to clinical neuropsychologists who require the latest findings in this increasingly important area of neuropsychology.

In Neuropsychological Aspects of Substance Use Disorders, internationally recognized experts provide clinicians with the most up to date information on the neuropsychology of substance use disorders based on the empirical literature. Substance use disorders continue to be a major health concern in the United States and worldwide, although their causes and effective treatments remain elusive. Research in this area has expanded dramatically over the past two decades and provided insights into psychobiological, behavioral, and genetic factors that contribute to the onset and maintenance of substance use disorders and associated neuropsychological abnormalities. This research has provided a strong empirical foundation that has direct implications for clinical neuropsychological practice and created a need to provide the practitioner with a cogent and up-to-date summary of current developments, which is the goal of this volume. Chapters in this volume are organized into three sections that are designed to provide a translational overview of basic research and treatment findings regarding addictions, neuropsychological and neurological sequalae of the most common substances of abuse, and consideration of special issues that might confound interpretation of neuropsychological test results. Section I provides an overview of addictions, including diagnoses based on the DSM-IV, as well as the most current conceptualizations of addiction from psychobiological, genetic, and behavioral and no economics perspectives, providing the reader with a broad evidence-based conceptual framework. Section II reviews the most common substances of abuse including coverage of structural and functional neuroimaging findings, epidemiological evidence, and neuropsychological sequelae. Substances included in this section represent the most commonly encountered drugs of abuse. Section III includes coverage of the number of special topics, including specific issues related to psychiatric, medical, and neurological comorbidities. Topics included in this section represent areas of common concerns faced by clinical neuropsychologists in the interpretation and application of neuropsychological test results.

In Neuropsychological Aspects of Substance Use Disorders, internationally recognized experts provide clinicians with a translational overview of basic research and treatment findings regarding addictions, neuropsychological and neurological sequalae of the most common substances of abuse.

Substance use continues to be a major public health problem, and the ramifications of this are manifold. For instance, at present, on a yearly basis, the total economic cost of substance misuse is literally hundreds of billions of dollars. These costs are related to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, treatment and prevention, reduced job productivity and/or absenteeism, interdiction by the criminal justice, and incarceration. There are many more psychosocial consequences of substance misuse, and these have been well–documented over the past four to five decades; in contrast, with the exception of alcohol, the effects of substance misuse on the brain have received attention only in the past 10 to 15 years. An emerging body of literature has reported on the effects of various drugs on neuropsychological functioning, including benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, methamphetamine, nicotine, and opioids. Despite the fact that the neuropsychological consequences of many drugs of abuse are well–documented, to our knowledge, no one had previously published an edited volume that focused exclusively on this issue. Based on this fact, we decided to create a volume that would review the available literature regarding on this topic. Neuropsychology and Substance Misuse: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions explores cutting-edge issues, and will be of interest to clinical neuropsychologists who require the latest findings in this increasingly important area of neuropsychology.

Cognition and Addiction: A Researcher’s Guide from Mechanisms Towards Interventions provides researchers with a guide to recent cognitive neuroscience advances in addiction theory, phenotyping, treatments and new vistas, including both substance and behavioral addictions. This book focuses on “what to know and “how to apply information, prioritizing novel principles and delineating cutting-edge assessment, phenotyping and treatment tools. Written by world renowned researcher Antonio Verdejo-Garcia, this resource will become a go-to guide for researchers in the field of cognitive neuroscience and addiction. Examines cognitive neuroscience advances in addiction theory, including both substance and behavioral addictions Discusses primary principles of cutting-edge assessment, phenotyping and treatment tools Includes detailed chapters on neuro-epidemiology and genetic imaging

This book is a guide for psychologists working with substance users in different healthcare settings, from private clinical practice to larger health institutions and community services. It presents a comprehensive overview of the different aspects involved with substance use disorders from a psychological perspective, from prevention to recovery. The volume offers an integrative view about neurobiological, behavioral and psychosocial aspects related to becoming a substance user; shows how psychological assessment tools can be used to diagnose substance use disorders; describes how different kinds of psychotherapy can be applied in the treatment of substance use disorders; and presents a range of evidence-based clinical and social interventions designed for both prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Apart from covering the whole range of services related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders, the volume also shows how these issues can be approached from different theoretical perspectives within psychology, such as: Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology Neuropsychology Existential Psychology Phenomenology Psychoanalysis Analytical Psychology Community and Social Psychology Psychology of Substance Abuse: Psychotherapy, Clinical Management and Social Intervention will be a useful resource for psychologists and other health professionals working with substance users, as well as to undergraduate and graduate students looking for a comprehensive introduction to the psychology of substance abuse.

Cognitive, Clinical, and Neural Aspects of Drug Addiction focuses on the theories that cause drug addiction, including avoidance behavior, self-medication, reward sensitization, behavioral inhibition and impulsivity. Dr. Moustafa takes this book one-step further by reviewing the psychological causes of relapse, including the role stress, anxiety and depression play. By examining both the causes of drug addiction and relapse, this book will help clinicians create individualized treatment options for their patients suffering from drug addiction. Understanding the development of individual drug addictions are often difficult to understand and, more often, difficult to treat. The most successful treatments begin with studying why individuals become addicted to drugs and how to change their thinking and behavior.

Explore the brain and discover the clinical and pharmacological issues surrounding drug abuse and dependence. The authors, research scientists with years of experience in alcohol and drug studies, provide definitions, historic discoveries about the nervous system, and original, eye-catching illustrations to discuss the brain/behavior relationship, basic neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the mechanistic actions of mood-altering drugs. You will learn about: * how psychoactive drugs affect cognition, behavior, and emotion * the brain/behavior relationship * the specific effects of major addictive and psychoactive drug groups * new definitions and thinking about abuse and dependence * the medical and forensic consequences of drugs use Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior uses a balance of instruction, illustrations, and tables and formulas that will give you a broad, lasting introduction to this intriguing subject. Whether you're a nurse, chemical dependency counselor, psychologist, or clinician, this book will be a quick reference guide long after the first reading.