Psychobiological Issues In Substance Use And Misuse

In this book, Murphy brings together a team of international experts to review cutting-edge scientific literature from the field of psychobiology and related disciplines which addresses important questions and broadens our understanding of substance use behaviours. The reader is introduced to the multi-faceted nature of substance use and misuse, and its growing need to be discussed across diverse disciplines and perspectives. The book also addresses important questions regarding public policy and professional practice in the context of different social and cultural environments, and comments on the methodological and ethical issues in substance use and misuse. Chapters explore a spectrum of substances, which include: cocaine, alcohol, ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, tobacco, ketamine, novel psychoactive substances, and vaping products. The use of these substances poses important questions for science and for society. This book is written to help academics, practitioners, and students in a variety of academic and professional disciplines answer those questions while staying up to date with the psychobiological literature. This is a vital resource for professionals and upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking research in areas related to biological psychology, biology, health studies, and medicine.

Focusing on two central themes--the psychobiological evolution from youth to adult and the effects of drugs on the developing central nervous system--this important reference elucidates the mechanisms of chemical dependency in adolescents. Its multidisciplinary coverage analyzes addiction across major domains of human functioning against the backdrop of hormonal, cognitive, and other changes that accompany the transition to adulthood. Chapters discuss legal as well as illicit drugs, examine age-related social contexts, and present the latest findings on links between drug use and mental disorders. Throughout, the contributors make clear that education is more valuable to understanding--and preventing--substance abuse than are prohibition and zero-tolerance thinking. Included among the topics: Cognitive development, learning, and drug use. Neurobiology of the action of drugs of abuse. Findings in adolescents with substance dependence based on neuroimaging tests. Alcohol abuse in adolescents: relevance of animal models. Effects of chronic drug abuse on the chronobiology of sleep in adolescents. Neurological and cognitive disorders arising from the chronic use of drugs of abuse. The multiple lenses for understanding its subject and the sensitivity with which causal nuances are treated make Neuroscience of Drug Abuse in Adolescence an invaluable resource for clinical and child psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and addiction counselors.

The International Handbook of Psychobiology provides authoritative, cutting-edge research across the range of areas that fall under the umbrella of psychobiology. It is a valuable source for researchers looking to update their knowledge on a wide range of topics. The International Handbook of Psychobiology comprises 30 chapters which are organized into the following sections: the physical environment: how psychobiological processes regulate how we respond and cope; stress and anxiety; managing and enhancing cognition and mood; substance use and misuse; sleep; and Psychobiology and human development. Each of the chapters is authored by experienced and active researchers in their field who provide authoritative reviews of its current state of knowledge.

Substance use and abuse are two of the more frequent psychological problems clinicians encounter, both in isolation and in the context of other disorders. Mainstream approaches focus on the biological and psychological factors underpinning drug abuse, but to fully appreciate the issue, we also need to attend to the social, historical, and cultural variables that provide a contextual base.

Departing from largely ineffective medically-oriented approaches to the problems of drug abuse/education, the contributors to this volume present relevant empirical findings and theoretical models within a comprehensive psychosocial framework, which draws upon recent advances in understanding the physiological, psychological, interpersonal, and social forces that are the causes of youthful drug addiction.

Advances in the Psychobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms features international experts from the fields of psychobiology, sleep research and chronobiology to address and review cutting-edge scientific literature concerning recent advances in the psychobiology of sleep, sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea and insomnia, and circadian rhythms, across the lifespan. In this illuminating volume, Melinda L. Jackson and Sean P.A. Drummond bring together leading international researchers to review cross-cutting issues in the field, including sleep and pain, sleep and dementia risk, and sleep issues in paediatric populations as well as the interaction between sleep and health conditions in different populations. The chapters offer coverage of the major explanatory models which underpin the empirical work as well as a discussion of the relevant theoretical and conceptual models on issues arising with specific psychiatric and medical disorders, including depression, dementia, posttraumatic stress disorder and pain. They also address new research in the area of chronobiology, and circadian impacts on health and diseases. The chapters also discuss important methodological and ethical issues arising in research and include sections addressing implications for public policy and practitioner interventions in the context of different social and cultural environments. This volume will be a crucial resource for professionals, practitioners and researchers engaged in the field as well as for postgraduate and upper-level undergraduate students undertaking research in areas related to psychobiology, neuropsychology, health psychology and other disciplines such as biology, physiology and psychopharmacology.

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.

An authoritative study of the social, psychological and medical implications of narcotics addiction, and what is being done in the way of treatment.