scholarly journals Assessment of inhibitory control in crack and/or cocaine users: a systematic review

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Rasch Czermainski ◽  
Alice Rodrigues Willhelm ◽  
Álvaro Zaneti Santos ◽  
Mayra Pacheco Pachado ◽  
Rosa Maria Martins de Almeida

Abstract Objective Impairments involving inhibitory control have been considered central deficits in drug users, but it appears that dysfunctions may be specific to users’ drug of choice. This article aims to review recent findings on inhibitory control impairment in samples of crack and/or cocaine users. Methods Searches were conducted on the PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Knowledge databases in two stages according to eligibility criteria. Initially, databases were searched and the titles and abstracts of results were analyzed and then selected articles were read in full. Inclusion criteria were: empirical articles written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, published in the last ten years and involving the assessment of inhibitory control in crack and/or cocaine users. Results The database searches returned a total of 3,796 titles, 56 of them were selected initially and then a further 20 were excluded. Thirty-six articles were included in this review. In 90% of the studies reviewed the presence of inhibitory control deficits was reported, verified by impaired cognitive processing and response monitoring, as well as high levels of impulsiveness, regardless of the pattern of crack and/or cocaine consumption (recreational or chronic). Former users showed high levels of impulsiveness even after long periods of abstinence. Conclusions Crack and/or cocaine users may have inhibitory control deficits, irrespective of different consumption patterns. High levels of impulsiveness can represent a factor of vulnerability to drug use and relapse.

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Lins Carvalho ◽  
Lilian Maria Sanguinett de Almeida ◽  
Camila Maria Araújo Lorega ◽  
Mirella Francyne Oliveira Barata ◽  
Maria Lúcia Brito Ferreira ◽  
...  

Introduction Studies assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have reported contradictory results. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the prevalence of these mood disorders in the literature. Methods We searched the PubMed, HighWire, MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS and ScienceDirect databases. Literature was selected for review in two stages, according to eligibility criteria. The first stage involved searching databases and checking titles and abstracts. The second step consisted of reading complete articles and excluding those that did not meet the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were articles written in Portuguese, English or Spanish, published in the last five years and involving people with ALS diagnosed according to the El Escorial criteria. Results The database searches returned a total of 1,135 titles and abstracts and then 1,117 of these were excluded. Eighteen articles were selected for review. The 12-item Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Depression Inventory (ADI-12) was the only instrument designed specifically to assess depression in ALS, but it was only used in three studies. No instruments specifically designed for anxiety in ALS were used. A large number of studies found presence and slight increase of anxiety disorders. There was considerable large variation in the results related to depressive disorders, ranging from moderate depression to an absence of symptoms. Conclusions Patients with ALS may exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety at different levels, but there is a need for studies using specific instruments with larger samples in order to ascertain the prevalence of symptoms in ALS and the factors associated with it.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S298-S299
Author(s):  
G. Hurtado ◽  
G. Mateu ◽  
R. Martinez ◽  
A. Farre ◽  
J. Marti ◽  
...  

Personality dimensions related with drug use are novelty seeking, impulsivity and harm avoidance. Studies predicting drug of choice over personality variables are controversial.ObjectiveTo describe personality profile of drug users in relation to substance of choice.AimsTo know personality dimension differences according to drug used.MethodsCloninger's TCI-R was administered to 218 patients in a dual diagnosis unit.SPSS was applied.ResultsOf the patients, 33.94% had personality disorder. Principal substances used were alcohol, cocaine and cannabis.Most of drug users had normal scores in each dimension. No high scores were found in reward dependence, self-directedness and cooperativeness with any drug.High scores were observed for novelty seeking in 42.9% of timulants users; for arm avoidance in a quarter of cocaine, alcohol and methadone users and for persistence in 18.2% of hypnotics users.Low scores were observed for reward dependence in 45% of heroine and hypnotics users; for persistence in 50% of methadone and 32% of cocaine users; for self-directedness in most of types of drug users and for cooperativeness in up to 50% in heroine, hypnotics, stimulants and cocaine users.Statistical significant differences were observed for cocaine use and high novelty seeking and low cooperation; for non cannabis use and high harm avoidance; for non anfetamine use and low scores in reward dependence; for opiate use and low self-directedness.ConclusionsMost of patients had normal scores in the different dimensions.Presence of comorbid personality disorder led us to consider the results with caution.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174077452110344
Author(s):  
Michelle M Nuño ◽  
Joshua D Grill ◽  
Daniel L Gillen ◽  

Background/Aims: The focus of Alzheimer’s disease studies has shifted to earlier disease stages, including mild cognitive impairment. Biomarker inclusion criteria are often incorporated into mild cognitive impairment clinical trials to identify individuals with “prodromal Alzheimer’s disease” to ensure appropriate drug targets and enrich for participants likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The use of these eligibility criteria may affect study power. Methods: We investigated outcome variability and study power in the setting of proof-of-concept prodromal Alzheimer’s disease trials that incorporate cerebrospinal fluid levels of total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated (p-tau) as primary outcomes and how differing biomarker inclusion criteria affect power. We used data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative to model trial scenarios and to estimate the variance and within-subject correlation of total and phosphorylated tau. These estimates were then used to investigate the differences in study power for trials considering these two surrogate outcomes. Results: Patient characteristics were similar for all eligibility criteria. The lowest outcome variance and highest within-subject correlation were obtained when phosphorylated tau was used as an eligibility criterion, compared to amyloid beta or total tau, regardless of whether total tau or phosphorylated tau were used as primary outcomes. Power increased when eligibility criteria were broadened to allow for enrollment of subjects with either low amyloid beta or high phosphorylated tau. Conclusion: Specific biomarker inclusion criteria may impact statistical power in trials using total tau or phosphorylated tau as the primary outcome. In concert with other important considerations such as treatment target and population of clinical interest, these results may have implications to the integrity and efficiency of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease trial designs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roula Zougheibe ◽  
Jianhong (Cecilia) Xia ◽  
Ashraf Dewan ◽  
Ori Gudes ◽  
Richard Norman

Abstract Background Numerous studies have examined the association between safety and primary school-aged children’s forms of active mobility. However, variations in studies’ measurement methods and the elements addressed have contributed to inconsistencies in research outcomes, which may be forming a barrier to advancing researchers’ knowledge about this field. To assess where current research stands, we have synthesised the methodological measures in studies that examined the effects of neighbourhood safety exposure (perceived and measured) on children’s outdoor active mobility behaviour and used this analysis to propose future research directions. Method A systematic search of the literature in six electronic databases was conducted using pre-defined eligibility criteria and was concluded in July 2020. Two reviewers screened the literature abstracts to determine the studies’ inclusion, and two reviewers independently conducted a methodological quality assessment to rate the included studies. Results Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria. Active mobility behaviour and health characteristics were measured objectively in 12 out of the 25 studies and were reported in another 13 studies. Twenty-one studies overlooked spatiotemporal dimensions in their analyses and outputs. Delineations of children’s neighbourhoods varied within 10 studies’ objective measures, and the 15 studies that opted for subjective measures. Safety perceptions obtained in 22 studies were mostly static and primarily collected via parents, and dissimilarities in actual safety measurement methods were present in 6 studies. The identified schematic constraints in studies’ measurement methods assisted in outlining a three-dimensional relationship between ‘what’ (determinants), ‘where’ (spatial) and ‘when’ (time) within a methodological conceptual framework. Conclusions The absence of standardised measurement methods among relevant studies may have led to the current diversity in findings regarding active mobility, spatial (locality) and temporal (time) characteristics, the neighbourhood, and the representation of safety. Ignorance of the existing gaps and heterogeneity in measures may impact the reliability of evidence and poses a limitation when synthesising findings, which could result in serious biases for policymakers. Given the increasing interest in children’s health studies, we suggested alternatives in the design and method of measures that may guide future evidence-based research for policymakers who aim to improve children’s active mobility and safety.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Başak İnce ◽  
Johanna Schlatter ◽  
Sebastian Max ◽  
Christian Plewnia ◽  
Stephan Zipfel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background An extensive amount of research has underlined the potential role of impulsivity in the development and maintenance of binge eating behaviour. Food-related impulsivity has particularly received attention given its close relationship with overeating and binge eating episodes. Besides the available evidence, our understanding regarding the effectiveness of treatment modalities for binge eating targeting impulsivity and related constructs (e.g., food craving, inhibitory control, and reward sensitivity) is limited. Thus, this systematic review aimed to investigate whether binge eating behaviour is changeable by interventions that are impulsivity-focused and food-related and whether one of these interventions is superior to the others. Method A search on PubMed and PsycINFO was performed for relevant articles published up to September 2020. Studies delivering food-related impulsivity treatment to individuals suffering from binge eating episodes and including a control condition without this treatment were investigated. Following the search, 15 studies meeting the eligibility criteria were analysed. Results Analyses revealed that available impulsivity-focused approaches can be categorised as psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, computer-assisted cognitive training, and direct neuromodulation interventions. Regarding their effectiveness, it appeared that all of these approaches might be promising to change food-related impulsivity in individuals with binge eating episodes, particularly to decrease binge eating symptoms. However, a superior intervention approach in this early state of evidence could not be determined, although food-related cue exposure, transcranial direct current stimulation, and the combination of several interventions seem fruitful. Conclusion Efforts to treat binge eating behaviour with interventions focusing on food-related impulsivity appear to be promising, particularly concerning binge eating frequency, and also for food craving and inhibitory control. Given limited research and varying methods, it was not possible to conclude whether one impulsivity-focused intervention can be considered superior to others.


2017 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 145-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Alcorn ◽  
Erika Pike ◽  
William S. Stoops ◽  
Joshua A. Lile ◽  
Craig R. Rush

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (16) ◽  
pp. 1039-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adilson Marques ◽  
Diana A Santos ◽  
Charles H Hillman ◽  
Luís B Sardinha

ObjectiveThis report aimed to systematically review the evidence for a differential association between objective and self-reported physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on academic achievement.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesStudies were identified from searches in Embase, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTdiscus and Web of Science databases from January 2000 to December 2016.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesEligibility criteria included cross-sectional, longitudinal and interventional study designs. Outcomes included students’ school grade or a standardised test or measure of academic achievement. Explanatory variables were cardiorespiratory fitness and objective and self-reported physical activity. Inclusion criteria included school-aged children and adolescents aged–18 years (or students from primary to secondary school when student’s participants age was not described) and articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish.ResultsA total of 51 articles met inclusion criteria: 41 cross-sectional, 2 intervention and 8 longitudinal studies. Results from 11 studies were inconsistent regarding the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and academic achievement. Ten of the 16 articles reported positive associations between self-reported physical activity and academic achievement. From the 22 studies that analysed the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic achievement, it was verified that they all generally support the beneficial effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on students’ academic achievement.ConclusionHigher cardiorespiratory fitness may be important to enhance children and adolescents’ health and, additionally, academic achievement. Due to a lack of consensus across studies, methodological issues associated with the assessment of physical activity should be considered when investigating physical activity and academic achievement.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105268462199061
Author(s):  
Scott McNamara ◽  
Matthew Townsley ◽  
Kelly Hangauer

Physical education (PE) is an academic subject that delivers students a standards-based program designed to foster the knowledge and skills needed to be physically active for a lifetime. Although there is a dearth of research that has examined school administrators’ perceptions and interactions with PE, it has been reported that school administrators often are a barrier that disrupts effective PE programming. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the literature to capture a comprehensive view of the peer-reviewed research that has focused on physical educators’ collaboration with and perceptions of school administrators, and literature related to school administrators’ collaboration and perceptions of physical educators. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist guided this investigation. Seven databases were searched, and 29 articles met the full inclusion criteria. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence and research trends; nonetheless, the heterogeneity of the studies and limited literature on this topic make it difficult to form any substantial conclusions. The need for additional research is especially true for research examining PE teachers’ perceptions and interactions with school administrators, as only three of the identified studies in this review focused on this topic. The recognition of these gaps in the literature may be important to the fields of educational leadership and PE, as it may lead to more concerted efforts to examine how these fields interact and how they can collaborate more effectively.


1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman L. Weatherby ◽  
Richard Needle ◽  
Helen Cesari ◽  
Robert Booth ◽  
Clyde B. McCoy ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document