Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology最新文献

Sign-tracking, the behavior of approaching and interacting with cues for appetitive outcomes in classical conditioning, has been implicated in relapse to drug addiction. In this experimental study, we examined the serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine to determine whether it was effective in reducing sign-tracking in an animal model (Sprague-Dawley male rats, N = 35) of sign-tracking using a retractable lever as a conditioned stimulus and sucrose pellets as an unconditioned stimulus. After training, male rats were administered venlafaxine (0, 30, or 60 mg/kg) intraperitoneally and tested for sign-tracking and goal-tracking (approach of the site of unconditioned stimulus delivery) behaviors. Venlafaxine was significantly effective in reducing sign-tracking in animals previously identified as primarily sign-trackers and intermediates, and it also reduced goal-tracking in animals who primarily goal-tracked. Venlafaxine may be effective in reducing cue-driven approach and interaction behavior that may contribute to relapse in patients rehabilitating from drug use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Women who have experienced rape are more likely to engage in heavy alcohol use and condom nonuse. In this secondary analysis, we examined whether rape history moderated the effects of Retraining Alcohol and Condom Tendencies, a brief integrated approach bias modification intervention for reducing alcohol use and increasing condom use. Sixty women between 18 and 24 (M = 19.88, SD = 1.50) reporting heavy alcohol use and unprotected sex with casual partners were randomly assigned to a training condition (n = 31; 42% experienced rape) or a sham-control condition (n = 29; 34% experienced rape). Participants in the training condition were trained to make avoidance movements away from alcohol stimuli and approach movements toward condom stimuli over four training sessions. Among women who experienced rape, there were large effects between treatment and control conditions on all outcomes (alcohol use d_pp2 = -0.87, condom use d_pp2 = 0.63, and negative condom attitudes d_pp2 = -1.02). Significant Time × Condition interactions were found for alcohol approach bias, condom approach bias, and condom use, with women in the training condition showing reduced alcohol approach bias, increased condom approach bias, increased condom use, and improved condom attitudes relative to controls (ps < .05). A significant three-way interaction (Time × Condition × Rape History) indicated that women with a history of rape in the treatment condition exhibited the largest reductions in alcohol consumption. Effects on condom use and attitudes did not differ by rape history. Retraining Alcohol and Condom Tendencies effectively reduced alcohol use and improved condom use behaviors among high-risk college women, with particularly strong effects on alcohol use for women with a history of rape. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Hispanic/Latine adults evince worse cannabis-related problems, yet little research has identified factors related to these health disparities. One factor that may play a role is anxiety sensitivity (AS; fear of anxiety-related symptoms). AS is associated with more cannabis-related problems, yet despite observed sex differences in the relation of other affective processes and cannabis outcomes, little attention has been paid to the role of sex in the relation of AS to cannabis outcomes. We tested whether the relations between AS and cannabis-related behaviors varied by sex among 520 (44.2% female) Hispanic/Latine adults who endorsed past month cannabis use. Among both men and women, AS was significantly related to more cannabis problems (but not frequency) and social, coping, conformity, and expansion motives. Among men, AS was also significantly correlated with enhancement motives. Sex did not moderate the associations between AS and cannabis outcomes. For men and women, the relation of AS with cannabis-related problems occurred indirectly via conformity motives, and via coping motives among men and via expansion motives among women. These data indicate that among individuals with greater AS, men and women report using cannabis for both similar (social, coping, conformity, and expansion motives) but also different (enhancement) reasons, and that motives for cannabis use may play different roles in the relation of AS to cannabis problems based on sex. Results highlight the importance of attending to potential sex differences in efforts to understand the role AS may have in risky cannabis use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Opioid use disorder remains a public health crisis in the United States. A key factor in continued use, relapse risk, and overdose is the severe withdrawal syndrome that accompanies abstinence. Observational studies suggest cannabis may improve outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder and cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating compound found in cannabis, is being investigated as a potential treatment. This study investigated whether CBD alleviated withdrawal symptoms in a rat model of opioid dependence. Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 100, 50% female) were administered escalating doses of morphine across 10 days (10-50 mg/kg, twice daily). Following abrupt discontinuation, withdrawal outcomes were evaluated across acute (38-hr) and protracted (up to Day 7) timepoints. Rats were treated daily with oral CBD (10 or 30 mg/kg, p.o.) or sesame oil vehicle, beginning 14-hr after their final morphine or saline injection. Withdrawal severity was assessed through physical measurements of body weight, food intake, and somatic signs (e.g., body shakes, diarrhea), pain sensitivity, and measurements of anxiety-like behaviors in the protracted phase. Compared to nondependent controls, morphine-dependent rats had decreased body weight and food intake, showed greater somatic signs, and had increased pain sensitivity that peaked in acute withdrawal (38-hr). In the protracted phase, limited withdrawal signs and no anxiety-like behaviors were detected. Oral CBD did not affect symptoms of opioid withdrawal. These data indicate that CBD alone may have limited effectiveness for treating opioid withdrawal. Reports of improved withdrawal symptoms after cannabis use may be attributed to other compounds in cannabis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Day-level alcohol-related problems (ARPs)-such as craving, difficulty limiting/stopping, tolerance, impairment, and withdrawal-may signal risk for alcohol use disorder in young adults' natural settings. ARPs may relate to how people drink (e.g., intensity, speed, duration), but these consumption dynamics are difficult to assess accurately through self-reports. We tested the association between ARPs and alcohol consumption dynamics in young adults using wearable transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) sensors and daily diaries. College students (N = 79; 55.7% female, 86.1% White, M_age = 20.1) who frequently engaged in heavy episodic drinking wore TAC sensors and completed daily diaries over four consecutive weekends (89.9% completion rate). ARPs were measured the morning after drinking events. Three consumption dynamics were extracted from TAC data: speed (rise rate), intensity (peak), and duration (rise duration) of drinking. Analyses using unadjusted models showed that young adults reported more ARPs on days with faster rise rates, higher peaks, or longer rise durations compared with their own slower, lower, and shorter days. Adjusted models including all three TAC features showed that faster rise rates and longer rise durations were independently associated with ARPs, but higher peaks were not. These findings provide novel evidence that the speed and duration of drinking-not just the amount-may be key targets for ARP prevention among young adults. These insights would not have emerged without the rich, objective measurement of drinking dynamics offered by TAC sensors. TAC features may help indicate existing alcohol-related impairment, warranting investigation of their prospective links to alcohol use disorder risk. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol use remains a public health concern due to the harm it can have on both the drinker and those around the drinker. One emerging factor that could be targeted by interventions is the fear of missing out (FoMO). FoMO is the sense that others are having rewarding experiences that you are missing out on, and research has found a link between FoMO and both alcohol use and harm. The aim of this study was to identify and describe how people who are aiming to reduce their drinking overcome or deal with FoMO to inform future intervention content. To address this aim, we collected and analyzed the content of 2,476 posts on Reddit about FoMO and alcohol use. Suggestions identified to reduce FoMO included reframing FoMO to focus on the positives of disconnecting from alcohol, focusing on other nonalcohol-related activities, finding friends who do not drink, and attending events sober. Results provide a foundation for future research into interventions that target FoMO, with the possibility for future research to expand upon these data to develop an evidence-based harm-reduction method. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Augmented reality (AR) is an advanced technology that has emerged as a helpful tool in mobile health interventions for substance use treatment. By superimposing virtual drug-related cues in one's real-world environment, AR could expand the delivery of extinction-based cue exposure therapies while mitigating costs and risks. Previous findings from our team show AR smoking cues elicit cravings like in vivo cues, with evidence of extinction after repeated AR exposure trials. Based on these findings, we developed an AR smoking cessation smartphone app to test as an adjuvant to a state tobacco quitline in an ongoing large-scale randomized controlled trial (NCT06088498). This article describes AR technology and its theoretical relevance to cue exposure therapies, as well as challenges related to app development, trial enrollment, and app engagement. Although some challenges and recommendations unique to AR are discussed (e.g., development of smoking-related AR images), most are relevant to the broader application of other advanced mobile health technologies. Examples include finding and collaborating with industry partners, such as app developers, with sufficient expertise in the relevant technology and in research; potential for selection bias based on smartphone capabilities and participants' technological abilities and affinities; explaining the novel treatment rationale within the app; and maximizing app engagement. Where relevant, these points will be illustrated with data collected during the randomized controlled trial. Recommendations offered may have utility for investigators and clinicians interested in AR and other advanced technologies (e.g., virtual reality, geo-mapping, wearables) to improve the reach and efficacy of treatments for substance use disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Fentanyl-related, cocaine-overdose deaths have drastically increased, yet research on how people who use cocaine perceive fentanyl adulteration is limited. This study developed the novel Adulterated Cocaine Purchasing Task, a modification of the original Cocaine Purchasing Task, to quantify how people respond to fentanyl adulteration in cocaine. In the Adulterated Cocaine Purchasing Task, participants indicated how much cocaine they would purchase when cocaine had no (0%) versus some (10%) probability of fentanyl adulteration. Study aims were to (a) determine how possible fentanyl adulteration affects cocaine demand and (b) determine which individual characteristics predict continued demand for cocaine despite fentanyl adulteration. This Amazon Mechanical Turk study included self-reported cocaine purchasers (N = 64), who completed self-report questionnaires (demographics, substance use history, depression/posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, fentanyl knowledge quiz), and the Adulterated Cocaine Purchasing Task. Results showed (a) that a greater probability of fentanyl adulteration (10%) lowered cocaine demand, but only for intensity (Q₀; amount of cocaine consumed when free; p < .001); (b) no effect on other demand indices (O_max, P_max, essential value, breakpoint); (c) significantly more zero responders with 10% probability of fentanyl adulteration than 0%, p < .001; and (d) that opioid couse, depression, age, posttraumatic stress disorder, fentanyl knowledge, and cocaine use severity did not moderate the relationship between fentanyl adulteration and intensity. Overall, fentanyl adulteration reduced cocaine demand but only for volume preferred at minimal cost, not general motivational drive for use, illustrating the dangerous insensitivity to toxic contamination. The internal validity of the paradigm provides proof-of-concept for this approach to identify individuals at risk from fentanyl-adulterated cocaine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Human laboratory alcohol administration studies are crucial for advancing knowledge of cognitive processes and behaviors that precede alcohol consequences in a controlled environment, improving our understanding of etiology of alcohol problems and ability to develop and test safety and efficacy of interventions. However, conducting lab administration studies is challenging in part due to high participant burden, limiting generalizability of results to individuals who do not typically present for lab studies. Given the advantages of lab administration methods coupled with their challenges, remote alcohol administration was pursued as an alternative to enhance generalizability by removing barriers to participation and reducing participant burden. To establish feasibility and acceptability of this new remote method, we conducted qualitative interviews of 27 individuals (51.8% male; M_age = 21.96) and found that an average of 80% of individuals were willing to potentially participate in remote administration. Several themes emerged concerning participants' willingness and ability to participate, including (1) study location, (2) ease of participation, and (3) wanting to participate with a friend. However, some participants also cited specific barriers to participation, such as (1) living situation not conducive to participation, (2) study safety concerns, and (3) not wanting to participate with a romantic partner. Understanding both facilitators and barriers to potential participation will enable researchers to better design remote studies and enroll individuals not commonly included in current lab administration studies which has important implications for improved generalizability of findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Both laboratory model and real-world study data suggest that cocaine use is associated with impulsivity and risk-taking. Further, many people who use cocaine report polysubstance use; however, there is a lack of research investigating associations between and among impulsivity, risk-taking, and polysubstance use. Polysubstance use involving cannabis is especially relevant given its use by over half of Americans who use cocaine. No work to date has examined the potential relations between concurrent use of cannabis and cocaine and outcomes of impulsivity and risk-taking. The present study compared participants whose urine was positive for cocaine, positive for cocaine and cannabis, and negative for cocaine and cannabis during an initial pretreatment baseline visit for 122 participants prior to enrollment in a randomized clinical trial for cocaine use disorder. Data suggest participants who co-used cocaine and cannabis were likely to use more cocaine and other substances (e.g., alcohol, other drugs) and self-report risky sexual behavior. Participants who abstained from cocaine and cannabis prior to the baseline appointment gambled at greater rates in a gambling task. Groups did not differ with respect to self-reported impulsivity. Co-use of cocaine and cannabis among those with cocaine use disorder is associated with increased drug use but may have limited association with self-reported impulsivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).