An Experimental Model of Human Language and Cognition in Drug Dependence

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate of this K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Career Development Award application, Kenneth M. Carpenter, Ph.D., requests support for a 5-year program of training and research aimed at developing expertise in the experimental methodologies of behavioral pharmacology and the analysis of human verbal behavior in order to investigate the processes by which human verbal behavior and cognition can affect individuals' attempts to change their habitual use of drugs. Vebal/Cognitive processes are pervasive in most human activities and can alter the effects of direct learning procedures. However, few studies have experimentally modeled the processes by which human language and cognition influence substance use and behavioral change. Exciting new developments in the behavioral analysis of human language and cognition offer a theoretical basis and experimental framework for directly investigating verbal/cognitive processes under controlled laboratory conditions. This proposal will provide Dr. Carpenter with the necessary training to develop an experimental platform for modeling the verbal/cognitive processes associated with drug use and translate these models to the clinical context to investigate verbal/cognitive mechanisms of change during drug treatment. Dr. Carpenter proposes career development activities that build on his background in clinical psychology and research and capitalize on the resources of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute to promote his long-term goal of becoming an independent clinical investigator. As part of a comprehensive educational plan, Dr. Carpenter will receive intensive mentoring in the ethical conduct of research, designing and conducting experiments that combine human behavioral pharmacology and the analysis of verbal behavior research methods, instruction in psycholinguistics and psychotherapy process research, and grant writing and management. The short-term goals are to acquire the skills to adapt and test an experimental model of human verbal/cognition in a human laboratory self-administration paradigm and employ this model in a clinical context to predict treatment outcome among cocaine dependent patients enrolled in a CBT intervention. Relevance to Public Health: Cocaine use is fairly prevalent in the US and is associated with significant psychosocial problems. Identifying factors that promote behavioral change can improve our prevention and intervention efforts and have a positive impact on public health.