Neuropsychological Effects of Binge-Smoked Cocaine

描述（由申请人提供）：项目概述：已知可卡因中毒会产生认知功能的改变，并且通常认为长期滥用可卡因会导致临床上显著的认知缺陷。然而，过去的准实验研究得出了不同的结果，而且没有进行任何实验研究来检查可卡因暴饮（一种常见的滥用模式）对神经心理的影响。这项指导研究科学家奖的目标是提高Nehal P. Vadhan博士正在发展的实验研究技能。2005年7月，Vadhan博士加入哥伦比亚大学药物滥用学系，担任精神病学临床心理学助理教授。为了熟练掌握行为药理学技术并成为一名独立的药物滥用研究人员，Vadhan博士将需要指导和正式的课程学习。在Richard W. Foltin博士的赞助下，在其他高级研究人员的指导下，Vadhan博士将在人类实验室中进行精神活性物质研究的方法学、安全性和伦理、实验室环境中研究神经心理功能的方法学、生物统计学以及当前神经生物学的概念和理论方面进行培训。在接下来的五年里，瓦德汉博士计划在指导下开展一项研究，研究大量吸食可卡因对人类滥用者的神经心理影响。他的申请提出了三项研究：一项是横断面研究，比较可卡因使用者和非可卡因使用者的神经心理功能，前者有高水平和低水平的可卡因使用经验；另一项是两项实验研究，在实验中，对可卡因依赖的人类志愿者进行神经心理功能的检查，同时他们在实验室中吸食可卡因的时间长短不同，并在戒烟期间吸食可卡因。这些研究将包括对可卡因“暴饮暴食”的神经心理学影响进行系统和全面的调查，并将确定需要特别临床注意的可卡因使用模式。该培训计划将使Vadhan博士能够发展独立的临床和实验研究事业，专注于他的目标，即了解药物滥用障碍的神经心理学。相关性：拟议的项目将有助于更好地了解可卡因对认知能力的影响，这是一个引起重大公共卫生关注的领域。了解这种影响也有助于对可卡因滥用者进行临床治疗。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary: Cocaine intoxication is known to produce alterations in cognitive function and is commonly thought to produce clinically significant cognitive deficits as a consequence of long-term abuse. However, past quasi-experimental studies have yielded mixed findings and no experimental studies have been conducted to examine neuropsychological effects of cocaine bingeing, a common pattern of abuse. The goal of this mentored research scientist award is to enhance the developing experimental research skills of Nehal P. Vadhan, Ph.D. In July, 2005, Dr. Vadhan joined the Division on Substance Abuse faculty at Columbia University as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry. To gain facility with behavioral pharmacology techniques and become an independent substance abuse researcher, Dr. Vadhan will need mentoring and formal course work. Under the sponsorship of Dr. Richard W. Foltin, and with guidance from other senior researchers, Dr. Vadhan will train in methodology, safety and ethics of conducting research with psychoactive substances in the human laboratory, methodology of studying neuropsychological function in laboratory settings, biostatistics, and current concepts and theory in neurobiology. Over the next five years, Dr. Vadhan plans to conduct mentored research on the neuropsychological effects of binge-smoked cocaine in human abusers. His application proposes three studies: a cross-sectional study comparing neuropsychological function in cocaine users with high and low levels of previous experience with cocaine to a non-cocaine-using control group, and two experimental studies, where neuropsychological function will be examined in cocaine-dependent human volunteers while they smoke cocaine during binges of varying length in the laboratory and during periods of abstinence. These studies will comprise a systematic and comprehensive investigation of the neuropsychological effects of cocaine "bingeing", and will identify patterns of cocaine use that warrant special clinical attention. This training plan will allow Dr. Vadhan to develop an independent clinical and experimental research career focused on his goal to understand the neuropsychology of substance abuse disorders. Relevance: The proposed projects will allow for a greater understanding of cocaine's effects on cognitive ability, an area of significant public health concern. Knowledge of such effects may also assist in clinical treatment of cocaine-abusing individuals.