Current Drug Targets - Cns & Neurological Disorders, 2005
Drug dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder, manifested as an intense desire for the drug... more Drug dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder, manifested as an intense desire for the drug, with impaired ability to control the urges to take the drug, even at the expense of serious adverse consequences. These behavioral abnormalities develop gradually during repeated exposure to a drug of abuse, and can persist for months or years after discontinuation of use, suggesting that this addiction can be considered a form of drug-induced neural plasticity. Many neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and endogenous opioid peptides, have been implicated in the effects of the various drugs of abuse. Dopamine has been consistently associated with the reinforcing effects of most of them. There is, in addition, a growing body of evidence that the endogenous cannabinoid system might participate in the motivational and dopamine-releasing effects of several drugs of abuse. This review will discuss the latest advances on the mechanisms of cannabinoid dependence and the possible role of the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of addiction, not only to marijuana but also to the other common illicit drugs.
Chromosome analysis was conducted for peripheral lymphocytes of 23 printers exposed to toluene co... more Chromosome analysis was conducted for peripheral lymphocytes of 23 printers exposed to toluene concentrations of 590 mg/m3 in a rotary machine workshop and to rotogravure printing inks. The percentages of aberrant cells were 2.30 in the printers and 1.46 in the control group (n = 22) (p < .05). The concentration of hippuric acid in printers was significantly higher than in the control group (p < .01), and the level of blood toluene at the end of the workshift was 0.500 mg/l. The authors also examined rotogravure printing inks-considered a potential source of genotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons because they contained carbon black-their use in printing plants, and previous documentation of increased chromosomal aberrations in rotogravure printers. Only milligrams of fluorene and phenanthrene per gram of the printing inks were found; no polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with carcinogenic properties were discovered in the inks. The authors used Salmonella typhimurium indicator strains TA 98, TA 100, TA 1537, and YG 1041 in spot tests and indicator strains TA 98 and TA 100 in plate-incorporation assays to determine that there was no bacterial mutagenicity of all four colors of rotogravure inks. Urinary mutagenicity, which was evaluated with a microsuspension assay containing YG 1041 indicator strain both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation, was also studied. No significant difference in bacterial mutagenicity was found between the exposed and control groups. The increased percentage of aberrant cells in printers can be explained by exposure to genotoxicants that are not excreted in urine. Toluene was the most likely cause of the aberration.
We developed a new instrument, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), to assess 10 behavioral dist... more We developed a new instrument, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), to assess 10 behavioral disturbances occurring in dementia patients: delusions, hallucinations, dysphoria, anxiety, agitation/aggression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability/lability, apathy, and aberrant motor activity. The NPI uses a screening strategy to minimize administration time, examining and scoring only those behavioral domains with positive responses to screening questions. Both the frequency and the severity of each behavior are determined. Information for the NPI is obtained from a caregiver familiar with the patient's behavior. Studies reported here demonstrate the content and concurrent validity as well as between-rater, test-retest, and internal consistency reliability; the instrument is both valid and reliable. The NPI has the advantages of evaluating a wider range of psychopathology than existing instruments, soliciting information that may distinguish among different etiologies of dementia, differentiating between severity and frequency of behavioral changes, and minimizing administration time.
Current Drug Targets - Cns & Neurological Disorders, 2005
Drug dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder, manifested as an intense desire for the drug... more Drug dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder, manifested as an intense desire for the drug, with impaired ability to control the urges to take the drug, even at the expense of serious adverse consequences. These behavioral abnormalities develop gradually during repeated exposure to a drug of abuse, and can persist for months or years after discontinuation of use, suggesting that this addiction can be considered a form of drug-induced neural plasticity. Many neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and endogenous opioid peptides, have been implicated in the effects of the various drugs of abuse. Dopamine has been consistently associated with the reinforcing effects of most of them. There is, in addition, a growing body of evidence that the endogenous cannabinoid system might participate in the motivational and dopamine-releasing effects of several drugs of abuse. This review will discuss the latest advances on the mechanisms of cannabinoid dependence and the possible role of the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of addiction, not only to marijuana but also to the other common illicit drugs.
Chromosome analysis was conducted for peripheral lymphocytes of 23 printers exposed to toluene co... more Chromosome analysis was conducted for peripheral lymphocytes of 23 printers exposed to toluene concentrations of 590 mg/m3 in a rotary machine workshop and to rotogravure printing inks. The percentages of aberrant cells were 2.30 in the printers and 1.46 in the control group (n = 22) (p < .05). The concentration of hippuric acid in printers was significantly higher than in the control group (p < .01), and the level of blood toluene at the end of the workshift was 0.500 mg/l. The authors also examined rotogravure printing inks-considered a potential source of genotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons because they contained carbon black-their use in printing plants, and previous documentation of increased chromosomal aberrations in rotogravure printers. Only milligrams of fluorene and phenanthrene per gram of the printing inks were found; no polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with carcinogenic properties were discovered in the inks. The authors used Salmonella typhimurium indicator strains TA 98, TA 100, TA 1537, and YG 1041 in spot tests and indicator strains TA 98 and TA 100 in plate-incorporation assays to determine that there was no bacterial mutagenicity of all four colors of rotogravure inks. Urinary mutagenicity, which was evaluated with a microsuspension assay containing YG 1041 indicator strain both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation, was also studied. No significant difference in bacterial mutagenicity was found between the exposed and control groups. The increased percentage of aberrant cells in printers can be explained by exposure to genotoxicants that are not excreted in urine. Toluene was the most likely cause of the aberration.
We developed a new instrument, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), to assess 10 behavioral dist... more We developed a new instrument, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), to assess 10 behavioral disturbances occurring in dementia patients: delusions, hallucinations, dysphoria, anxiety, agitation/aggression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability/lability, apathy, and aberrant motor activity. The NPI uses a screening strategy to minimize administration time, examining and scoring only those behavioral domains with positive responses to screening questions. Both the frequency and the severity of each behavior are determined. Information for the NPI is obtained from a caregiver familiar with the patient's behavior. Studies reported here demonstrate the content and concurrent validity as well as between-rater, test-retest, and internal consistency reliability; the instrument is both valid and reliable. The NPI has the advantages of evaluating a wider range of psychopathology than existing instruments, soliciting information that may distinguish among different etiologies of dementia, differentiating between severity and frequency of behavioral changes, and minimizing administration time.
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