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Biomedical subjects

J M Schmitz

Publications and source records attributed to J M Schmitz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Fluoxetine treatment of cocaine-dependent patients with major depressive disorder.

Sixty-eight male and female individuals with both DSM-IV diagnoses of cocaine dependence and major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to one of two medication conditions (placebo vs. 40 mg per day) as part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical efficacy trial of fluoxetine for the treatment of this dual diagnosis. During the 12-week outpatient treatment phase all participants also received individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy targeting both cocaine use and depression. Depressive symptoms remitted as a function of time in treatment, with no significant medication effects found. Fewer cocaine positive urines were found during the first 6 weeks of treatment in the placebo group compared with the 40-mg group. Cocaine use and depressive symptoms during treatment were significantly correlated. The findings fail to support the role of fluoxetine for treatment of cocaine use and depression in dually-diagnosed patients.

Adolescent↗

The impact of impulsivity on cocaine use and retention in treatment.

To determine whether impulsivity was related to severity of drug use and treatment outcome, 50 cocaine dependent subjects underwent baseline measures of severity of current cocaine use and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). The hypothesis of the study was that there would be a significant correlation between impulsivity and cocaine use severity. As predicted, there was a significant correlation between BIS-11 total scores and self-reported average daily cocaine use as well as cocaine withdrawal symptoms. A subset of 35 patients underwent a 12-week double-blind placebo controlled trial of buspirone and group therapy. Subjects with high baseline impulsivity remained in the study a significantly shorter period than did subjects with lower baseline impulsivity. This study shows that impulsivity is a significant predictor of cocaine use and treatment retention, and suggests the need for targeting impulsivity in cocaine dependence treatment.

Adult↗

Motivational interviewing with cocaine-dependent patients: a pilot study.

A brief motivational interviewing (MI) intervention was evaluated within the context of an outpatient, cocaine-detoxification program. MI was hypothesized to assist patients in completing the detoxification program and to improve outcomes during subsequent treatment. Participants (N = 105) were randomly assigned to MI or to detox-only conditions. Results indicated that although participants completed the detoxification program at equal rates, completers who received MI increased use of behavioral coping strategies and had fewer cocaine-positive urine samples on beginning the primary treatment. MI patients with lower initial motivation were more likely to complete detoxification.

Adult↗

Psychiatric aspects of impulsivity.

OBJECTIVE: The authors discuss the relationship of impulsivity to psychiatric disorders and present selected hypotheses regarding the reasons for these relationships. METHOD: Previous research has shown significantly higher levels of impulsivity among patients with conduct disorder, personality disorders, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorder, compared to other psychiatric patients or healthy comparison subjects. A literature review of the theoretical bases of the relationship between these disorders and impulsivity is presented. Measurements of impulsivity and treatment options are discussed in relation to the physiology of impulsivity and the disorders in which it is a prominent feature. RESULTS: Impulsivity, as defined on the basis of a biopsychosocial approach, is a key feature of several psychiatric disorders. Behavioral and pharmacological interventions that are effective for treating impulsivity should be incorporated into treatment plans for these disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The high comorbidity of impulsivity and selected psychiatric disorders, including personality disorders, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorder, is in a large part related to the association between impulsivity and the biological substrates of these disorders. Before treatment studies on impulsivity can move forward, measures of impulsivity that capture the core aspects of this behavior need to be refined and tested on the basis of an ideologically neutral model of impulsivity.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

Cocaine dependence with and without comorbid depression: a comparison of patient characteristics.

This study compared depressed cocaine dependent patients (CD, N=50) with patients who were cocaine dependent only (CO, N=101) on pre-treatment psychiatric symptomatology, substance use, and psychosocial functioning. Results indicated that the CD group had more overall distress and poorer psychiatric functioning than the CO group. CD individuals scored higher on all subscales of the SCL-90-R, had a higher prevalence of antisocial personality disorder, reported higher craving for cocaine, lower self-efficacy to refrain from drug use, and lower perceived social support. These findings support the need for more intensive treatment approaches for dually-diagnosed patients.

Adult↗

Effects of long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitors in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease on the histological findings in the lower oesophagus.

BACKGROUND: The application of hyperplasia of the basal cell layer and elongation of the papillae in the squamous epithelium of the distal oesophagus, as histological criteria for the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), continues to be controversial. An unanswered question is whether these changes may regress under long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPI). This fact prompted us to investigate the effect of PPI treatment on the histological changes observed in the lower oesophagus. METHODS: 295 patients with endoscopically confirmed erosive GORD were investigated by endoscopy/biopsy prior to and during the course of a 12-month PPI treatment regimen (8 weeks acute treatment with 30 mg lansoprazole/day followed by long-term treatment with 15 or 30 mg lansoprazole or 20 mg omeprazole/day). The parameters studied were the frequency of ulcers and erosions and the hyperplasia of the basal cell layer and elongation of the papillae prior to treatment and on day 56 (D56), after 6 months (M6) and after 12 months (M12) of treatment. RESULTS: In the various treatment groups, the results showed no statistically significant differences. Ulcers and erosions (prior to treatment 21% and 31%, respectively) were detected statistically significantly less frequently under PPI treatment (ulcers, D56: 1%, M6 and M12, 0%; erosions, D56: 2%, M6: 4%, M12, 3%). While high-grade hyperplasia of the basal cell layer and elongation of the papillae was found in 51% of the cases prior to treatment, the corresponding figures were only 3% (D56, M6) and 2% (M12). In contrast, the percentage of cases with normal oesophageal epithelium increased from 8% before treatment to 55% (D56), 66% (M6) and 63% (M12). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows not only that erosions and ulcers heal under PPI treatment, but also that hyperplasia of the basal cell layer and elongation of papillae in the squamous epithelium of the oesophageal mucosa may normalize, and are thus presumably not 'normal physiological variants'.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Laboratory measures of methylphenidate effects in cocaine-dependent patients receiving treatment.

Two experiments examined the effects of methylphenidate in male and female patients enrolled in an outpatient treatment program for primary cocaine dependence. The first study was a component of a double-blind efficacy trial wherein 57 patients were first tested in a human laboratory for their initial responsiveness to medication. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or methylphenidate treatment and received their first dose in the human laboratory environment before continuing in outpatient treatment. Methylphenidate was given as a 20-mg sustained-release dose (twice daily) plus an additional 5-mg immediate-release dose combined with the morning dose. Methylphenidate increased heart rate and subjective ratings; however, the subjective effects were primarily of a "dysphoric" nature, and significant effects were limited to increases in anxiety, depression, and anger on the Profile of Mood States; shaky/jittery ratings on a visual analog scale; and dysphoria on the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) scale of the Addiction Research Center Inventory. Methylphenidate did not increase cocaine craving nor ratings suggesting abuse potential (i.e., Morphine-Benzedrine Group or drug-liking scores, etc.). None of the drug effects observed in the human laboratory was of clinical concern, and no subject was precluded from continuing in the outpatient study. After outpatient treatment completion, 12 patients were brought back into a second double-blind human laboratory study in which three doses (15, 30, and 60 mg) of immediate-release methylphenidate were administered in an ascending series preceded and followed by placebo. Methylphenidate produced dose-related increases in heart rate, subjective ratings of shaky/jittery, and LSD/dysphoria without significantly altering cocaine craving or stimulant euphoria ratings. These results suggest that stimulant substitution-type approaches to the treatment of cocaine dependence are not necessarily contraindicated because of cardiovascular toxicity or medication abuse potential. However, they also suggest that the subjective effects of methylphenidate may not be positive enough for an adequate replacement approach.

Adult↗

Risperidone for the treatment of cocaine dependence: randomized, double-blind trial.

A partial blockade of the multiple actions of cocaine is one strategy by which cocaine dependence may be treated. Risperidone, a 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine D2 antagonist, is an atypical antipsychotic and was a candidate medication for the treatment of cocaine dependence. One hundred ninety-three cocaine-dependent subjects were enrolled in a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects initially received either placebo or 4 or 8 mg of risperidone, with a subsequent change to active doses of 2 mg and 4 mg. Subjects attended the clinic twice each week, provided urine samples, obtained medication, and underwent one behavioral therapy session per week. The study was terminated at the interim analysis. Retention was worse for the 4- and 8-mg active medication groups. Side effects were primarily associated with the 8-mg dose, although neither 2 mg nor 4 mg was well accepted by subjects. There was no reduction in cocaine use associated with risperidone. The results suggest that although antagonists might be a useful treatment approach, such as in the treatment of opiate dependence, risperidone is unlikely to find broad acceptance with the treatment-seeking population.

Adult↗

Smoking cessation in women with cardiac risk: a comparative study of two theoretically based therapies.

This gender-specific research study compares the relative effectiveness of two theory-based interventions targeting women who smoke. Women with coronary artery disease (CAD; n = 53) or CAD risk factors (n = 107) were randomly assigned to either coping-skills Relapse Prevention (RP) treatment or an educational/supportive treatment based on Health Belief Model (HBM) principles. RP was comparable, but not superior to HBM treatment, as indicated by the lack of differential smoking outcomes at 3 and 6 months. RP was more effective than HBM for women with low self-efficacy, as predicted. The presence of a smoking-related disease had a substantial effect on smoking status, in that the odds of being abstinent at 6 months were 2.2 times greater for non-diagnosed women when compared with CAD women. These findings indicate that more potent relapse prevention interventions are needed to increase cessation rates in women who smoke, especially those with established heart disease.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Cocaine craving: an evaluation across treatment phases.

This study examined the relationship between verbal reports of craving and actual cocaine use across different treatment phases using a longitudinal design. Participants (n = 32) were cocaine-dependent patients who completed an inpatient chemical dependency program and then participated in an 8-week outpatient relapse prevention program. Craving ratings and urine samples were collected during hospitalization, at 12 weekly outpatient treatment sessions, and at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24-week follow-up. Craving increased significantly from inpatient to outpatient treatment. Cocaine-abstinent participants reported lower craving across outpatient treatment and follow-up compared to moderate and heavy cocaine users. The overall relationship between craving and total proportion of cocaine positive urines was highly significant. Implications of these findings for advancing our theoretical and practical knowledge about craving and cocaine use, are explored.

Adult↗

Medication take-home doses and contingency management.

Two studies examined contingent take-home medication doses during treatment of opiate or cocaine dependence. In the first study, methadone maintenance patients were randomly assigned to one of two 8-week baseline take-home (TH) conditions differing in frequency of clinic visits per week. This was followed by a 12-week contingency management (CM) procedure in which frequent THs resulted from drug-free urines. Participants receiving more frequent THs during baseline had lower illicit drug use during the first 6 weeks of CM. In the second study, fluoxetine (0-, 20-, 40-mg) TH doses were similarly contingent in treatment of cocaine dependence. The 40-mg group used less cocaine during contingency than did other groups. The combination of fluoxetine and environmental contingencies may produce benefit where neither alone is sufficient.

Adult↗

Context modulates effects of nicotine abstinence on human cooperative responding.

The effects of ad libitum smoking, abstinence, and 0-, 2-, and 4-mg nicotine gum on human cooperative responding were examined. Participants were provided the opportunity to respond cooperatively or independently to episodes initiated by a computer-simulated other person. Participants could also initiate episodes that ostensibly provided the other person the opportunity to respond cooperatively or independently of the participant. Working cooperatively added points to both the participant's and other person's counters. Working independently added points only to the participant's counter. Results demonstrated that abstinence decreased cooperative responses during episodes initiated by the computer-stimulated other person. Relative to abstinence and placebo gum conditions, ad libitum smoking and administration of 2- and 4-mg nicotine gum increased these cooperative responses. No gender differences were observed. The number of cooperative episodes initiated by the participants was not affected significantly by the smoking or gum conditions. Nicotine increased reports of vigor and decreased abstinence-engendered reports of depression, anger, confusion, and tension. The difference in the effects of nicotine abstinence on the 2 classes of cooperative responding demonstrates that the social contingency mediates the behavioral effects of abstinence.

Adolescent↗

Changes in Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis in the antrum and corpus during 12 months of treatment with omeprazole and lansoprazole in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that treatment with omeprazole leads to aggravation of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in the corpus. Whether this also applies to lansoprazole, and whether, in comparison with omeprazole, there are differences in therapy-induced gastritis parameter changes remains unclear. METHODS: In 111 patients infected with H. pylori and with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease we investigated the gastritis parameters in antral and corpus mucosa before and after 2, 6 and 12 months of treatment with 15 or 30 mg lansoprazole or 20 mg omeprazole/day. RESULTS: In all groups the different treatments had a similar effect: in both regions of the stomach, suppression or partial elimination of H. pylori was seen. However, improvement in the inflammation was observed only in the antrum, while in the corpus most gastritis parameters worsened significantly. There was no increase in intestinal metaplasia or atrophy. CONCLUSION: In common with omeprazole, lansoprazole aggravates the gastritis parameters in the corpus but improves them in the antrum. Treatment with proton pump inhibitors does not result in any increase in the incidence of atrophy/intestinal metaplasia. However, as gastritis predominating in the corpus seems to be associated with an elevated carcinogenic risk, consideration should be given to prophylactic H. pylori eradication therapy before initiating proton pump inhibitor treatment.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗