101615: Cocaine Research Update: Collection IV (NIDA Notes)

About the Course:

This course is based on three NIDA Notes articles. NIDA Notes is a large collection of brief, relevant articles focusing on current drug abuse treatment evidence.

Fewer Young Adults Abuse Cocaine and Methamphetamine, National Survey Finds explains how the percentage of young adults who said they were abusing cocaine or methamphetamine dropped substantially from 2006 to 2007. However, drug abuse overall remained constant.

Long-Term Cocaine Self-Administration Depresses Brain Activity describes how neural activity of monkeys diminishes in regions linked with cognition and emotion.

Chronic Cocaine Abusers Have Occult Insomnia in Early Abstinence explains how patients in early treatment may NOT recognize their own sleep impairment or its impact on their performance.

All three articles are contained in one PDF.

Journal/Publisher:

NIDA

Publication Date:

December 2008 and March 2008

Author

Lori Whitten

About the Author:

Lori Whitten is a NIDA Notes staff writer.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially addiction counselors, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about how fewer young adults abuse cocaine and methamphetamine, long-term cocaine self-administration depresses brain activity, and how chronic cocaine abusers have occult insomnia in early abstinence. It is appropriate for all levels of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Acknowledge that fewer young adults abuse cocaine and methamphetamine.

2. Explain how long-term cocaine self-administration depresses brain activity.

3. Describe how chronic cocaine abusers have occult insomnia in early abstinence.