Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008. / Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Prepared for: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Bibliography: leaves 163 - 177.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008. / Prepared for: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Bibliography: leaves 163 - 177. Also available online via the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität Berlin, 1980.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in the branch of Psychiatry. Johannesburg November 2017. / Background: Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders (SUD) commonly occur together, termed dual diagnosis, this is associated with poorer functioning, higher suicidality rates, hospitilisation, greater risk for crime and high health risk behavior. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample size of 150 participants, gathered over 4 months. Data was collected with a structured clinical interview, and inpatient hospital records. Alcohol and drug misuse was screened for using the AUDIT and DUDIT respectively. A descriptive analysis was then made, prevalence of substance misuse was determined, and comparisons were made between those with and without substance misuse. Results: The study group was predominantly young, single, african, unemployed men. The leading presenting symptoms were psychosis, aggression and mania, requiring mostly involuntary admissions, with a mean of 14 days hospital stay. Twothirds of the participants were classified as substance misusers, these were significantly younger men, more often brought to hospital by the police or ambulance, and showed higher rates of substance use and substance-induced disorders. Conclusion: This highlights the benefit of using screening tools for diagnosing substance use, and the need for improved management of those with a dual diagnosis. / LG2018

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [125]-138).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-133).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006. / Prepared for: School of Pharmacy. Bibliography: leaves 107-112. Also available online.

The role of ascending catecholamine systems in the punishing and reinforcing properties of some opiates and stimulant drugs was investigated. In one series of experiments, the reinforcing properties were evaluated through the use of intravenous self-administration procedures while the punishing properties were evaluated through the conditioned taste aversion procedure. In one experiment fifteen rats were trained to press a lever to receive an intravenous injection of cocaine and after this behaviour had stabilized, each rat received bilateral intracerebral injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the n. accumbens. These lesions produced a marked disruption of cocaine self-administration which in most cases returned to baseline rates after 1-3 weeks. This recovery was found to be negatively correlated with the levels of dopamine (DA) remaining in the n. accumbens (r=-.81). The animals with the severest depletion of DA failed to show recovery of cocaine intake. This disruption of cocaine self-administration behaviour was shown not to be due to a non-specific effect on operant responding, because the same animals which failed to self-administer cocaine continued to self-administer apomorphine at pre-lesion rates. To evaluate whether noradrenergic (NA) mechanisms serve a critical role in cocaine self-administration, four rats received two bilateral injections of 6-OHDA aimed at the dorsal and ventral NA bundles. Despite causing near total depletion of forebrain NA, these lesions did not significantly affect the rate or pattern of cocaine self-administration. These data do not support the hypothesis that forebrain NA mechanisms subserve stimulant-based reinforcement, and the evidence in favor of such a view is discussed. In a separate series of experiments, it was observed that depletion of central DA and NA by intraventricular injections of 6-OHDA severely attenuated a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) induced by amphetamine. This attenuation was not the result of a general learning deficit because animals with identical treatments acquired a CTA when LiCl was used as the punishing stimulus. Selective depletion of hippocampal and cortical NA through intracerebral infusions of 6-OHDA, which spare DA systems, has no effect on an amphetamine-induced CTA. It is, therefore, argued that central DA, rather than NA, mechanisms are involved in the punishing property of amphetamine. The possibility that both the punishing and reinforcing effects of psychomotor stimulants may be mediated by the same systems in the brain is discussed. Depletion of forebrain NA was found to attenuate the CTA induced by 10 mg/kg morphine. This effect suggested some intriguing possibilities regarding NA and the reinforcing and punishing properties of opiates. Self-administration of heroin was not affected, however, by depletion of forebrain NA following 6-OHDA lesions, suggesting that forebrain NA does not play a critical role in opiate reinforcement. The DA receptor blocker, pimozide, was found to produce an apparent blockade of cocaine reinforcement, but pimozide had no effect on heroin self-administration. It therefore appears DA mechanisms are not critical to heroin reinforcement, and that there are multiple systems in the brain which can subserve drug reward. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Yu-fui Tsang. / Title also in Chinese. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1978. / Bibliography: leaves 73-80.