Browsing by Subject "Drug Abuse"

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    Circadian entrainment by food and drugs of abuse
    (Elsevier, 2019-08-01) Gillman, Andrea G.; Rebec, George V.; Pecoraro, Norman C.; Kosobud, Ann E. K.; Neurology, School of Medicine
    Circadian rhythms organize behavior and physiological processes to be appropriate to the predictable cycle of daily events. These rhythms are entrained by stimuli that provide time of day cues (zeitgebers), such as light, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle and associated rhythms. But other events, including meals, social cues, and bouts of locomotor activity, can act as zeitgebers. Recent evidence shows that most organs and tissues contain cells that are capable of some degree of independent circadian cycling, suggesting the circadian system is more broadly and diffusely distributed. Within laboratory studies of behavior, circadian rhythms tend to be treated as a complication to be minimized, but they offer a useful model of predictable shifts in behavioral tendencies. In the present review, we summarize the evidence that formed the basis for a hypothesis that drugs of abuse can entrain circadian rhythms and describe the outcome of a series of experiments designed to test that hypothesis. We propose that such drug-entrained rhythms may contribute to demonstrated daily variations in drug metabolism, tolerance, and sensitivity to drug reward. Of particular importance, these rhythms may be evoked by a single episode of drug taking, strengthen with repeated episodes, and reemerge after long periods of abstinence, thereby contributing to drug abuse, addiction, and relapse.
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    People with substance use disorders face greater challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (The Conversation, 2020-05-19) Cyders, Melissa A.; Ladd, Kevin L.; Fry, Melissa S.; Psychology, School of Science
    The closures of businesses and states throughout the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been stressful, costly and challenging for many. But the restrictions do not affect everyone equally. Particularly vulnerable are those with substance use disorders. With schedules disrupted, medical and psychological care curtailed and support networks shut down, the COVID-19 pandemic may jeopardize their recovery.