Recent ucsdpsych items

Substrain-specific behavioral variation in female C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 mice

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Inbred mouse strains are essential to biomedical research, yet accumulating mutations and substrain divergence introduce phenotypic variability that can confound experimental outcomes. This study investigates behavioral differences among 13 inbred mouse substrains: eight C57BL/6 (B6) and five C57BL/10 (B10), bred in-house to control for environmental effects. Female F1 offspring underwent a standardized battery of behavioral assays—open field test (OFT), locomotor response to cocaine (LOCO), fear conditioning (FC), prepulse inhibition (PPI), and the forced swim test (FST)—chosen for their relevance to models of psychiatric and substance use disorders. Significant substrain-specific differences were observed across all behaviors. In the OFT, B6 substrains such as C57BL/6J showed higher activity than others, while B10 substrains exhibited distinct edge-zone preference patterns. Cocaine-induced locomotor stimulation varied significantly among B6 substrains but not among B10. In FC,...

Preliminary Evidence that Combination Oral Contraceptive Use in Young Adult Women Is Associated with the Endocrine Stress Response to High-Dose Alcohol

Fri, 8 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Preliminary Evidence that Combination Oral Contraceptive Use in Young Adult Women Is Associated with the Endocrine Stress Response to High-Dose Alcohol

Analyses of astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle transporter levels in brain tissues from people with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Objectives With the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV (PWH) are living longer. As they age, they increasingly face age-related comorbidities, including neurodegenerative conditions. The astrocyte–neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) is a key mechanism that couples astrocytic glycolysis to neuronal oxidative metabolism, ensuring an adequate energy supply for synaptic activity. Disruption of this system has been implicated in both Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment (HIV-NCI), conditions characterized by some overlapping cognitive deficits yet distinct pathological drivers. Methods We investigated the expression of major ANLS transporters, including glucose transporters (GLUT1, GLUT3) and monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1, MCT2, MCT4), in postmortem frontal cortex from individuals with AD and PWH. There were two HIV cohorts based on viral suppression (suppressed/non-suppressed), and both were stratified by neurocognitive...

Longitudinal neurocognitive trajectories in a large cohort of youth who use cannabis: combining self-report and toxicology

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Adolescents experience extensive neurocognitive development, with cannabis use potentially impacting developmental trajectories. Here, we comprehensively assess the influence of adolescent cannabis use onset on neurocognitive trajectories and consider how recent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) may influence neurocognition. We use the large, diverse longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study dataset, combining self-reported substance use with objective toxicological tests (hair, urine, breath, oral fluid). Longitudinal mixed methods of the full cohort (n = 11,036, ages 9-17; 47% Female/53% Male) investigate time-varying cannabis onset on neurocognitive performance. Primary model covariates include sociodemographics, family history of substance use disorder, prenatal substance exposure, early psychopathology, other substance use, and nesting for participant ID, study site, and family ID. Secondarily, in participants with repeat toxicological...

Essential papers in women's mental health: an educational resource for physicians and trainees.

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article provides a high-yield, educational resource on Women's Mental Health (WMH). By facilitating access to specialized psychiatric knowledge in a concise format, this annotated bibliography facilitates the widespread dissemination and uptake of essential WMH literature, supports medical training, and contributes to the delivery of evidence-based care. RECENT FINDINGS: There is increasing recognition that medical providers must be prepared to identify and address the mental health needs of women during the perinatal period and throughout the reproductive lifespan. Despite this, there is a notable lack of formal WMH-related education in medical training. SUMMARY: The WMH Special Interest Group of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry convened a workgroup to identify foundational WMH literature. Using expert nominations and a structured survey, 40 articles across 15 categories were evaluated for clinical importance and quality of scholarship. Five...

74. Successful Use of High-Dose Buprenorphine to Manage Precipitated Opioid Withdrawal Caused by Naltrexone LAI Administration

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

74. Successful Use of High-Dose Buprenorphine to Manage Precipitated Opioid Withdrawal Caused by Naltrexone LAI Administration

Effects of Noninvasive Cervical Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Cognitive Performance But Not Brain Activation in Healthy Adults

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVES: While preliminary evidence suggests that noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) may enhance cognition, to our knowledge, no study has directly assessed the effects of nVNS on brain function and cognitive performance in healthy individuals. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether nVNS enhances complex visuospatial problem solving in a normative sample. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine underlying neural substrates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants received transcutaneous cervical nVNS (N = 15) or sham (N = 15) stimulation during a 3 T fMRI scan. Stimulation lasted for 2 min at 24 V for nVNS and at 4.5 V for sham. Subjects completed a matrix reasoning (MR) task in the scanner and a forced-choice recognition task outside the scanner. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess group differences in cognitive performance. And linear mixed effects (LMEs) regression analysis was used to assess main and interaction...

Lexical tone is different and special: evidence from a speeded repeated production task

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Priming experiments and speech error studies have found cross-linguistic differences in phonological encoding. Notably, the first selectable unit (the proximate unit) differs between English and Mandarin Chinese, with the former selecting segmental units like consonants (Cs) and vowels (Vs) first, while the latter selects syllables as a whole. Further, Mandarin Chinese is tonal, meaning the same syllable is a different word depending on the tone it is spoken with. However, it remains unclear how tone is represented and processed during phonological encoding in speech production - attached to the vowel or CV, or processed independently. Across three experiments, we investigated these questions by measuring how quickly speakers produced sequences of tone-bearing CV syllables. Unlike English, speed of production was not directly linked to plan reuse (see Sevald & Dell, 1994). Instead, speech rate was robustly faster when each CV was produced with only one tone (i.e.,...

Correction: Breath-Focused Mindfulness and Compassion Training in Parent-Child Dyads: Pilot Intervention Study

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Correction: Breath-Focused Mindfulness and Compassion Training in Parent-Child Dyads: Pilot Intervention Study

The 10‐year stability of three subscale scores of the Self‐Report of the Effects of Alcohol measure and their relationship to changes in drinking quantities over the same period

Thu, 9 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVES: The retrospective self-report of the effects of alcohol (SRE) questionnaire generates three scores reflecting drinking quantities required for effects: SRE-5 (first five times of drinking), SRE-3 (recent 3 months of drinking), and SRE-H (heaviest drinking). Data to date indicate that SRE-5 scores, potentially reflecting genetic effects, have high reliabilities across 9 months. Data presented here evaluated the consistencies of all three SRE scores obtained five times over a decade. METHOD: Participants were 331 young adults (45% male) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) Prospective Study of youth who completed the SRE and were evaluated at least five times using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism interview. Analyses documented changes in SRE scores, changes in drinking quantities, and the relationship between these measures over time using repeated measures ANOVA and regression analyses. RESULTS: SRE-5 scores...

What We Have Learned About Adolescent Mental Health and Where We Are Going After a Decade with the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This review synthesizes ten years of research utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, emphasizing how the study’s comprehensive, longitudinal design supports a multivariate understanding of adolescent mental health. We focus on studies that have examined the collective or interacting relations of multiple factors to mental health in adolescents, as this unique dataset allows for examining more complex configurations of risk factors. We highlight key findings from ABCD data that have deepened our understanding of the risk factors shaping mental health outcomes in adolescence. Findings underscore the complex interplay of biological, psychological, and/or contextual factors on adolescent mental health. We conclude with a forward-looking discussion of emerging research priorities and opportunities to further leverage the ABCD dataset to inform developmental theory, prevention, and intervention efforts.

Do Different Types of Potentially Traumatic Events Hold Different Relationships With Substance Use in Adolescence?

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Much of prior literature examines potentially traumatic event (PTE) exposure as a cumulative risk, though PTEs may not have an equal impact on substance use (SU). In the current study, we test McLaughlin & Sheridan’s (2016) model in a sample of 11,800 community youth (ages 9-15 years old) enrolled in the nationwide, longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine the impact of PTE types on SU. We analyze concurrent associations between PTE types (physical abuse, domestic violence, community violence, emotional neglect, poverty, and institutionalization / deprivation) and substance use (pooling alcohol, cannabis, or nicotine) and prospective associations whereby exposure to different PTE types predicts SU one year later (self-medication hypothesis). For concurrent associations, we find emotional neglect and physical abuse were significantly positively related to SU. In terms of prospective associations, institutionalization / deprivation, emotional...

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatology and Substance Use in an Outpatient Concurrent Disorders Sample

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) present a complex and often severe clinical presentation within a concurrent disorders context. The objective of this study was to examine associations between PTSD symptoms and SUD outcomes to better understand the clinical phenomenon of comorbid PTSD and SUD. Multivariate statistical methods were used to test the hypothesis that elevated PTSD symptoms, both at the level of global severity and specific PTSD symptom clusters, are associated with greater substance use and related problems. METHODS: Data were collected from an intake assessment battery within a specialized concurrent disorders outpatient service in Hamilton, ON. The sample comprised 326 participants (mean age = 37.19, 45.4% female). Structural equation models examined associations between PTSD and alcohol, cannabis, and substance use frequency and problems, controlling for age and sex. Alcohol was ultimately dropped from the model...

Elevated Behavioral Economic Demand for Alcohol in Co-Users of Alcohol and Cannabis.

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

OBJECTIVE: Co-use of cannabis and alcohol is associated with increased drinking and other negative consequences relative to use of alcohol alone. One potential explanation for these differences is overvaluation of alcohol (e.g., alcohol demand) among co-users, similar to established overvaluation of alcohol among tobacco and alcohol co-users. This study examined differences in alcohol demand between an alcohol and cannabis co-user group and an alcohol-only group. METHOD: A large sample of adult drinkers (n = 1,643, 54% female) was recruited through an online crowdsourcing site (Amazon Mechanical Turk). Of the full sample, 476 participants reported weekly or greater cannabis use in the past 6 months (co-user group); 888 reported never using cannabis in the past 6 months (alcohol-only group). Assessments included a validated alcohol purchase task and self-report measures of alcohol and cannabis use. RESULTS: Co-users reported significantly higher alcohol consumption across the elastic...

The Effects of a Single Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Session on Impulsivity and Risk Among a Sample of Adult Recreational Cannabis Users

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Individuals with substance use disorders exhibit risk-taking behaviors, potentially leading to negative consequences and difficulty maintaining recovery. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have yielded mixed effects on risk-taking among healthy controls. Given the importance of risk-taking behaviors among substance-using samples, this study aimed to examine the effects of tDCS on risk-taking among a sample of adults using cannabis. Using a double-blind design, 27 cannabis users [M(SD) age = 32.48 (1.99), 41% female] were randomized, receiving one session of active or sham tDCS over the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Stimulation parameters closely followed prior studies with anodal right dlPFC and cathodal left dlPFC stimulation. Risk-taking-assessed via a modified Cambridge Gambling Task-was measured before and during tDCS. Delay and probability discounting tasks were assessed before and after...

Dissociative symptomatology mediates the relation between posttraumatic stress disorder severity and alcohol‐related problems

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Up to 50% of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endorse problematic alcohol use. Typically, these individuals present with more complex and often more severe PTSD symptoms than those who do not report problematic alcohol use. Emerging literature suggests that heightened symptoms of dissociation are likewise associated with greater PTSD symptom severity. Despite this knowledge, the role of dissociation in the relation between PTSD severity and alcohol-related problems has yet to be examined. Here, we explore the mediating role of dissociative symptomatology on the association between PTSD severity and alcohol-related problems within a PTSD treatment-seeking sample. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediating role of dissociative symptomatology between PTSD severity and alcohol-related problems. Participants [N = 334; mean age (SD) = 44.29 (9.77), 50% female] were drawn from a clinical intake battery database...

The influence of minority stress on the neurobiological correlates of executive functioning

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The influence of minority stress on the neurobiological correlates of executive functioning

Social Determinants of Health and Pediatric Long COVID in the US

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Importance: Millions of children worldwide are experiencing prolonged symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet social risk factors for developing long COVID are largely unknown. As child health is influenced by the environment in which they live and interact, adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) may contribute to the development of pediatric long COVID. Objective: To identify whether adverse SDOH are associated with increased odds of long COVID in school-aged children and adolescents in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional analysis of a multicenter, longitudinal, meta-cohort study encompassed 52 sites (health care and community settings) across the US. School-aged children (6-11 years; n = 903) and adolescents (12-17 years; n = 3681) with SARS-CoV-2 infection history were included. Those with an unknown date of first infection, history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or symptom surveys with less than 50% of questions completed...

Examining putamen resting-state connectivity markers of suicide attempt history in depressed adolescents

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: Suicide is a current leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults. The neurobiological underpinnings of suicide risk in youth, however, remain unclear and a brain-based model is lacking. In adult samples, current models highlight deficient serotonin release as a potential suicide biomarker, and in particular, involvement of serotonergic dysfunction in relation to the putamen and suicidal behavior. Less is known about associations among striatal regions and relative suicidal risk across development. The current study examined putamen connectivity in depressed adolescents with (AT) and without history of a suicide attempt (NAT), specifically using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate patterns in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). We hypothesized the AT group would exhibit lower striatal RSFC compared to the NAT group, and lower striatal RSFC would associate with greater suicidal ideation severity and/or lethality...

Prescription Opioid Medication Survey: A Tool to Collect Deep Phenotypic Data on the Multifactorial Pathways to Opioid Use Disorder in Clinical and Population-Based Cohorts

Thu, 8 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: We are in the midst of an opioid epidemic. In the USA, more than a third of the country knows someone who has died from an opioid overdose. Prescription opioids (e.g., oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl) are commonly used and misused, and it has been estimated that approximately 8-12% of individuals who misuse opioids will subsequently develop an opioid use disorder (OUD). While emphasis has been placed on understanding OUD and the associated adverse effects, there remains a critical gap in systematically characterizing the multifactorial pathways (e.g., behavioral, clinical, genetic, and socio-demographic characteristics) that contribute to the transition from initial use to misuse to OUD. Methods: To address this gap, we introduce the Prescription Opioid Medication Survey (POMS), an online 120-item assessment that compiles multiple validated and standardized instruments. POMS is intended for individuals with any lifetime prescription opioid use. POMS captures...

A phenome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation study of alcohol use variants in a diverse cohort comprising over 3 million individuals

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with numerous negative social and health outcomes. These associations may be direct consequences of drinking, or they may reflect common genetic factors that influence both alcohol consumption and other outcomes. METHODS: We performed exploratory phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) of three of the best studied protective single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding ethanol metabolising enzymes (ADH1B: rs1229984-T, rs2066702-A; ADH1C: rs698-T) using up to 1109 health outcomes across 28 phenotypic categories (e.g., substance-use, mental health, sleep, immune, cardiovascular, metabolic) from a diverse 23andMe cohort, including European (N ≤ 2,619,939), Latin American (N ≤ 446,646) and African American (N ≤ 146,776) populations to uncover new and perhaps unexpected associations. These SNPs have been consistently implicated by both candidate gene studies and genome-wide association studies...

Development and validation of a postnatal risk score that identifies children with prenatal alcohol exposure

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop an efficient and easily calculable risk score that can be used to identify an individual's risk of having been exposed to alcohol prenatally. METHODS: Data for this study were collected as part of the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Phases 2 and 3. Two cohorts (ages 5 to 17 years) completed a comprehensive neurobehavioral battery and a standard dysmorphology exam: a development cohort (DC; n = 325) and a comparative cohort (CC; n = 523). Both cohorts included two groups: those with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE-DC, n = 121; AE-CC, n = 177) and a control group that included subjects with minimal or no prenatal alcohol exposure (CON-DC, n = 204; CON-CC, n = 346). Behavioral assessments and physical exam data were combined using regression techniques to derive a risk score indicating the likelihood of prenatal alcohol exposure....

27. SEX-SPECIFIC GENETIC ARCHITECTURE AND COMORBIDITIES OF ALCOHOL USE BEHAVIORS

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background Sex differences in alcohol use-related behaviors are well established: males typically engage in heavier drinking and exhibit externalizing behaviors, while females transition more rapidly to dependence and present more internalizing symptoms. However, the underlying biological mechanisms that underpin these differences remain relatively unknown. Methods We investigated the sex-specific genetic architecture across a spectrum of alcohol use phenotypes by leveraging published sex-stratified genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 10 alcohol use behaviors from UK Biobank, problematic alcohol use (PAU), and a new sex-stratified GWAS of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) total (N = 40,335 - 613,148). We calculated genetic correlations (rg) with 120 alcohol-related traits (e.g., externalizing, internalizing and socioeconomic traits), and estimated polygenic scores (PGS) associations with ∼1,817 medical comorbidities via phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS)...

Guidelines for Evaluating the Comparability of Down-Sampled GWAS Summary Statistics

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Guidelines for Evaluating the Comparability of Down-Sampled GWAS Summary Statistics

M81. GENETIC LIABILITY TO EXTERNALIZING PREDICTS ADOLESCENT NICOTINE AND CANNABIS USE AND AGE OF ONSET IN THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) STUDY

Tue, 6 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background Adolescent nicotine and cannabis use pose major public health risks, increasing vulnerability to long-term mental and physical health issues, including substance use disorders (SUD). Externalizing (EXT) refers to heritable traits and disorders characterized by impulsivity and behavioral disinhibition, including SUD. This study tests whether polygenic scores (PGS) for EXT predict early onset and increased likelihood of smoking behaviors during adolescence across diverse ancestry groups. Methods We analyzed youth- and parent-reported data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Release 5.1; N=10,977). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations between EXT PGS and the onset of nicotine and cannabis use from ages 9–10 (baseline) through 14–15 years (year 3 follow-up; N=9,574). Models adjusted for key sociodemographic and prenatal confounders. Analyses were stratified by genetic ancestry: European (EUR;...

Understanding mechanisms of multi-level implementation strategies for autism interventions in a randomized trial across service systems

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundUnderstanding the effectiveness of implementation strategies to support uptake of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) requires examining activation of mechanisms targeted by implementation strategies. This study uses data from the TEAMS (Translating Evidence-Based Interventions for Autism) hybrid type III implementation-effectiveness trial to examine whether leader-level and provider-level implementation strategies, when paired with provider training in AIM HI (An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for Autism) in mental health programs (Study 1) and CPRT (Classroom Pivotal Response Teaching) in schools (Study 2) successfully activated proposed implementation mechanisms (3 for leader level strategy and 2 for the provider-level strategy). We also examined whether any of the identified mechanisms associated with the leader-level strategy mediated the previously reported effect of the strategy on implementation and child outcomes.MethodsOrganizations were randomized...

A resource to empirically establish drug exposure records directly from untargeted metabolomics data

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Despite extensive efforts, extracting medication exposure information from clinical records remains challenging. To complement this approach, here we show the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) Drug Library, a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) based resource designed for drug screening with untargeted metabolomics. This resource integrates MS/MS references of drugs and their metabolites/analogs with standardized vocabularies on their exposure sources, pharmacologic classes, therapeutic indications, and mechanisms of action. It enables direct analysis of drug exposure and metabolism from untargeted metabolomics data, supporting flexible summarization at multiple ontology levels to align with different research goals. We demonstrate its application by stratifying participants in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cohort based on detected drug exposures. We uncover drug-associated alterations in microbiota-derived N-acyl lipids that are not captured when stratifying...

The influence of stress and social defeat on neurobiological reinforcement mechanisms across reward to withdrawal in nicotine addiction

Mon, 8 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Nicotine and cigarette/tobacco use continue to be a prevalent public health issue worldwide. The transition to nicotine addiction occurs through an allostatic cycle involving the stages of binging/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affective states, and preoccupation/anticipation. This review focuses on the psychological, neurobiological, and molecular mechanisms contributing to the negative affective state during withdrawal from nicotine with an emphasis on stress and how social defeat stress can affect these mechanisms. Psychologically, negative affect during withdrawal is thought to contribute to the transition from positive reinforcement of drug-taking to negative reinforcement of nicotine use. Nicotine binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors elicits a variety of neuronal signaling throughout the brain, over time producing within- and between-systems neuroadaptations across brain regions that govern reward, anxiety, pain, and stress responses. Continued nicotine use additionally...

Effects of Tesamorelin on Neurocognitive Impairment in Persons With HIV and Abdominal Obesity

Fri, 5 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: In people with HIV who are virally suppressed with antiretroviral therapy, abdominal obesity (AO) is linked to neurocognitive impairment (NCI), potentially due to visceral adiposity, inflammation, and reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone, reduces AO and increases IGF-1, suggesting that it might mitigate NCI in people with HIV and viral suppression. METHODS: This 6-month phase 2 randomized open-label clinical trial compared tesamorelin vs standard of care (SOC) for NCI in people with HIV who were virally suppressed and abdominally obese (elevated waist circumference [WC]). Exclusions included conditions other than HIV causing NCI, active substance use disorder, and malignancy. RESULTS: Seventy-three participants were randomized 3:2 to tesamorelin or SOC (2 mg subcutaneously daily). The primary outcome was the change in neurocognitive performance at 6 months, with secondary outcomes including WC, mood, and daily...

Cannabis use is associated with alterations in NLRP3 inflammasome related gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages from people living with HIV

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is often associated with chronic inflammation and cognitive dysfunction in people living with HIV (PWH). The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor containing pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a crucial role in the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, specifically interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1β. Cannabis use and certain phytocannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), may provide therapeutic benefits in conditions associated with chronic inflammation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship between cannabis use and NLRP3-related gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from PWH (n = 43) and people without HIV (PWoH; n = 22). Participants were categorized as naïve, moderate, or daily cannabis users. Donor-derived MDMs were treated with CBD (30 μM), IL-1β (20 ng/mL), or CBD + IL-1β for 24 hours to examine effects on NLRP3-related gene expression....

Integrating community perspectives to improve survey completion rates in public health research by refining controversial survey elements

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Many factors can impact survey completion rates, including survey length, sensitivity of the topics addressed, and clarity of wording. This study used cognitive interviews (CIs), a methodological tool that can aid in developing and refining elements for multi-faceted assessments, and previous survey response patterns to refine, streamline, and increase response rates of RADx-UP Common Data Elements (CDEs) for survey/questionnaire use. Methods: Ten previously enrolled CO-CREATE study participants were interviewed between May-June 2023. Interviewees identified CDEs that were "confusing, uncomfortable, and/or not applicable," along with their reasoning. Interview data were analyzed using a rapid qualitative analytic approach, resulting in a summary matrix categorized by language. For further contextualization, CDE response rates were calculated for the 9147 surveys administered during the CO-CREATE study (May 2021-March 2023) and compared against their survey position. Results:...

Per Se Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis Statutes and Blood Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations following Short-Term Cannabis Abstinence

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Several US states have per se laws using 2 or 5 ng/mL of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as cutpoints for driving under the influence of cannabis, while some have zero-tolerance statutes. These cutpoints are considered prima facia evidence of driving impairment. METHODS: In a cohort of people who regularly use cannabis (N = 190) we measured baseline concentrations of THC after instructing participants to abstain from cannabis for at least 48 hours. Baseline driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator. We also measured blood THC concentrations serially following a smoking session (placebo or active cannabis). RESULTS: Forty-three percent of the participants exceeded zero-tolerance statutes (≥0.5 ng/mL) at baseline. Twenty-four percent had baseline blood THC concentrations that were ≥2 ng/mL and 5.3% were ≥5 ng/mL. The maximum observed baseline blood concentration was 16.2 ng/mL. Six hours after smoking active cannabis, the median (interquartile range)...

Sources of successful participant engagement in a public health research study: A focus on a Latino community

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Latino populations remain vastly underrepresented in clinical and translational research. This study aims to characterize the most common sources of successful participant engagement within our sample. METHODS: Between February 2022 and March 2023, research staff systematically recorded how participants learned about an ongoing study (which we term source of successful participant engagement) designed to co-create and implement a COVID-19 testing program in a U.S./Mexico border community. Demographic characteristics were correlated with each source of participant engagement at the univariate level using a chi-squared test and, if significant, were included in a multinomial logistic regression model to determine the association between participant characteristics and source of participant engagement. RESULTS: A total of 2836 individuals responded to questions regarding source of participant engagement; the most common responses were: Word of Mouth (32%), Clinic/Provider...

Subcortical volume in middle-aged adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Tue, 2 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Studies of youth and young adults with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) have most consistently reported reduced volumes of the corpus callosum, cerebellum and subcortical structures. However, it is unknown whether this continues into middle adulthood or if individuals with PAE may experience premature volumetric decline with aging. Forty-eight individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and 28 healthy comparison participants aged 30 to 65 participated in a 3T MRI session that resulted in usable T₁-weighted and T₂-weighted structural images. Primary analyses included volumetric measurements of the caudate, putamen, pallidum, cerebellum and corpus callosum using FreeSurfer software. Analyses were conducted examining both raw volumetric measurements and subcortical volumes adjusted for overall intracranial volume (ICV). Models tested for main effects of age, sex and group, as well as interactions of group with age and group with sex. We found the...

Editorial: Opioids and opioid-use disorders