Lived Experience and Defining Addictive-Like Eating: a Synthesis of Qualitative Research
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAddictive-like eating has engendered much controversy, in part because it has been ill-defined. Qualitative research has described individuals ’ experiences and definitions of addictive-like eating, providing insights about its central features. The aim of the present review was to synthesize the latest qualitative research on addictive-like eating, to identify features that are common across individuals’ experiences. We sought to unde rstand how people with lived experience of addictive-like eating define and conceptualize this phenomenon, to answer the question, “What is addictive-like eati...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - November 9, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Risk Factors and Preventive Approaches
AbstractPurpose of ReviewGaming disorder can play a role in child and adolescent psychopathology, as research has associated gaming disorder with a range of negative psychosocial outcomes. Since any dysfunctional behavior can have important long-term consequences, approaches to prevent gaming behavior in youth from becoming problematic are clearly called for. In this paper, we discuss some of the risk factors that have been associated with gaming disorder in youth.Recent FindingsPotential risk factors for gaming disorder in youth include attention problems, emotion dysregulation, problematic family relationships, and in-ga...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 28, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth: Understanding Unique Risks in a Vulnerable Population
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review discusses prevalence rates of electronic (e-)cigarette use among youth and factors that likely contribute to their growing popularity among this population. Trends shaping the e-cigarette landscape, the appeal of e-cigarettes among youth, perceptions contributing to the initiation of e-cigarettes, available assessments capturing the usage of and attitudes towards e-cigarettes, and e-cigarette policies and regulations are reviewed.Recent FindingsE-cigarette use among this vulnerable group may relate to factors associated with the promotion of social status, individuality, and enjoyment, ...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 22, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Gaming Disorder Across the Lifespan: a Scoping Review of Longitudinal Studies
AbstractPurpose of reviewGaming disorder is a mental disorder characterized by impaired control over gaming behaviors resulting in the escalation of gaming despite significant negative consequences and functional impairments. This scoping review aims to synthesize empirical evidence for the development of gaming disorder based solely on extant findings from longitudinal studies.Recent findingsAlthough research efforts investigating gaming disorder are expanding, there is a need to conceptualize this disorder from a developmental framework in order to identify trajectories of this disorder across the lifespan while accounti...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 21, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Instrumental and Pavlovian Mechanisms in Alcohol Use Disorder
AbstractPurpose of ReviewCurrent theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms.Recent FindingsThe balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have f...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 19, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Food Marketing in an Obesogenic Environment: a Narrative Overview of the Potential of Healthy Food Promotion to Children and Adults
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThere is abundant evidence that food marketing influences children ’s and adults’ food preferences and consumption. As such, exposure to unhealthy food marketing is a widely acknowledged risk factor contributing to the development of overweight and obesity. Less is known about the effects of healthy food promotion on people’s dietary behavior. This narrative review describes research from the past 5 years focused on the effects of healthy food marketing on children’s and adults’ food preferences and dietary intake. Our aim is to gain insight into the potential effects and mechanistic und...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 10, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Interventions for Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders in Young People: 10 Key Evidence-Based Approaches to Inform Service Delivery
AbstractPurpose of ReviewEffective treatment of alcohol and drug disorders in young people is critical to reducing substance-related harm; however, research examining treatment for young people often trails the adult literature. This review identifies 10 evidence-based treatment and service delivery principles that can be applied to treatment settings for young people.Recent FindingsScreening and brief intervention is effective across a range of settings. Incorporating peer networks in service delivery can improve treatment engagement and outcomes, and a harm reduction approach may be beneficial. Treatment outcomes are imp...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 6, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Neural and Behavioral Correlates Associated with Adolescent Marijuana Use
AbstractPurpose of ReviewMarijuana (MJ) is one of the most commonly used drugs among adolescents. Exposure to MJ during adolescence can lead to alterations in brain development, and subsequently, to the behavioral correlates regulated by the affected brain regions. In this review, we discuss findings from preclinical and human studies examining the relationship between adolescent MJ use and the neurobiological and behavioral correlates associated with it.Recent FindingsCurrent findings indicate that adolescent MJ use is associated with alterations in brain structure and function, especially in regions that express high lev...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 1, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Treatment Implications Associated With Cannabis and Tobacco Co-use
This article will highlight the limitations to co-use captured in the literature and offer considerations and directives for co-use research and treatment moving forward.Recent FindingsThe degree to which co-use affects cessation for a single, targeted substance remains in question, as the literature is largely mixed. Cannabis treatment trials are better equipped to answer these questions given that they do not typically exclude tobacco users. While the relationship between tobacco use and poorer cannabis outcomes appears to have some evidence, the reverse relationship (cannabis use affecting tobacco outcomes) is not consi...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - October 1, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Prospects of Genetics and Epigenetics of Alcohol Use Disorder
In this study, we illustrate recent findings regarding the genetics and epigenetics of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We further outline the future direction of genetic and epigenetic research in AUD.Recent FindingsRecent genome- and epigenome-wide studies allow new insight into genetic and epigenetic variation associated with AUD. The largest EWAS of AUD so far/to date found evidence for altered glucocorticoid receptor regulation. Longitudinal studies provide insight into the dynamics of the disease. Analyses of postmortem brain tissue reveal the impact of chronic alcohol consumption on DNA methylation in the brain.SummaryGe...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - September 14, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
A Literature Review on International E-cigarette Regulatory Policies
AbstractPurpose of ReviewJurisdictions around the world have adopted different policies in order to regulate e-cigarette products, to allow for the use of e-cigarettes by cigarette smokers for cessation or harm reduction and to reduce the likelihood of non-smokers initiating e-cigarette use. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of different e-cigarette regulations across the world, focusing on regulations of sales, product standards, nicotine concentrations, flavours and marketing restrictions. This review was conducted between February and April 2020.Recent FindingsThere are a large range of policies ...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - September 7, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Bio-Behavioral Indices of Emotion Regulation: Potential Targets for Treatment in Addiction
ConclusionsThe biological construct of emotion regulation has helped to provide an important heuristic framework within which to develop novel treatment markers. However, there remains a need for more contextual and situational-based research to achieve a more holistic understanding of emotion regulation for improved clinical application. (Source: Current Addiction Reports)
Source: Current Addiction Reports - August 27, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Neural Underpinnings of Social Contextual Influences on Adolescent Risk-Taking
In this report, we discuss how the developing brain serves as both a link between and a susceptibility factor for, social contextual factors and risk-taking in adolescence.Recent FindingsNeural activity in regions related to affective processing, cognitive control, and social cognition, which continue to develop across the adolescent years, shapes the relationship between adolescents ’ social environment and their risk-taking.SummaryExamining neural patterns of adolescent brain development enriches our understanding of how adolescents ’ complex social environment modulates their risk-taking behavior, which may have imp...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - August 14, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Intensive Longitudinal Methods for Studying the Role of Self-Regulation Strategies in Substance Use Behavior Change
AbstractPurpose of ReviewMany psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs) focus on teaching self-regulation strategies. Research using intensive longitudinal methods (ILM), such as ecological momentary assessment and daily diaries, is critical for elucidating if and how these strategies function as mechanisms of change among individuals with SUDs. We review this emerging area of research.Recent FindingsWe found a small number of studies using ILM to study self-regulation strategies in SUD (n = 18 studies), with most conducted among college student drinkers (n = 9) and cigarette smokers (n = 7)...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - August 12, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
The Ups and Downs of Relating Nondrug Reward Activation to Substance Use Risk in Adolescents
AbstractPurpose of ReviewA wealth of epidemiological and cohort research, together with a healthy dose of anecdote, has characterized late adolescence and emerging adulthood as a time of increased substance use and other risky behaviors. This review will address whether differences between adolescents or between adolescents and other age groups in dopaminergic mesolimbic recruitment by (nondrug) rewards inferred from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could partially explain morbidity and mortality from risky-behavior-related causes in adolescents.Recent FindingsRecent findings do not suggest a definitive directi...
Source: Current Addiction Reports - August 6, 2020 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
