Predictors of relapse to drinking were examined in a clinical sample of 122 individuals seeking outpatient treatment for alcohol problems. Drinking status and a variety of predictor variables were measured every two months for one year following presentation for treatment. In addition to pretreatment characteristics, potential antecedents of relapse were assessed at each point within five domains: (1) the occurrence of negative life events; (2) cognitive appraisal variables including self-efficacy, alcohol expectancies, and motivation for change; (3) client coping resources; (4) craving experiences; and (5) affective/mood status. Although the occurrence of adverse life events did not predict 6-month relapse, all other domains singly accounted for significant variance in drinking outcomes. Proximal antecedents (from the prior 2-month interval) significantly and substantially improved predictive power over that achieved from pretreatment characteristics alone. When analyzed jointly, these predictors accounted for a majority of variance in 6-month relapse status. A prospective test supported Marlatt's developmental model of relapse, pointing to two client factors as optimally predictive of resumed drinking: lack of coping skills and belief in the disease model of alcoholism.

Nonconfrontational treatment may significantly enhance outcomes for DWI offenders with ASPD when delivered in an incarcerated setting, and in the present study, such effects were found in a primarily American-Indian sample.

Clients just entering treatment for nonalcohol primary drug use were asked to report on their frequency of drug use at two times 2 days apart. Test-retest correlations for the lifetime use of drugs were fair to excellent, and those for drug use in the last 90 days, although variable, were generally very good. For lifetime use, correlations were highest for opiates and stimulants and lowest for inhalants, whereas for the recent period correlations were highest for opiates and lowest for stimulants. Correlations were uniformly high for measures of general life functioning. Initial validity assessments with urine drug screen results as criterion were good, with no false negative errors in four of six drug use categories. Overall Form 90D appears to be a reasonably reliable and valid interview instrument for measuring drug use occurrence and frequency for both lifetime and recent use. Care is warranted in assessing classes of drugs that are used less frequently.

No abstract

The goal of (hese experiments was to evaluate the effects of some drugs affecting noradrencrgic (NE) synaptic transmission, commonly prescribed following stroke or traumatic brain injury, on functional recovery. Measurement of recovery from a transient hcmiplegia produced by a traumatic unilateral ft>cal contusion in sensorimotor cortex (SMCX) of rats was used to assess the effects of chronic haloperidol (HAL) treatment begun early (I day) or late (18 days to recovered animals) after injury. Additionally, using the same model, the effects of a single administration of drugs with selective action at NP. receptors were also evaluated early or late (30 days) after injury. These drugs were: phenoxybenzamine (PBZ), an alpha,-NE antagonist; pra/.osin (PRAZ), an alpha,-NF. antagonist; yohimbine (YOH), an alpha 2 -NE antagonist; propranolol (PROP), a beta,-and 2 -NE receptor antagonist; methoxymine (METHOX), an alpha,-NE agonist; and elonidinc (CLON), an alpha 2 -NR agonist. The data indicate that drugs with antagonistic effects at alpha, NE receptors, including HAL and PRAZ but not PROP, administered early after SMCX contusion retard loeomotor recovery. Beneficial effects of enhancing NE transmission by METHOX or YOH were not observed. In animals recovered from beam walk (BW) deficits, a single administration of PBZ or PRAZ (alpha, NE antagonists) or CLON (alpha 2 NE agonist) transiently reinstated hemiplegic symptoms. The nonspecific beta NE receptor antagonist PROP had no effect in recovered animals. A single dose of HAL had no effect in recovered animals, but a BW deficit transiently developed in some animals following chronic treatment. The data are discussed with reference to drug contraindications noted in clinical studies of recovery from poststroke aphasia and cognition in demented patients with degenerative brain disease.RF.SUMK Lc but de ces experiences etait d'cvaluer les effets dc quelques drogues ayant une action sur la transmission synaptique noradrencrgique (NE), ct qui sont commuriement prescrites apres une attaque ou une blessure cerebrale, sur la recuperation fonctionnellc. Dcs mesures de la recuperation d'une hemiplegic transitoire produitc chez. le rat par induction d'unc contusion traumatique unilateral locale dans lc cortex sensorimoteur ont ete utilisees pour evaluer les effets du traitement ehroniquca l'haloperidol (HAL) commence tot (I jour) ou tard (ISjours a la recuperation) apres la lesion. De plus, utilisant le memc mixlele, les effets d'une administration unique de drogues ayant une action selective sur les rcccpteurs NE ont etc aussi cvalues tot ct tard (30 jours) apres la lesion. Les drogues sont: phenoxybenzamine Considerable technical support is required lor the many aspects of the labour intensive drug screening studies ot functional recovery after cerebral trauma reported in this article. We thank Drs. R.I.. Sutton and M.S. Weaver for assistance in conducting some of these experiments and for training others to continue the experiments; L.J. Fanner, and T. Mores for work on the prazos...