Sensation seeking (SS) is a personality trait defined by a need to seek novel sensations and experiences, accompanied by a willingness to take risks for the sake of such experiences. Various measures of SS have been developed and validated, including a scale specifically for children. Among different populations, SS has been associated with the expression of various health-related risk behaviors, most notably substance use and abuse. Evidence from basic research with laboratory animals and from human clinical studies indicates that high sensation seekers may have an overactive mesocorticolimbic dopamine system relative to low sensation seekers. While the precise molecular mechanisms underlying SS remain to be elucidated, evidence suggests that low levels of monoamine oxidase activity, as well as altered dopamine receptor and dopamine transporter expression and function may play a role. Since altered monoamine function has been implicated in various psychiatric disorders, and since SS has been associated with some of these disorders, clinicians may find that SS offers a useful adjunct in promoting effective patient care and improving patient counseling. This may be especially useful in treating children, adolescents and young adults, as the risk for substance use and abuse is an especially relevant concern during this developmental period.

Objective In preclinical studies, lobeline inhibited hyperactivity induced by nicotine and amphetamine, and improved performance and learning in studies utilizing radial-arm maze and spatial-discrimination water maze. This laboratory proof-of-concept study investigated lobeline as a treatment for ADHD symptoms in adults (31.11 ± 7.08 years). Method Using cognitive tasks and self-report measures, the effects of lobeline (0, 7.5, 15, or 30 mg, s.l.) and methylphenidate (0, 15, or 30 mg, p.o.) were assessed in nine volunteers with ADHD. Results Evidence suggested that lobeline could modestly improve working memory in adults with ADHD, but no significant improvement in attention was observed. Lobeline administration was associated with mild adverse side effects (nausea). Conclusion Further investigation of lobeline on working memory may be warranted.

Results from previous research on everyday problem solving involving Caucasians suggests that it may be a useful concept in studying cognitive aging in African Americans. The purpose of this investigation was to examine: (1) the factor structure of an everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans, (2) the internal consistency of everyday-problem solving in a sample of African Americans, and (3) the relationship of problem solving to demographic factors, physical functioning, and measures of fluid ability. The sample included subjects recruited from Baltimore, MD. The sample consisted of 249 community dwelling African-American adults with a mean age of 67.8 years (SD = 8.47). Variables included the Everyday Problem Solving Test (EPT), gender, age, education, physical functioning, and inductive reasoning. Everyday problem solving as a latent construct was confirmed and the split half reliability was high (.89). As in previous research, inductive reasoning and physical functioning were related to everyday problem solving abilities. We also found that certain domains of the EPT are more influenced by demographic factors than others. Our finding suggest that the Everyday Problems Test is appropriate for use with African American samples.

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