Effects of Methylphenidate Modulation of Attention on Responses to Alcohol Cues
Name:
Dr. Amanda Elton
Email
amandaelton@ufl.edu
Phone
(571) 277-1279
Faculty Department/Division
Psychiatry
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Recent studies have revealed a robust link between attentional ability and resilience against stress-related psychopathology, in general, and against alcohol use disorder (AUD) specifically. For example, self-reported attentional ability correlates with scales of psychological resilience and with lower alcohol misuse in at-risk individuals. One mechanism by which attention may relate to resilience in AUD is through its effects on alcohol cue reactivity. Exposure to alcohol cues can induce motivation to drink alcohol for those with AUD. Leverage the high rates of co-morbidity of AUD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, this pilot study seeks to demonstrate whether experimentally enhancing attention in individuals with AUD and attentional deficits associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reduces markers of addiction severity (i.e., craving and attentional bias responses to alcohol cues) and will explore the neural and behavioral mechanisms. Methylphenidate not only improves sustained attention, but in users of cocaine and methamphetamine, it was previously shown to reduce craving, attentional bias, and neural responses to viewing drug-related cues. Here we will use this commonly-prescribed medication as a pharmacological probe of attentional processes related to alcohol use disorder. We hypothesize that acute MPH-associated attentional enhancement will engage compensatory brain mechanisms that will lead to attenuated craving, reduced attentional bias, and modulated neural responses to alcohol cues in young adults with AUD and ADHD. Thirty young adults with AUD and ADHD will be recruited for a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects experiment to test the effects of an acute 20 mg MPH administration to increase attention on cue-induced alcohol craving (during simultaneous fMRI and EEG) and attentional bias. Subjects will also perform computerized tasks of general attention with non-alcohol-related stimuli.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Lock Bag Program at UF Health Jacksonville
Faculty Information
Name:
Dr. Michaela Denison
Email
michaela.denison@jax.ufl.edu
Phone
(704) 804-2626
Faculty Department/Division
Psychiatry
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
The mission of the Lock Bag Program at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville is to reduce youth suicides by educating pediatric health care providers on lethal means safety so they can go onto counsel caregivers during ED visits, outpatient clinic visits and in the hospitals. Additionally, the program gives out free medication lock bags to be used in the homes to create a barrier between children and medications. This will reduce childhood deaths from accidental and intentional poisonings.
The broad objective of the UF Lockbox Program is to reduce youth overdoses and overdose deaths. This will be executed by these six objectives:
- Training prescribers in suicide prevention
- Educating families on lethal means safety.
- Safety proofing homes with medication lockboxes.
- Fostering community connection with community events, support groups and resource lists.
- Sharing a youth created mass communication campaign.
- Gathering data in Duval County on current lethal means storage and overdoses in youth pre and post initiation of the UF Lockbox Program.
The project was initially funded by the CDC Overdose Data to Action Grant from December 2022 until August 2023. The grant funding was used to purchase 4,000 medication lock bags. There are 2,000 lock bags remaining. A medical student can help to remind and encourage pediatricians to continue counseling families on lethal means safety and distribute the lock bags to families. Additionally, the medical student will help write up the project and submit for publication and presentation at national conferences.
Of note, the preliminary data shows that at baseline 16% of caregivers were storing medications locked and after receiving the free medication lock bag and lethal means safety counseling, 76% of caregivers were storing medications locked at 1 week check in.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No