Crack use in São Paulo

Documented crack use emerged in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1991 onward. Therefore, it is a recent behavior among drug users. the present work draws a profile of São Paulo crack users, employing an ethnographic approach. Twenty-five crack users were interviewed on selected social and demographic characteristics, on the drug itself and its consumption, and on the consequences of this use. Crack cocaine is harmful for the user, leading within a short period to a condition of dependence. the crack users reported ultimately lapsing into ''marginality'' due to social isolation, neglect of bodily needs, and breakdown of family ties and other relationships.ESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT PSICOBIOL,BRAZILIAN CTR INFORMAT PSYCHOTROP DRUGS,CEBRID,BR-04023062 São Paulo,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT PSICOBIOL,BRAZILIAN CTR INFORMAT PSYCHOTROP DRUGS,CEBRID,BR-04023062 São Paulo,BRAZILWeb of Scienc

ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE CRITERIA in DSM-III-R - PRESENCE of SYMPTOMS ACCORDING TO DEGREE of SEVERITY

According to DSM-III-R a positive diagnosis of alcohol dependence requires the presence of at least three of nine symptoms of a core dependence syndrome. in this study the presence of the nine symptoms according to degree of the severity of dependence is examined in 99 patients (mild, n = 23; moderate, n = 26; and severe, n = 50). It is shown that although the cut-off point for a positive diagnosis of dependence is the presence of ''any three'' out of nine DSM-III-R criteria, specific symptoms (''excessive drinking'', ''desire or efforts to control drinking'', and ''drinking despite major problems'') have a high probability of occurrence across the dependence severity range (mild, moderate or severe). Conversely, other symptoms appear prominently only in the more severe cases (''much time devoted to alcohol'', ''important activities given up''. and ''drinking to relieve withdrawal''). the results suggest that in the DSM-III-R criteria for alcohol dependence some symptoms are more frequently associated with the diagnosis, while other symptoms are associated with severity of the alcohol dependence disorder.ESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT PSICOBIOL,DRUG DEPENDENCE UNIT,BR-04023 São Paulo,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT PSICOBIOL,DRUG DEPENDENCE UNIT,BR-04023 São Paulo,BRAZILWeb of Scienc

Lorazepam induces an atypical dissociation of visual and auditory event-related potentials

Lorazepam has been reported to atypically disrupt visual processing compared to other benzodiazepines (BZs), but it is not known to what extent this effect extends to impairment in other modalities. Our objective was to compare the effects of lorazepam with those of flunitrazepam, a BZ with standard effects, on visual and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) using the same paradigm. the study followed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group-design and involved single oral doses of lorazepam (2.0 mg), flunitrazepam (1.2 mg) and placebo. Thirty-six young, healthy subjects completed a test battery before and after treatment including classic behavioural tests, visual and auditory ERPs. Both drugs led to comparable alterations on behavioural tests and double-dissociations were found, indicating that the doses used were equipotent: lorazepam was more deleterious than flunitrazepam and placebo in fragmented shape identification, while simple reaction times were prolonged for flunitrazepam in comparison to lorazepam and placebo. Effects on P3 latencies were also distinct: alterations in both modalities for flunitrazepam were equivalent and greater than placebo's. in contrast, lorazepam at the frontal and central electrode sites led to greater changes in visual than in auditory latency, and also to longer visual latencies than flunitrazepam and placebo, but lorazepam's auditory latency effects were only different to placebo's at the parietal electrode site. Peripheral visual changes were not responsible for these effects. Differences in the impairment profile between equipotent doses of lorazepam and flunitrazepam suggests that lorazepam induces atypical central visual processing changes.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04024002 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Neurol, Setor Neurofisiol Clin, BR-04024002 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04024002 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Neurol, Setor Neurofisiol Clin, BR-04024002 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Household survey on drug abuse in Brazil: Study involving the 107 major cities of the country-2001

The prevalence of the use in Brazil of illicit drugs, as well as of alcohol and tobacco, was determined. Further, illicit use of psychotropic medicines, and anabolic steroids were also surveyed. This study was carried out in 107 Brazilian cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants aged 12-65 years. the sampling design adopted was that of sampling per aggregates in three stages: first, the census sectors were selected; second, homes were selected among the sectors; finally, in each home, a respondent was selected in a manner independent of the interviewer. There were 8589 persons interviewed. the questionnaire utilized was that of the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) which was translated and adapted for Brazilian conditions. the lifetime use of alcohol in the 107 major cities of the country was 68.7%, which was close to numbers observed for Chile at 70.8% and the USA at 81.0%. Yet, tobacco lifetime use was 41.1% of the total, which is lower than the prevalence observed in the USA (70.5%). the data on the lifetime use of marijuana in Brazil (6.9%) approximated the findings for Colombia (5.4%), however, being much lower than that observed in the USA (34.2%) and the United Kingdom (25.0%). the prevalence of lifetime use of cocaine was 2.3%, well below the levels for the USA with 11.2% of the total population. the abuse of inhalants was 5.8% of the total, greater than that found in Colombia (1.4%) and about four times less than that in the United Kingdom with 20.0%. Among the medicaments, stimulants had a 1.5% prevalence of lifetime use, and that of benzodiazepines had similar percentages in Brazil (3.3%) and in the USA (5.8%). in this survey, only four individuals reported lifetime use of heroin, which was equivalent to about 0.04% of the sample and much lower than that in the USA with 1.2% and in Colombia reaching 1.5%. These findings will allow the implementation of public policies fitted to the situation with psychotropic drugs in Brazil. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, São Paulo, BrazilCtr Brasileiro Informacoes Sobre Drugas Psicotrop, Cebrid, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Psicobiol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc