Transcript Document

Mark Greenwald, Ph.D.
– Director, Substance Abuse
Research Division
– Chief, Human
Pharmacology Laboratory
– Dept. of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Neurosciences
Tel. 993-3965
[email protected]
Substance use and abuse
– Use/abuse and consequences of illegal and
prescribed drugs (e.g. opioids, cocaine, marijuana,
nicotine, alcohol)
– Role of stressors in promoting drug use and
disrupting performance (e.g. cognition, driving
behavior)
Individual differences
– Genetics
– Behavioral history (e.g. impulsivity, risk-taking)
Brain function (in collaboration)
– PET, Functional MRI, 1H-MRS, EEG
Potential Avenues for Collaborative Research
Topic 1: Direct effects of Rx opioids (painkillers), sedatives (sleep
aids), stimulants (alerting agents), or other “cognitive enhancing
agents” on driving-related cognitive-behavioral performance
1. Given high prevalence rates of non-medical drug use, use behavioral pharmacology
methods to determine the dose-related impact and/or residual effects of these drugs
on neurocognitive-behavioral mechanisms that predict driver performance/safety
2. Determine whether individual difference factors (e.g. sub-components of impulsivity)
modulate sensitivity (e.g. protect against or increase risk) to the effects of these
drugs on performance
Topic 2: Interaction of stressors or sleep deprivation with
alcohol/drugs (illegal and prescribed) on driving-related
neurocognitive-behavioral performance
Topic 3: Interaction of aging with alcohol/drugs/psychotropics on
driving-related neurocognitive-behavioral performance