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Biomedical subjects

J Camí

Publications and source records attributed to J Camí.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

A comparison of the acute behavioral effects of flunitrazepam and triazolam in healthy volunteers.

Flunitrazepam is an hypnotic benzodiazepine marketed in different European countries. Epidemiological studies have shown that it is frequently abused by opioid addicts. In a survey, "liking" scores for flunitrazepam in methadone maintenance patients were higher than ratings for other benzodiazepines. A double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover clinical trial was conducted to assess the acute behavioral effects of flunitrazepam (0.50 and 2 mg) and triazolam (0.25 and 0.50 mg) in healthy male volunteers. Drug effects on physiological measures, psychomotor performance, and subjective rating scales, including specific questionnaires to evaluate abuse liability (e.g., ARCI or "liking" scores), were assessed before and 6 h after drug administration. Flunitrazepam 2 mg produced the most intense disruptive effects on all the performance tasks, triazolam 0.50 impaired performance except balance. All study drugs at all doses produced sedation symptoms in all or part of the subjective effects questionnaires. Only flunitrazepam 2 mg induced significative increases in some of the scales ("liking", "good effects", "high") that could be related to a possible abuse potential. The results seem to indicate that flunitrazepam, when administered to healthy subjects, produces some pleasurable subjective feelings, that could indicate a higher abuse liability of this drug as compared with other benzodiazepines.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Determination of cocaine and its metabolites in human urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after simultaneous use of cocaine and ethanol.

Cocaethylene is an active metabolite produced when cocaine is consumed jointly with ethanol. The development of analytical techniques for determining cocaethylene and other cocaine metabolites is highly relevant for pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies of the cocaine and alcohol interaction in humans. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method here reported is based on a single solid-phase extraction together with deuterated internal standards previously added to urine, followed by derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride (hydroxyl and amine functions) and 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluor-2-propanol (carboxylic acid function) and injection into a capillary GC system coupled to a mass spectrometric detector in the selected ion monitoring acquisition mode. A sensitivity of 1-2 ng ml-1 for the quantitative analysis of cocaine and its main metabolites (ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and norcocaine) was achieved. In addition, some other minor metabolites were easily extracted and detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Sensation seeking amongst healthy volunteers participating in phase I clinical trials.

1. Phase I clinical trials are usually carried out in healthy volunteers. In addition to economic gain, factors that may influence willingness to participate include scientific interest, curiosity and choice for risky activities. 2. We assessed the relationship between personality variables and volunteering for clinical pharmacology research. Two personality questionnaires, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS, form V) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), were administered to 48 male healthy university students who volunteered to participate in a phase I clinical trial and to 43 male university students who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials. General norm data were also used for the comparison of results. 3. When healthy volunteers were compared with unwilling subjects, significant differences were found in thrill-and-adventure seeking (7.9 vs 6.7, P = 0.0034), experience seeking (6.4 vs 5.2, P = 0.0012), disinhibition (6.2 vs 4.3, P < 0.0001), boredom susceptibility (3.9 vs 2.8, P = 0.0073), total sensation seeking trait (24.3 vs 19.0, P < 0.0001), extraversion (15.1 vs 13.3, P = 0.0490), and psychoticism (4.4 vs 3.5, P = 0.0086). When healthy volunteers were compared with general norm data similar statistically significant differences were found in all these scales, except for boredom susceptibility and psychoticism. 4. The personality profile of healthy volunteers was characterized by a higher sensation seeking trait and extraversion as compared with individuals who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials and general norm data.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Spanish version of the 49-item short form of the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI).

The Spanish version of the 49-item short form of the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI) was assessed in simulated drug conditions. After the translation process was completed, the questionnaire was administered to forty-five adult polydrug abusers who were residing in a general hospital. Subjects answered the questionnaire on four occasions, describing the feelings they usually experienced under the effects of four classes of drugs of abuse (morphine-like opioids, alcohol, stimulants and hallucinogens). The scales showed an acceptable level of internal consistency. A characteristic pattern of response was obtained for each condition. A discriminant analysis revealed that four scales PCAG (pentobarbital-chlorpromazine-alcohol group), MBG (morphine-benzedrine group), LSD (lysergic acid dyethylamide scale) and BG (benzedrine group) significantly discriminated between the conditions studied. Sixty percent of the questionnaires answered were correctly classified according to the discriminant functions constructed. The results from this study are similar to those obtained with the English ARCI, and suggest that the Spanish version of the 49-item ARCI may be an useful instrument for the evaluation of subjective effects produced by psychoactive drugs in Spanish populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effects of morphine in postaddict humans: a meta-analysis.

The literature on assessment of abuse liability of opioid drugs in humans was reviewed, and meta-analysis (a statistical method designed to combine results of different studies) was performed to study a dose-effect relationship for some variables commonly used for the evaluation of the subjective and physiological effects of morphine. Thirty-five studies, published between 1964 and 1991, including the i.m. or s.c. administration of morphine to non-dependent subjects with prior history of opioid abuse, were selected. Logistic regression models were applied for categorically dependent variables, and linear regression models were used for quantitative dependent variables. The log-transformation of the dose of morphine, stratifying by studies, acted as predictor variable. A dose-effect function was demonstrated. Doses producing an average effect across studies ranged from 7 mg (observers-reported 'liking') to 12 mg (subjects-reported 'liking'). Average effect on pupil diameter decreases was obtained for a dose of 8 mg. Doses producing a 50% of maximum positive responses were 10 mg for subjects' opioid classification, and 20 mg for the ARCI-MBG scale. The heterogeneity between studies obtained, along with the large variability present in most of the variables, supports the usefulness of a concurrent assessment of several indexes when assessing the effects of morphine.

Arousal↗
PubMed1994

Psychotropic drug consumption and other factors associated with heroin overdose.

In clinical or forensic practice there are few studies assessing which risk factors are associated with heroin overdoses. A series of 76 consecutive non-fatal heroin overdoses were compared to 22 consecutive subjects who self-injected heroin within 1 h before admission to the emergency room. Whereas blood levels of alcohol and IgE and urinary cocaine metabolite levels were similar in both groups, higher benzodiazepine plasma levels were detected in the heroin overdose group. The assessment of methadone, dextropropoxyphene, amphetamines and cannabis in urine analysis did not show differences between both groups. The interview revealed that only 48% of subjects in the heroin overdose group self-administered the last dose of heroin before admission in the usual setting as compared to 100% of subjects in the non-overdose group. The application of a log-linear regression model identified self-injection of heroin in an unusual place and plasma concentrations of total morphine and benzodiazepines as risk factors for heroin overdose.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Acute effects of tramadol in methadone-maintained volunteers.

The opioid agonist and antagonist properties of tramadol were assessed in 6 male opioid-dependent volunteers enrolled in a methadone maintenance programme. Subjects participated in 3 experimental sessions in which the effects of intramuscular tramadol 100 and 300 mg and placebo were evaluated. Tramadol neither produced morphine-like effects nor precipitated a withdrawal syndrome; its subjective, behavioural and physiological effects were not different from those of placebo. Although the results of this study suggest that tramadol has a low abuse liability in opioid-dependent subjects, higher doses should be tested to confirm these data.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Spanish scientific production in biomedicine and health. A study via the Science Citation Index (1986-1989)].

BACKGROUND: There is no detailed information on the scientific production in biomedicine from the perspective of the centers which make up the National Health Care System. Nor has any analysis on productivity by specialties compared with that of other countries of the European Community (EC) been carried out. METHODS: The methodology used and the global results of a study performed from biomedical investigation documents indexed in the SCI from 1986 to 1989 and signed by a Spanish health care center are presented. Quantitative and qualitative indicators (Narin index, impact factor [IF], mean IF per specialty, expected and observed IF as well as denominators [PIB, number of inhabitants per area, cost and number of personnel of the centers]). RESULTS: Twelve thousand seven hundred and six documents were studied of which 66.7% were journal articles and 13.5% were studies carried out in cooperation with foreign countries. The biomedical production was 41.5% of all the Spanish scientific investigation collected in the SCI in the same period and represented 3.82% of the contribution of all the biomedical investigation of the EC. Universities were responsible for 46% of the documents analyzed followed by hospitals with 39%. The autonomic communities of Madrid (32%) and Catalonia (26%) have the most productivity principally in hospitals, followed by Andalucia (10%) and Valencia (7%). The subject matters of greatest production were biochemistry, and molecular biology (14.7%), pharmacology and pharmacy (7.6%), neurosciences (6.8%) and microbiology (5.7%). Qualitative analysis showed that despite the investigation in some subject areas being carried out in journals with an IF higher than the world mean, the citations received by the studies are lower than expected. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the growth in Spanish biomedical production, Spain only occupies seventh place in the EC. Madrid and Barcelona notably concentrate on biomedical investigation from the hospital network. The relativization of the data describes the existence of other noteworthy geographic areas not outside the university. The ever greater diffusion of the publications contrasts with the citations received for the studies which may be the result of phenomena related with the quality of the studies and/or the recognition of the publications signed by Spanish authors.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1993

Flunitrazepam consumption among heroin addicts admitted for in-patient detoxification.

The use of benzodiazepines among 973 heroin addicts admitted for inpatient detoxification over a 10-year period was assessed in a cross-sectional study. A total of 780 (80.2%) patients had a history of benzodiazepine use; 666 (68.5%) were consuming benzodiazepines at the time of admission and 419 (43.1%) on an almost daily basis. Seventy-five (7.7%) patients fulfilled criteria for sedative-hypnotic abuse or dependence. Consumption of benzodiazepines began after subjects had become addicted to heroin. Flunitrazepam was ranked first by 68.4% of patients, followed by clorazepate (13%), and diazepam (12.4%). The prevalence of benzodiazepine use, in particular flunitrazepam, among heroin addicts is very high. Specific abuse liability studies are needed to determine whether pharmacologic reasons exist to explain heroin addicts' preference for this compound.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗