Measurement of the severity of amphetamine dependence

Abstract

A Severity of Amphetamine Dependence Questionnaire (SAmDQ) was administered to 101 subjects attending an Australian drug dependency treatment centre. The SAmDQ was adapted from the Severity of Opiate and Alcohol Dependence Questionnaires (SODQ & SADQ). The structural characteristics of the SAmDQ were examined and compared with previous findings reported on samples of opiate addicts with the SODQ. A high degree of consistency was found between the results obtained with the SAmDQ and previous findings with the SODQ. The relationship between the SAmDQ and the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) was also examined. The findings suggest that further development of amphetamine dependence measurement is required.

Changes in striatal D2-receptor density following chronic treatment with amphetamine as assessed with pet in nonhuman primates

“…Scatchard analyses of [ 11 C]raclopride binding were applied to quantify, within the same animal, D 2 -receptor density and apparent affinity at baseline and at 1, 7, and 14 days after withdrawal from daily doses of d-amphetamine sulphate (2 mg/kg; s.c.) during 14 consecutive days. The dose is comparable to doses used by amphetamine abusers (Churchill et al, 1993).…”

Validity and reliability of a Severity of Dependence Scale for khat (SDS-khat)

“…Recognized characteristics of amphetamine use are tolerance and withdrawal symptoms (Nahas, 1981;Churchill et al, 1993;Topp and Darke, 1997;Topp and Mattick, 1997). Tolerance is the necessity to increase a drug dose to retain the initial psychotropic effect (Nahas, 1981).…”

Trajectoires de l’usage de substances psychoactives chez les personnes lésées médullaires

“…La fidélité test-retest est adéquate avec un coefficient de 0,89 pour un intervalle d'un jour (Gossop, Best, Marsden et Strang, 1997). Un indice de validité de convergence de r=0,27 a été obtenu avec le Severity of Amphetamine Dependance Questionnaire (Churchill, Burgess, Pead et Gill, 1993).…”