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Individual differences in drug abuse vulnerability: d-Amphetamine and sensation-seeking status

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Abstract

Rationale

While the personality dimensions of novelty seeking and sensation seeking are associated with drug abuse vulnerability, the mechanisms associated with this vulnerability remain obscure.

Objective

This study examined the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine in healthy volunteers scoring in the upper and lower quartiles based on age- and gender-adjusted population norms on the impulsive Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ).

Method

Participants completed 7-day outpatient studies examining the subjective, performance, and cardiovascular effects of d-amphetamine (0, 7.5, and 15 mg/70 kg, p.o.) under double-blind conditions according to a randomized block design. Performance tasks included behavioral measures of impulsivity, including attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior.

Results

No differences in baseline performance or d-amphetamine effects on measures of attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior were observed. High impulsive sensation seekers reported greater increases on several subjective report measures associated with drug abuse potential, including visual analog scales feel drug, like drug, and high.

Conclusions

Healthy adults scoring in the top quartile on the population of the impulsive SSS of the ZKPQ may be vulnerable to the abuse potential of d-amphetamine.

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Acknowledgements

This research project was supported by grants P50 05312 and R01 DA 15392 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The authors wish to thank Stephanie Douglas, Cleeve Emurian, Beth Eaves, Oriaku Akuma-Kalu Njoku, and Susan Holiday for help in executing the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Glenn Robbins

  2. University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Scott D. Lane

  3. Departments of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry and Psychology, College of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Thomas H. Kelly & Craig R. Rush

  4. Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Catherine A. Martin

  5. Departments of Psychology and Behavioral Science, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Mark T. Fillmore

  6. Department of Communication, College of Communications and Information Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Nancy G. Harrington

Authors
  1. Thomas H. Kelly
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  2. Glenn Robbins
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  3. Catherine A. Martin
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  4. Mark T. Fillmore
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  5. Scott D. Lane
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  6. Nancy G. Harrington
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  7. Craig R. Rush
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Correspondence to Thomas H. Kelly.

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Kelly, T.H., Robbins, G., Martin, C.A. et al. Individual differences in drug abuse vulnerability: d-Amphetamine and sensation-seeking status. Psychopharmacology 189, 17–25 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0487-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0487-z

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