Overview

The Drugs and Addictive Behaviours Research Group (DABRG) (formerly known as the Recreational Drugs Research Team) concerns itself with investigating the cognitive, behavioural and psychobiological effects of a range of illicit and licit drugs and behavioural addictions, The group conducts empirical research into effects of withdrawal from regular use and protracted abstinence, acute, subacute and handover effects, predictors of abstinence and treatment evaluations. Although there is considerable overlap, Lynne Dawkins’ research has focused mainly on nicotine addiction and smoking, John Turner’s principal interest is stimulants and ‘legal highs’, Kirstie Soar has particular expertise in ecstasy and cannabis and Amanda Roberts is interested in gambling and porn/sex addiction. The group is also interested in the psychobiological effects of alcohol, magic mushrooms, ketamine and shisha use as well as recreational and dependent polydrug use. John Turner and Kirstie Soar are currently exploring relationships between ecstasy/MDMA, cannabis and cocaine, and cognition, psychophysiology and personality. Amanda Roberts is leading a collaboration with the Gordon Moody Gambling Association to evaluate their pathological gambling treatment program. Lynne Dawkins is leading on a number of projects exploring effects of the novel nicotine delivery device — the electronic cigarette — with the Medicines Research Group and several electronic cigarette companies: SKYCIG, The Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) and Totally Wicked E-Liquids (TWEL). (see current projects).

Group Aims:

• To conduct and disseminate high quality research which leads to the generation of new knowledge, wider public understanding and better policy and practice.
• To explore the psychological and cognitive effects of a range of legal and illegal psychoactive substances and evaluate the impact they have on users.
• To investigate the causes and consequences of a range of drug and behavioural addictions, including withdrawal effects and pathways out of addictive behaviours.

Current Projects

• Ecstasy and Eating Project
• Psychobiological Effects of Ecstasy/MDMA Projects
• DAISY Project
• Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine Addiction Projects
• Electronic Cigarette Projects
• Recreational Cocaine Project
• Cannabis and Psychosis-like Behaviours
• Gambling Treatment Evaluation

Psychobiological Effects of Ecstasy/MDMA Projects

(Kirstie Soar; John Turner; Margherita Milani)

The group has worked on a number of research projects at UEL and in collaboration with Professor Andy Parrott (Swansea University) looking at both the acute, sub-acute and long-term psychobiological effects associated with the recreational drug ecstasy (MDMA).

In particular, numerous projects lead by Kirstie Soar have focused upon heavy ecstasy (MDMA) users, who often report a variety of drug-related problems, and investigating the prevalence and nature of these problems, along with their persistence. Cognitive functioning of these more problematic ecstasy users has also been assessed. Margherita Milani has undertaken a large-scale investigation into the psychological health and wellbeing of several hundred Italian and British youngsters, ranging from those who have never taken any psychoactive drugs, to heavy polydrug (multiple-drug) users. She has also investigated the effect of ecstasy polydrug use on attention and memory: in particular, prospective memory.

Recent Related Publications

1. Milani, R.M. (2011). The contribution of ecstasy dependence and stress to ecstasy/MDMA-related psychiatric symptoms. The Open Addiction Journal, 4(1), 28–29. doi:10.2174/1874941001104010028
2. Soar, K., Parrott, A.C., & Turner, J.J.D. (2009). Attributions for psychobiological changes in ecstasy/MDMA and other polydrug users. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 23(7),745–58. doi:10.1177/0269881108092594
3. Parrott, A.C., Milani, R.M., Gouzoulis-Mayfrank, E., & Daumann, J. (2007) Cannabis and Ecstasy/MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine): an analysis of their neuropsychobiological interactions in recreational users. [research article] Journal of Neuronal Transmission. 114(8),959-68. doi:10.1007/s00702-007-0715-7
4. Soar, K., Turner, J.J.D., & Parrott, A.C. (2006). Problematic versus non-problematic Ecstasy/MDMA use: the influence of drug usage patterns and pre-existing psychiatric factors. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 20(3), 417–724. doi:10.1177/0269881106063274
5. Royal Medicine Society (2006). Round Table Series 83: Ergot-derived drugs. Edited by Grosset, D., Schachter, M., Soar, K., Turner, J., Van Camp, G. Royal Medicine Society Press.

DAISY Project

(John Turner)

The Development and Infancy Study (DAISY) is in the emerging field of Behavioural Teratology, exploring the possible effects of in utero exposure to recreational drugs (ecstasy, cannabis, nicotine, etc.) on the subsequent social and cognitive development of the infant. This project is also looking at continued drug use by non-addicted mothers during pregnancy and the possible impact on their health, mental health and interactions with their newborns.

The project is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the US (Grant: DA14910-01) and is an international collaborative study between the Drugs and Addictive Behaviours Research Group and the IRCD at UEL, Professor Andy Parrott at Swansea, Professor Lynn Singer and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, and involving Dr Susan Patterson at Imperial College.

Recent related publications

1. Singer, L.T., Moore, D.G., Fulton, S., Goodwin, J., Turner, J.J.D., Min, M.O., & Parrott, A.C. (2012). Neurobehavioral outcomes of infants exposed to MDMA (Ecstasy) and other recreational drugs during pregnancy. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 34(3), 303–310. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2012.02.001
2. Singer, L.T., Moore, D.G., Min, M.O., Goodwin, J.E., Turner, J.J.D., Fulton, S.E., et al. (2012). One-year outcomes of prenatal exposure to MDMA and other recreational drugs. Pediatrics, 130(3), 407–413. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-0666
3. Moore, D.G., Turner, J.J.D., Goodwin, J.E., Fulton, S., Singer, L.T., & Parrott, A.C. (2011). In-utero exposure to the popular ‘recreational’ drugs MDMA (Ecstasy) and methamphetamine (Ice, Crystal): preliminary findings. In Preece & Riley (Eds.), Alcohol drugs and medication in pregnancy. Wiley.
4. Moore, D.G., Turner, J.D., Parrott, A.C., Goodwin, J.E., Fulton, S.E., Min, M.O., … Singer, L.T. (2009). During pregnancy, recreational drug-using women stop taking ecstasy (3,4–methylenedioxy–N–methylamphetamine) and reduce alcohol consumption, but continue to smoke tobacco and cannabis: initial findings from the Development and Infancy Study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24(9), 1403–1410. doi:10.1177/0269881109348165

Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine Addiction Projects

(Lynne Dawkins)

Lynne Dawkins is interested in the neurobiology of addiction, particularly nicotine addiction, and the implications that current addiction theory has for behaviour, namely: reward motivation, anhedonia, cue-reactivity, response inhibition and executive functioning. Lynne joined the group from Goldsmiths College, where she was involved in a NIDA-funded prospective study with Professor Jane Powell in which 200 smokers were followed up during a quit attempt. This study explored the effects of short-term nicotine abstinence on a variety of cognitive and behavioural measures (particularly response inhibition and reward motivation) and investigated their relevance to successful longer-term smoking cessation.It also examined the importance of personality and genetic polymorphisms related to dopamine functioning, and their influence on cognition and success at quitting.

Lynne has explored cross-priming effects of nicotine and alcohol on emotional responsiveness and is currently investigating whether response inhibition training can impact on craving, tobacco choice and smoking behaviour.

Recent related publications

1. Dawkins, L. (in press). Why is it so hard to quit smoking? The Psychologist.
2. Froggart, D., Jansari, A., Edgington, T., & Dawkins, L. (2012). Investigating the impact of nicotine on executive functions using a novel virtual reality assessment. Addiction. doi:10.1111/add.12082
3. Dawkins, L. & Powell, J. (2011). Effects of Nicotine and Alcohol on Affective Responses to Emotionally Toned Film clips. Psychopharmacology, 216 (2), 197–205. doi:10.1007/s00213-011-2197-4
4. Powell, J., Dawkins, L., West, R., Powell, J., & Pickering, A. (2010). Relapse to smoking during unaided cessation: clinical, cognitive and motivational predictors. Psychopharmacology. doi:10.1007/s00213-010-1975-8
5. Dawkins, L., Powell, J.H., Pickering, A., Powell, J., & West, R. (2009). Patterns of change in withdrawal symptoms, desire to smoke, reward motivation, and response inhibition across three months of smoking abstinence. Addiction, 104(5), 850–858. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02522.x
6. Soar, K., Dawkins, L., Begum, H., & Parrott, A.C. (2008). The effects of cigarette smoking and abstinence on auditory verbal learning. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 23(7), 621–627. doi:10.1002/hup.968
7. Dawkins, L., Acaster, S., & Powell, J.H. (2007). The effects of smoking and abstinence on experience of happiness and sadness in response to positively valenced, negatively valenced and neutral film clips. Addictive Behaviors, 32, 425–431. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.05.010
8. Dawkins, L., Powell, J.H., West, R., Powell, J., & Pickering, A. (2007). A double-blind placebo controlled experimental study of nicotine: II effects on response inhibition and executive functioning. Psychopharmacology, 190(4), 457–467. doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0634-6
9. Powell, J.H., & Dawkins, L. (2007). Cognitive, affective and motivational effects of smoking. In P.M. Miller & D.J. Kavanagh (Eds.), Translation of Addictions Science into Practice (pp. 239–257). Oxford: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-008044927-2/50061-4
10. Dawkins, L., Powell, J.H., West, R., Powell, J., & Pickering, A. (2006). A double-blind placebo controlled experimental study of nicotine: I effects on incentive motivation. Psychopharmacology, 189(3), 355–367. doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0588-8

Electronic Cigarette Projects

(Lynne Dawkins and DABRG)

Lynne Dawkins and the group have also been conducting research into the electronic cigarette. Projects include exploring the efficacy of the electronic cigarette for reducing craving and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, effects on cognitive performance, surveying attitudes and behaviours of current users, and investigating usability in novice users. Two commercial e-cigarette companies (TECC & TWEL) have been collaborating on these projects and supply the products for research. In a recent collaborative study with the Medicines Research Group funded by Skycigs, Lynne is leading a laboratory study to explore the efficacy of the skycig electronic cigarette for blood nicotine delivery.

Recent related publications

1. Dawkins, L., Turner, J., Roberts, A., & Soar, K. (under review). ‘Vaping’ profiles and preferences: an online survey of electronic cigarette users. Addiction.
2. Dawkins, L., Turner, J., & Crowe, E. (in press). Nicotine derived from the electronic cigarette improves prospective memory in abstinent smokers. Psychopharmacology.
3. Dawkins, L., Turner, J., Hasna, S., & Soar, K. (2012). The electronic-cigarette: effects on desire to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and cognition. Addictive Behaviours, 37(8), 970–973. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.03.004
4. Dawkins, L., Kent, T.S., & Turner, J. (2010). The electronic cigarette: acute effects on mood and craving. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24 (suppl. 3). A32.

Recreational Cocaine Project

(Kirstie Soar, John Turner)

There are a number of individual projects running assessing the cognitive and psychological functioning of recreational cocaine use. These projects include assessing general neuropsychological functioning, latent inhibition, and emotional recognition, as well as psychological health and personality factors such as schizotypy, relative to non-cocaine users.

One on-going project aims to assess a large cohort of recreational cocaine users relative to other polydrug users on a number of psychological measures, as well as addressing the effects and patterns of cocaine use relative to these psychological symptoms. If you are interested in taking part please go to http://homepages.uel.ac.uk/J.Painter/KSoar/questions.htm. Please note we need non-cocaine users to participant as well as recreational cocaine users.

Recent related publications

1. Soar, K., Mason, C., Potton, A., & Dawkins, L. (2012). Neuropsychological effects associated with recreational cocaine use. Psychopharmacology, 222(4), 633–643. doi:10.1007/s00213-012-2666-4
2. Soar, K., & Mason, C. (2008). Recreational cocaine use: schizotypy and cognitive performance. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(5), TF06: A66.

Cannabis and Psychosis-like Behaviours

(Stephanie Lynch, John Turner, Kirstie Soar, Lynne Dawkins)

Stephanie Lynch, whilst an undergraduate student at UEL, completed a final year project, with John Turner, looking at this latter area: in particular, the performance of regular cannabis users in tests of associative learning (tasks known to be affected by psychosis and psychosis-like states). Stephanie submitted an abstract of her study to the British Association of Psychopharmacology, and was awarded one of four prestigious annual undergraduate prizes for her work (alongside fellow prize winners from Bristol and Oxford Universities), in July 2006 at the BAP summer meeting in Oxford. Stephanie is currently working on her PhD, expanding on this undergraduate-level work, and looking at the roles of genetic markers, previously implicated in the aetiology of schizophrenia, in the possible interactions between cannabis use and psychosis-linked behaviours.

Gambling Treatment Evaluation

Amanda Roberts is in the process of setting up a collaborative project with the Gordon Moody Association — a charity supporting individuals and their families with gambling problems. The Association has a residential treatment programme in Dudley, and the DABRG will work with the Association to evaluate their programme.

Presentations

Ecstasy (MDMA)

1. Rodgers, J., Skene, D., Buchanan, T., Heffernan, T.M., Soar, K., & Parrott, A.C. (2009). Are individuals with a family history of mood disorders more vulnerable to MDMA depression following Ecstasy use?, In NEUROPSYCHOBIOLOGY.2009, ALLSCHWILERSTRASSE 10, CH-4009 BASEL. Switzerland: Karger.
2. Soar, K., Buchanan, T., Pearson, C., Parrott, A., Ling, J., Heffernan, T., et al. (2008). Health beliefs in a sample of ecstasy (MDMA) users. Paper presented at the Club Health Conference, Ibiza, Spain.
3. Soar, K., Turner, J.J.D., & Parrott, A.C. (2006). Potential factors which may influence the development of “problematic” ecstasy use. Paper presented at the Club Health conference, Piran, Slovenia.
4. Soar, K., Turner, J.J.D., & Parrott, A.C. (2006). The attribution of positive and negative life changes to other drug use in problematic and non-problematic ecstasy users. Paper presented at the BAP Summer Meeting, Oxford.

DAISY Project

1. Lynch, S., Turner, J.J.D., Goodwin, J.E., Ribeiro, H., Moore, D.G., Braddick, F.M.B., & Parrott, A.C. (2007). MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) use during pregnancy: psychological changes in mothers from the prospective DAISY study. Poster session presented at the Association for Psychopharmacology conference, Harrogate.

Nicotine

1. Dawkins, L., Turner, J.J.D., & Soar, K. (2012, April). The electronic cigarette: effects on craving, withdrawal symptoms and memory. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference. BPS e-Cigarette Presentation
2. Jansari, A., Froggatt, D., Dawkins, L., & Edginton, T. (2011). The Cognitive Enhancement of Executive Functions by Nicotine: A Study Using Virtual Reality. Brain Impairment, 12, 27.
3. Dawkins, L. (2011). Executive functioning and response inhibition: Effects of nicotine and short and long-term abstinence in regular smokers. Presented as part of symposium – ‘Enhancement or Impairment? The effects of what we consume on our cognitive processes’ at the BPS Annual Conference, 4-6th May, Glasgow, Scotland.
4. Dawkins, L., Powell, J., West, R., Powell, J., & Pickering. (2011). Relapse to smoking during unaided cessation: clinical, cognitive and motivational predictors. Presented as part of symposium – ‘Cue Reactivity: From Basic Science to Smoking Cessation’ at the SRNT 17th Annual Meeting, February 16-19th, Toronto, Canada.

Cannabis

1. Lynch, S., Turner, J. T., Soar, K., & Dawkins, L. E. (2010). Selective attention deficits in cannabis user. Oral presentation at the Drug Misuse Symposium, Oxford Brookes.
2. Lynch, S., Turner, J. T., Soar, K., & Dawkins, L. E. (2010). Do regular cannabis use and positive schizotypal personality traits impact on normal latent inhibition functioning? Poster session presented at the Association for Psychopharmacology conference, Harrogate.
3. Lynch, S., Turner, J.T., Soar, K., & Dawkins, L.E. (2009). Paranoid thinking, schizotypal personality traits and cannabis use in relation to emotional decision-making. Poster session presented at the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP) conference, Edinburgh.
4. Lynch, S., & Turner, J.J.D. (2006). Latent inhibition, Kamin blocking and cannabis. Poster session presented at the Association for Psychopharmacology conference, Oxford.

Cocaine

1. Soar, K., Wooldridge, J., Page, F., & Lynch, S. (2012, April). Disrupted latent inhibition in recreational cocaine users. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference. Latent inhibition cocaine
2. Soar, K., & Turner, J.J.D. (2011, December). Recreational cocaine use: does it cause psychological harm? Paper presented at the Club Health Conference, Prague. Club health cocaine
3. Soar, K., Mason, C., Potton, A., & Turner, J.J.D. (2011, September). Neuropsychological deficits and raised schizotypy in recreational cocaine users. Paper presented at the Annual BPS Psychobiology Conference. Neuropsychological effects cocaine
4. Soar, K. & Mason, C. (2008). Recreational cocaine use: schizotypy and cognitive performance. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(5), TF06: A66.

Other Related Publications/Conference Proceedings

1. Picton, J., & Soar, K. (2007). Child verses adult ratings of the severity of side effects associated with methylphenidate treatment for ADHD. Paper presented at the BAP Summer Meeting, Harrogate.
2. Soar, K., Taylor, J., Warburton, N., & Turner, J.J.D. (2007). Recreational ketamine use and schizotypy personality proneness. Paper presented at the BAP Summer Meeting, Harrogate.

Group Members

Core Researchers

• Dr Lynne Dawkins (Team Leader)
• Dr Amanda Roberts
• Dr John Turner
• Dr Kirstie Soar

PhD Students

• Stephanie Lynch

Associated Researchers and Collaborators

• Professor Mark Davies
• Professor Andy Parrott (Swansea University)
• Professor Jane Powell (Goldsmiths College)
• DAISY Project:
  • Professor Derek Moore
  • Professor Lynn Singer and Dr Sarah Fulton (Case Western Reserve University)
  • Dr Susan Paterson and Dr Rosa Cordero (Imperial College)