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Recreational Drugs Research Team

Overview

The recreational drugs research team concerns itself with investigating the cognitive and psychobiological effects of a range of illicit and licit drugs, as well as effects of withdrawal from regular use and more protracted abstinence. Although there is considerable overlap, John Turner’s principal interest is stimulants, Kirstie Soar has particular expertise in ecstasy and cannabis, and Lynne Dawkins’ research has focused mainly on nicotine addiction and smoking. The team are also interested in the psychobiological effects of alcohol, magic mushrooms, ketamine and khat use as well as recreational polydrug use. Dr Turner and Dr Soar are currently collaborating to explore relationships between ecstasy/MDMA, cannabis and cocaine, and cognition, psychophysiology and personality. Another recent development that Dr Dawkins, Dr Turner and Dr Roberts are currently exploring surrounds the use of novel nicotine delivery systems, namely the Electronic Cigarette. Discussions are currently under way with The Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) to fund further research into this area.

Current Projects

Psychobiological effects of ecstasy/MDMA Projects

(Kirstie Soar; John Turner; Margherita Milani)

The team have 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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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 recreational drug team and 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. Moore, D.G., Turner, J.J.D., et al (in press) In-utero exposure to Ecstasy (MDMA) and Methamphetamine (MA): preliminary findings, limitations and predictions. Invited chapter for Philip Preece and Ed Riley (Eds). The Price for the Child. Exposure to Foetal Teratogens and Long-term Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.
  2. Moore, D.G., Turner, J.J.D., Parrott, A.C, Goodwin, J.E., Fulton, S.E., Min, M.O., Fox, H.C., Braddick, F.M.B., Toplis, A., Axelsson, E.L., Lynch, S., Ribeiro, H.,Frostick, C.J., & 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 Journal of Psychopharmacology, 23(7), 745–758.

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 team 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 recently 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. & Powell, J. (2011). Effects of Nicotine and Alcohol on Affective Responses to Emotionally Toned Film clips. Psychopharmacology, 216 (2): 197-205.
  2. Powell, J., Dawkins, L., West, R., Powell, J., & Pickering, A. (2010). Relapse to smoking during unaided cessation: clinical, cognitive and motivational predictors. Psychopharmacology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s00213-010-1975-8
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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, John Turner, Amanda Roberts)

More recently, Lynne, with John Turner and Amanda Roberts, has been exploring the efficacy of the electronic cigarette (aka electronic nicotine inhalators) for reducing craving and nicotine withdrawal symptoms during abstinence. The Electronic Cigarette Company and Totally Wicked E-Liquids have been collaborating on this project and supplying the products for research. A web-based survey of e-cigarette users is currently under way.

Recent related publications
  1. Dawkins, L., Kent, TS., & 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. (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.

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Publications

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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. & Mason, C. (2008). Recreational cocaine use: schizotypy and cognitive performance. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22(5), TF06: A66.

Recent Presentations

  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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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

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.

Team Members

Core Researchers

PhD Students

  • Stephanie Lynch

Associated Researchers and Collaborators

  • Professor Andy Parrott (Swansea University)
  • Professor Jane Powell (Goldsmiths College)
  • Dr Amanda Roberts
  • 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)

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