Psychoactives, Volume 1, Issue 1 (September 2022) – 5 articles

Purpose: Survivors of pediatric brain tumor experience substantial post-treatment challenges, facing greater cognitive impairment and lower Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) compared to survivors of other childhood cancers. Early studies report methylphenidate to benefit cognition and HRQoL in paediatric survivors of cancer via improved processing speed and attention. Parental opinion is an important element of treatment decision making, however parents’ views on methylphenidate treatment have not been reported. This study explored parental perceptions of their child’s treatment with methylphenidate. Materials and methods: An evaluation of 10 parents of children with previous brain tumour receiving methylphenidate was performed. Data were gathered by qualitative parental-report HRQoL questionnaire (PedsQL parent form) and by a questionnaire developed for use in this population. Results: Preliminary data suggest that parents are positive about the use of methylphenidate as an interventional measure, and believed this to have a beneficial impact on their child’s HRQoL. Conclusion: Early data from a small sample of parents suggest that methylphenidate may be effective in supporting HRQoL within this population. Parental information supports an increasing evidence base for the benefits of methylphenidate as an intervention for the management of long-term difficulties associated with paediatric cancer. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the need to develop effective strategies to cushion the psychological consequences of social catastrophes. Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of hallucinogens is a protective factor that mitigates against such stressors. However, the underlying mechanisms must be further explored. This study specifically focused on the potential role of coping strategies in this regard, analyzing them through an online survey completed by a total of 2971 subjects who were followed up with from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic until six months after baseline. The survey was published in three different cultures (English, Spanish, and Portuguese), allowing for the collection of data from three different cultural contexts. The results show that coping strategies were generally more related to psychological well-being and psychopathology than to hallucinogenic drug use. However, regarding the latter, users of hallucinogens had higher scores on problem-focused engagement and disengagement and lower scores on wishful thinking than non-users. Longitudinally, while most baseline coping scores were associated with psychological distress and the severity of psychological symptoms, some coping strategies were related to the use of hallucinogens. These results show an adaptive pattern of coping strategies among hallucinogen users. Further research should take into account that coping strategies are only marginally associated with hallucinogenic drug use. Other underlying mechanisms explaining the better adjustment of users of hallucinogens to pandemics should be explored. Full article

This technical clinical and forensic note is designed to interpret the influence that psychoactive (or psychotropic) substances may have on driving. The present interpretation is restricted to the four groups of substances (i.e., cannabinoids, cocaine and metabolites, opiates and amphetamines and derivatives) outlined in Annex V of Ordinance No. 902-B/2007 of 13 August and it is expected that can be extrapolated to other jurisdictions besides Portugal. This work is presented in a pragmatic and objective way, avoiding the clinical, physiological, pathophysiological, and toxicological aspects that would hinder understanding and impair the usefulness and applicability of its content. The evaluation of the state of influence by psychotropic substances is a complex clinical and forensic subject especially due interindividual variability and concomitant consumption of other substances that may predispose to pharmacological interactions. Full article