For Release July 11, 2002

NIDA is launching Science & Practice Perspectives, a new publication that will promote a practical, creative dialogue between researchers and treatment providers. Published twice a year, the exchange of information, observations, and insights is expected to help clinicians maximize their programs and treatment outcomes, while helping researchers construct new hypotheses and design studies relevant to the needs of providers and patients.

"Drug abuse researchers and clinicians share a common dedication to reducing the devastation caused by drug abuse and addiction," NIDA's Acting Director, Dr. Glen Hanson, said. "By combining forces, researchers and clinicians can produce treatment results and improvements that far surpass the results that either could achieve alone. Perspectives joins the Clinical Trials Network as cornerstones of NIDA's ongoing efforts to help present and stimulate ideas and solutions that can reduce the toll of drug abuse."

The peer-reviewed journal will feature:

• Researchers' up-to-the-minute reviews of the most critical topics in the science of prevention and treatment - written and edited for clinicians and administrators;
  
• Service providers' perspectives on what works and can work in diverse community treatment settings - together with their priorities for future research;
  
• Roundtable discussions that probe and amplify the points in each article and elaborate the practical implications for both researchers and service providers;
  
• Examples of successful research-practice collaborations described by the partners involved; and,
  
• Lively charts and illustrations with in-depth explanation and discussion.
  
  

David Anderson of NIDA's Office of Science Policy and Communications, editor of NIDA NOTES, will also be the editor of Perspectives.

The Perspectives distinguished editorial board has a wealth of scientific and clinical drug abuse expertise. Board members are: Dr. Kathleen Carroll, Yale University School of Medicine; Dr. Lorraine Collins, University at Buffalo, State University of New York; T. Ron Jackson, Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle; Dr. Herbert Kleber, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, University of Washington; Dr. Charles P. O'Brien, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Dr. Lisa Onken, NIDA Division of Treatment Research and Development; Dr. John Schwarzlose, Betty Ford Center; Dr. Jack B. Stein, NIDA Office of Science Policy and Communications; and Dr. Constance M. Weisner, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

The first issue of Perspectives will feature five solicited articles and related roundtable discussions:

• "The Neurobiology of Opioid Dependence: Implications for Treatment," by Drs. Thomas R. Kosten and Tony P. George, uses straightforward language to explain a complex subject: how chronic opioid abuse changes the brain and how medications counter those changes. Providers can use the article to help patients understand their addiction as a brain disease.
  
• In "Treatment Practice and Research Issues in Improving Opioid Treatment Outcomes," T. Ron Jackson offers advice for community treatment programs facing a new era of accountability for treatment outcomes and discusses opportunities for research-practice collaborations to assist the process of program adaptation.
  
• In "Treating Women Drug Abusers: Action Therapy and Trauma Assessment," Ann Uhler and Dr. Olga Parker discuss their use of action therapy with female patients. They also call on researchers to develop a new trauma assessment tool for use in initial interviews, arguing that currently existing tools may drive some women away from treatment.
  
• Drs. James L. Sorensen, Carmen L. Masson, and David C. Perlman wrote, "HIV/Hepatitis Prevention in Drug Abuse Treatment Programs: Guidance From Research" to demonstrate how drug abuse treatment programs play a crucial role in preventing, detecting, and treating these viral diseases. This provocative discussion shows providers how to reduce the impact of drug-abuse-related infections for patients and their communities without substantially increasing program costs.
  
• "Using Behavioral Reinforcement To Improve Treatment Participation," by Drs. Robert K. Brooner and Michael Kidorf, describes motivational stepped care, an innovative system that allows providers to prescribe the dosage and mix of treatment components - medication and counseling - that conform to each patient's needs. The authors describe how they used the literature of scientific research to construct their system, and they summarize early evaluations, which have shown promising indications of effectiveness.
  
  

Volume 1, Issue 1 of Perspectives will be mailed to 20,000 drug abuse researchers and prevention/treatment providers nationwide in July, 2002. Additional subscriptions for individuals and organizations are available. No-cost subscriptions can be ordered from MasiMax Resources, Inc., by mail or through the online order form at NIDA's Web site, http://www.drugabuse.gov/Perspectives/Subscribe.html . To order by mail, address the request to: Subscriptions Department, MasiMax Resources, Inc., 1375 Piccard Drive, Suite 175, Rockville, MD 20850.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish by calling NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.