Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, South Africa

Biography

I am interested in the psychobiology and management of anxiety and related disorders. I have also mentored work in other areas of relevance to South Africa and Africa, including HIV/AIDS and addictions. I am inspired by the way in which psychiatry integrates science and humanism, and contributes to addressing some of the big questions posed by life. I am enthusiastic about establishing integrative approaches to services, training, and research in the context of low-/middle-income countries.

Publications

• Research Article   
  Executive Function and Contingency Management in Methamphetamine Use Disorder
  Author(s): Lara J van Nunen*, Marilyn T Lake, Jonathan C Ipser, Dan J Stein, Steven J Shoptaw and Edythe D London
  
  Objectives: Contingency management is a promising intervention for Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD).Impaired executive function may decrease adherence to such treatment, but there are few data on whether impairment in executive function predicts treatment outcomes. We therefore evaluated whether baseline performance on tests of executive function predicted treatment response in a trial of contingency management for MUD. Methods: Thirty participants with MUD and 23 healthy controls performed the Connors Continuous Performance Task (CPT) and the Trail Making Task. MUD participants then entered an 8-week contingency management trial. Participants were categorized as responders (n=17; no methamphetamine-positive urine tests) or non-responders (n=13; >1 positive test). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare scores in participants with MUD.. View More»
  DOI: 10.35248/2329-6488.21.9.342

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