Cocaine Use Disorder
Course #56944 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Although cocaine has been a drug of abuse for decades, research on the treatment of cocaine use disorder was delayed until the later part of the 20th century. The introduction and widespread use of crack cocaine in the 1980s, the severity of the addiction, and comorbid problems prompted the scientific community to investigate treatment options. Topics covered in this review include the history and demographics of the current cocaine epidemic; risk factors, background characteristics and comorbid conditions of persons who abuse cocaine; the biologic and behavioral characteristics of cocaine addiction; structural and functional changes to the brain caused by chronic stimulant abuse; and treatment options and their effectiveness. Also covered are the highly-relevant subjects of protracted withdrawal, psychoses, craving, and aggressive and violent behavior and their management.
- DEFINITION OF COCAINE ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE
- HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF COCAINE USE
- EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DEMOGRAPHICS OF COCAINE ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE
- COCAINE USE
- EFFECTS OF COCAINE USE
- TREATMENT OF COCAINE USE DISORDER
- WITHDRAWAL FROM COCAINE
- TREATMENT OF CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COCAINE USE
- ALTERNATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF COCAINE USE DISORDER
- PROGNOSIS
- CONCLUSION
- RESOURCES
- Works Cited
This course is designed for dental professionals who are involved in the evaluation or treatment of persons who use cocaine.
The purpose of this course is to provide a current, evidence-based overview of cocaine use disorder and its treatment, in order to allow healthcare professionals to more effectively identify, treat, or refer patients who abuse cocaine.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the history and background of cocaine use, including the development of different forms of the drug.
- Discuss the epidemiology of cocaine use.
- Describe the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of cocaine.
- Review the acute and chronic effects of cocaine use, including effects on fetal development.
- Select possible treatment modalities for cocaine use disorder, including psychosocial therapy, pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy options, alternative/complementary approaches, and interventions for non-English-proficient patients.
- Recognize the withdrawal syndrome associated with cessation of cocaine use.
Mark Rose, BS, MA, LP, is a licensed psychologist in the State of Minnesota with a private consulting practice and a medical research analyst with a biomedical communications firm. Earlier healthcare technology assessment work led to medical device and pharmaceutical sector experience in new product development involving cancer ablative devices and pain therapeutics. Along with substantial experience in addiction research, Mr. Rose has contributed to the authorship of numerous papers on CNS, oncology, and other medical disorders. He is the lead author of papers published in peer-reviewed addiction, psychiatry, and pain medicine journals and has written books on prescription opioids and alcoholism published by the Hazelden Foundation. He also serves as an Expert Advisor and Expert Witness to law firms that represent disability claimants or criminal defendants on cases related to chronic pain, psychiatric/substance use disorders, and acute pharmacologic/toxicologic effects. Mr. Rose is on the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis-based International Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and is a member of several professional organizations.
Contributing faculty, Mark Rose, BS, MA, LP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.