title: Clinical features of nicotine dependence compared with those of alcohol, methamphetamine, and inhalant dependence.
abstract: A new clinical evaluation form was developed to compare the clinical features of nicotine dependence with those associated with other abused drugs. A new scoring system for clinical evaluation was developed. The form consisted of five scoring items: subjective effects, liking (of drug), withdrawal syndrome, acute psychic and physical disorders, and social disturbance. A preliminary clinical investigation was performed to test the validity of the evaluation form. Study subjects were those showing dependence on nicotine (cigarette smoking, n = 40), alcohol (n = 39), methamphetamine (n = 31), and inhalants (n = 30), who fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for drug dependence disregarding the state of "a maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress," and gave written informed consent for participation in the study. Nicotine caused a mild or the least degree of subjective effects, liking, and psychic and physical withdrawal symptoms, without any significant social disturbance or acute disorders. With alcohol, liking, withdrawal syndrome, and acute physical disorders were prominent. Methamphetamine produced the most serious acute psychic disorders, with intensive acute physical disorders and psychic withdrawal symptoms. Inhalants were characterized by an intensive degree of acute psychic disorders. As for social disturbance, alcohol, methamphetamine, and inhalants showed more significant influence than nicotine. Our study findings revealed that the clinical features of drug dependence could be evaluated by using the new clinical evaluation form. Further study is required to clarify the clinical features of nicotine dependence compared with those of other drugs of dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. miyata@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hisatsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Sadanobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ushijima
authors.forename: Tomoji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagita
authors.forename: Katsumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyasato
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D000335:Aerosol Propellants; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008694:Methamphetamine; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012940:Social Problems / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000335:Aerosol Propellants; D008694:Methamphetamine