Substance Abuse:  Studies involve basic behavioral research with humans and the development and assessment of therapeutic modalities.  Current work includes investigation of the behavioral economics of drug dependence, buprenophine as a treatment medication for opioid dependence, treatment of cocaine dependence using a voucher-based behavioral approach, nicotine dependence, detoxification of opioid-dependent adolescents, adolescent marijuana dependence, impulsivity in drug dependence, the reliability and validity of marijuana withdrawal symptoms, and estimates of alcohol consumption using Interactive Voice Response.  Computer-based models of therapy to promote abstinence are being evaluated and show promise as cost-effective adjuncts to traditional treatments.  These projects are funded by a variety of NIH grants.  The Department also has been the recipient of a training grant for over 12 years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support training in drug abuse research.  Two members of the Department have received the prestigious MERIT award from the NIH.  These unsolicited awards permit up to 10 years of continuous funding for research.  You can find more information on current research being performed at www.uvm.edu/~hbpl. Also, a Methadone Clinic, linked to the Substance Abuse Treatment Center, will provide opportunities for a variety of studies in a clinical setting.

Neuroscience:  The Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit is focused on studies that investigate the mechanisms, treatment, and amelioration of neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The laboratory has particular expertise in understanding the role of central nicotinic receptors in human cognition and motor functioning in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder.  Other studies examine the role of estrogen, central cholinergic function, and catecholamines on cognition, mood, and behavior after menopause. The CNRU conducts treatment studies of new pharmaceutical agents for cognitive and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, in both ambulatory and long-term care settings.  There are regular clinical trials for the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders in young and elderly populations.  Please see further information on our web site www.uvm.edu/~cnru for details of individual studies that are currently being performed as well as the recent publications section for details of past research.

Child Psychopathology:  The Center for Children, Youth, and Families  (CCYF) was engaged in work funded by thirteen grants and contracts during this past year.  These included  grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and numerous government, foundation, and industry sources.  Research in the CCYF included standardized assessment of psychopathology in children, assessment of children of drug abusers, cross-cultural comparisons of psychopathology in several countries, and prediction of adult criminal convictions from assessment of childhood psychopathology.  The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments (ASEBA) was developed at CCYF, and current projects are investigating the expansion of this method beyond the Child Behavior Checklist which has been translated into 64 languages spawning over 4,000 research reports.  Twin studies of aggression, attention, and affect are underway, as are pharmaceutical trials in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  You can find the Child Behavior Checklist as well as other ASEBA forms at www.aseba.org/index.html

Psychiatric Consultation:  
Consultation research is examining prospective payment for inpatient psychiatry and assessment tools for dementia.