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Summarizing current news and empirical literature related to digital health technologies
Eye on Innovation

Summarizing current news and empirical literature related to digital health technologies

The field of behavioral health and technology moves at a rapid pace. CTBH follows news and empirical publications and compiles references to and synopses of pieces describing cutting edge applications of technology in behavioral health.
Eye on Innovation
01/30/2012

Drug Addiction May Make Users More Vulnerable to Stress

Article Excerpt: Mood disorders such as depression are known to increase drug abuse risk. Yet mounting evidence suggests that substance abuse also makes people more vulnerable to depression and the negative effects of stress, according to Eric J. Nestler, chair of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/7a8tglh
Article Source: Scientific American

Posted in: Epidemiology Tagged:
01/17/2012

New NIDA resource helps families navigate addiction treatment options

Article Excerpt: A new resource, Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask, will help individuals and families struggling with addiction ask the right questions before choosing a drug treatment program.  It was developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is available to the public free online or in hard copy through NIDA’s DrugPubs service (see information below).

Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/d4lonmf

Article Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

01/12/2012

Short Message Service (SMS) Applications for Disease Prevention in Developing Countries

Article Excerpt: The last decade has witnessed unprecedented growth in the number of mobile phones in the developing world, thus linking millions of previously unconnected people. The ubiquity of mobile phones, which allow for short message service (SMS), provides new and innovative opportunities for disease prevention efforts.

Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/bsfetk5

Article Source: Journal of Internet Medical Research

01/09/2012

As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All

Article Excerpt: The average auto refractor–that clunky-looking device eye doctors use to pinpoint your prescription–weighs about 40 pounds, costs $10,000, and is virtually impossible to find in a rural village in the developing world. As a result, some half a billion people are living with vision problems, which make it tough to read and work.

Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/7e2zcx3

Article Source: FastCompany.com

05/01/2011

An internet-based abstinence reinforcement smoking cessation intervention in rural smokers

Stoops, W.W., Dallery, J., Fields, N.M., Nuzzo, P.A., Schoenberg, N.E., Martin, C.A., Casey, B., Wong, C.J.  (2009). Drug and Alcohol Dependence.  105:  56-62.

Participants assigned to the Abstinence Contingency (AC) group were more likely to provide a negative sample and to achieve continuous abstinence, compared to the Yoked Control group. Results of this study show the feasibility and short-term efficacy of delivering reinforcement for smoking abstinence to rural populations over the Internet.

04/30/2011

A randomized trial of computer-delivered brief intervention and low-intensity contingency management for smoking during pregnancy

Ondersma, S.J., Svikis, D.S., Lam, P.K., Connors-Burge, V.S., Ledgerwood, D.M., Hopper, J.A.  (2012). Nicotine & Tobacco Research.  14(3):  351-360.

A computer-delivered 5As-based (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) brief intervention increased abstinence during pregnancy, while low-intensity contingency management did not affect smoking.  Findings of this pilot indicate that further fully powered trials of this approach may be merited.