Bernard Le Foll 2024

“Like the Wild West”: Health care provider perspectives on impacts of recreational cannabis legalization on patients and providers at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Ontario, Canada

Jessica Wiese, Tara Marie Watson, Nikki Bozinoff, Brian Rush, Vicky Stergiopoulos, Bernard Le Foll, Sergio Rueda

Legalization has increased cannabis availability in Canada. Research shows complex relationships between cannabis use and mental health, and a need for health care providers to engage with patients about cannabis use. Providers have noted gaps in knowledge…

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Cannabis use disorder: from neurobiology to treatment

Bernard Le Foll, Victor Tang, Sergio Rueda, Leanne Trick, Isabelle Boileau

Cannabis has been legalized for medical and recreational purposes in multiple countries. A large number of people are using cannabis and some will develop cannabis use disorder (CUD). There is a growing…

Mediating effect of craving on the impact of buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone treatment on opioid use: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Christina McAnulty, Gabriel Bastien, Omar Ledjiar, M. Eugenia Socias, Bernard Le Foll, Ron Lim, Didier Jutras-Aswad

The relationship between opioid craving and opioid use is unclear. We sought to determine to what extent craving mediated the relationship between opioid agonist therapy and…

Investigating Endocannabinoid Metabolism in Opioid Treated Chronic Pain Patients With and Without Opioid Use Disorder: A PET Study With Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Radioligand [C-11]CURB

Claire Shyu. Kevin Butler, Rachel Tyndale, Andrew Smith, Vitor Tardelli, Stefan Kloiber, Bernard Le Foll, Isabelle Boileau

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the anandamide-catabolizing enzyme, is a key determinant of endocannabinoid metabolism. Preclinical and clinical findings suggest reduced FAAH is associated with altered addiction risks and pain sensitivity. In our recent positron emission tomography (PET) studies with FAAH radiotracer [11C]CURB, reduced…

Associations of Methadone and BUP/NX Dose Titration Patterns With Retention in Treatment and Opioid Use in Individuals With Prescription-Type Opioid Use Disorder: Secondary Analysis of the OPTIMA Study

Hamzah Bakouni, Lexie Haquet, Eugenia Socias, Bernard Le Foll, Ron Lim, Keith Ahamad, Didier Jutras-Aswad, for the OPTIMA Research Group within the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse

Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NX) titration parameters (eg, range, duration, and rate) can vary during opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. We describe methadone and BUP/NX titration patterns and their associations with treatment…

Impact of Depressive Symptom Severity on Buprenorphine/Naloxone and Methadone Outcomes in People With Prescription-Type Opioid Use Disorder: Results From a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

Gabriel Bastien, Anita Abboud, Christina McAnulty, Laurent Elkrief, Omar Ledjiar, Eugenia Socias, Bernard Le Foll, Anees Bahji, Suzanne Brissette, Stéphanie Marsan, DidierJutras-Aswad

Cannabis Use Characteristics Associated with Self-Reported Cognitive Function in a Nationally Representative U.S. sample

Dafna Sara Rubin-Kahana, Kevin Butler, Ahmed Nabeel Hassan, Marcos Sanches, Bernard Le Foll

With increases in cannabis use and potency, there is a need to improve our understanding of the impact of use on cognitive function. Previous research indicates long-term cannabis use may have a negative effect on executive function. Few studies have examined persistence of it in protracted abstinence…

Cannabis use in the COVID-19 pandemic: Changes in different populations and implications for policy in Linking Neuroscience and Behavior in COVID-19

Created by Adam Zaweel, Isaac Kuk, Soyeon Kim, Bernard Le Foll, Christine Wickens.

Participant Fraud in Virtual Qualitative Substance Use Research: Recommendations and Considerations for Detection and Prevention Based on a Case Study

Created by Madison Wright, Justin Matheson, Tara Marie Watson, Beth Sproule, Bernard Le Foll, Bruna Brands

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and amplified the use of virtual research methods. While online research has several advantages, it also provides greater opportunity for individuals

The Association Between Self-Reported Anxiety and Retention in Opioid Agonist Therapy: Findings From a Canadian Pragmatic Trial

Created by Anees Bahji, Gabriel Bastien, Paxton Bach, JinCheol Choi, Bernard Le Foll, Ron Lim, Didier Jutras-Aswad & M. Eugenia Socias.

Prescription-type opioid use disorder (POUD) is often accompanied by comorbid anxiety, yet the impact of anxiety on retention in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated…

Pharmacogenetics of Biochemically Verified Abstinence in an Opioid Agonist Therapy Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone and Buprenorphine/Naloxone

Created by Intishar Kazi, Meghan Chenoweth, Didier Jutras-Aswad, Keith Ahamad, M. Eugenia Socias, Bernard Le Foll, Rachel Tyndale

Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are opioid agonist therapies for opioid use disorder treatment. Genetic factors contribute to individual differences in opioid response…

Identifying clinical predictors of response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for smoking cessation: Secondary analysis of a multicenter RCT

Victor Tang, Laurie Zawertailo, Peter Selby, Abraham Zangen, Dhvani Mehta, Tony George, Bernard Le Foll, Kristina Gicas. Matthew Sloan, Scott Veldhuizen

Tobacco smoking remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While evidence-based treatments exist for nicotine dependence, many patients do not respond to or cannot tolerate them. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a novel, non-invasive neuromodulation treatment that stimulates parts of the brain involved in addiction [1]. Recently, the Brainsway H4 deep TMS coil was cleared by the FDA and Health Canada for the treatment for…

Prescription psychostimulants for the treatment of amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials

Created by Heidar Sharafi, Hamzah Bakouni, Christina McAnulty, Sarah Drouin, Stephanie Coronado-Montoya, Arash Bahremand, Paxton Bach, Nadine Ezard, Bernard Le Foll…

There is currently no standard of care for pharmacological treatment of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use disorder (ATSUD). This systematic review with meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42022354492) aimed to pool results from randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate efficacy and safety of prescription psychostimulants (PPs) for ATSUD…