Doctors Perspective on Meth Abuse
Doctors Perspective on Meth Abuse
Medical doctors share personal views during a special clinical panel about methamphetamine abuse.
Neuropsychological testing is provided if the person is psychotic upon entry at drug court. We repeat testing when the psychosis subsides, and we perform a third scan with neuropsych tests after six months of sobriety. The subjects are placed on low-doses of the new anti-psychotic medication risperidone (Risperdal). This is our best chance to do follow-up evaluations. Is the methamphetamine psychosis persistent? What about the abnormal blood flow pattern? Judge Aiona’s drug court may help provide some answers to a frightening concern. In Honolulu’s emergency rooms or police cell blocks, it looks like Armageddon. We must bring more scientific research to bear on this problem.
DR. LUKAS: As a researcher, I have been trained to live and die by statistics, but we cannot lose sight of the real-life stories and the faces behind those statistics, graphs or charts. Like a broken record, I cannot overemphasize that point enough. Because there is no silver bullet for drug abuse, medication development and opiate detox malibu research must proceed on many different fronts. This process goes on slowly, too slowly perhaps, indirectly contributing to an increase in the numbers. We must do better.
