Course Summary

Expiration Date: 05/13/2029

Stimulant use disorders, involving cocaine and methamphetamine, are a significant public health concern with limited pharmacological treatments. Research is exploring prescription stimulants as therapeutic agents to reduce cravings, improve compliance, and restore disrupted neurotransmitter function, drawing parallels to opioid replacement therapies. This approach addresses neurobiological deficits from chronic stimulant use while considering diversion and misuse risks. The course reviews the scientific basis, literature, and clinical trial outcomes for stimulant-based treatments, including the “self-medication” model for co-occurring ADHD, dual-diagnosis considerations, and future research on safer pharmacotherapies.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Use of Stimulants to Treat a Stimulant Use Disorder
  • Current Research
    • “Self-Medication” Model
    • Dual Diagnosis
  • Treatment Studies
  • Future Directions
  • Key Takeaways VII.   Summary

Authors

Susan Depasquale, MA, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Susan DePasquale is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her current practice is with families, youth and adults who have mental illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including telepsychiatry for Montana, Washington and Wisconsin communities. She completed her Masters of Art in Political Science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Masters of Science in Nursing at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington with a focus in neurogastroenterology and the Post-Masters of Science in Nursing at the Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana with a focus in psychiatry. She has worked with small and rural healthcare teams in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada, and in teaching and research hospitals such as Providence Health and Virginia Mason Medical Center Digestive and Liver Disease Departments in Seattle. Since 2012, she has been actively involved in online continuing education program development for nurses and health teams.

William Cook, PhD

William Cook, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who worked for 15 years in private practice in Montana before leaving his practice to work full time as the Director of CE4Less. He earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University, and focused much of his psychology practice in the area of child and family counseling, as well as psychological testing. Dr. Cook likes new challenges, foreign traveling to Africa and areas of Europe and the near East, scuba diving, running, music, and spending time with his family.