Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena01:15

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

1.6K
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not...
1.6K
Drug Toxicity: Overview01:00

Drug Toxicity: Overview

313
Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
313
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors01:24

Drug Toxicity: Risk factors

248
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...
248
Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions01:24

Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

245
Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...
245
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

118
Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
118
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep01:24

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

615
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
615

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

An ACMT Network of Medical Toxicology Clinics (NMTC): A Proposed Collaboration of Medical Toxicologists to Meet National Emergency Preparedness Needs.

Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·2026
Same author

Medical Toxicology is the Overdose Specialty: Implications for the Dimensions and Continuum of Overdose Care.

Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·2026
Same author

Prenatal exposure to buprenorphine or methadone and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes: population based cohort study.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026
Same author

Developing Longitudinal Post-Overdose Care: A Call to Action.

Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·2026
Same author

Childhood Abuse and Suicidal Cognition in Adults with Opioid Use Disorder.

Substance use & misuse·2026
Same author

Characterizing pediatric xylazine exposures reported to United States poison centers, 2010-2024.

Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

6.8K

Understanding an overdose: intention, motivation, and risk.

Matthew Robert Dernbach1, Erin Seery2, J J Rasimas3

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|January 27, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Overdose intent is a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Understanding patient motivations and risk factors is key to personalized overdose prevention and care.

Keywords:
Mental healthoverdosesubstance usesuicidetoxicology

More Related Videos

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
05:40

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

3.2K
A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

6.8K
The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
05:40

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

3.2K
A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.3K

Area of Science:

  • Medical Toxicology
  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Overdose is often dichotomized as accidental or intentional, which presents methodological challenges.
  • This binary categorization may lead to inappropriate or divergent care pathways for patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the dichotomous view of overdose intention.
  • To emphasize the continuum of overdose-related intent and motivations.
  • To highlight the importance of integrating subjective and objective perspectives for comprehensive overdose risk reduction.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of overdose cases.
  • Clinical interviews with patients.
  • Integration of subjective patient experiences with objective risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Overdose intent exists on a continuum, encompassing varying degrees of suicidal desire, ambivalence, risk-taking, or pleasure-seeking.
  • Patient overdoses can communicate messages beyond a desire to die.
  • Subjective and objective perspectives are crucial for identifying modifiable risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Overdose is a behavioral episode with variable intentionality and motivations.
  • Personalized risk reduction strategies are essential post-overdose.
  • Clinical/medical toxicologists play a vital role in post-overdose care and risk management.