Differences in drug intake levels (high versus low takers) do not necessarily imply distinct drug user types: Insights from a new cluster-based model.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A current model categorizes drug takers into high versus low takers (HT and LT) based on their drug intake levels, with the assumption that these groups represent different phenotypes. When several drug doses are considered, the inverted u-shaped dose-response curves (IUDR) of HT are shifted upwards and rightward, relative to that of LT. However, these IUDR 'shifts' are not quantitative metrics and may be subjective. Also, differences in intake levels do not necessarily imply distinctions in other variables (such as demand elasticity) that are important for drug user phenotypology. With supporting evidence from a recent report, we hypothesized that, contrary to assumptions in the field, HT and LT do not necessarily represent distinct phenotypes.

Methods

Male Sprag

SUBMITTER: Castaneda DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863560 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature