Re-evaluation of the KMSK scales, rapid dimensional measures of self-exposure to specific drugs: Gender-specific features

Background: The Kreek-McHugh-Schluger-Kellogg (KMSK) scales provide a rapid assessment of maximal self-exposure to specific drugs and can be used as a dimensional instrument. This study provides a re-evaluation of the KMSK scales for cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin in a relatively large multi-ethnic cohort, and also the first systematic comparison of gender-specific profiles of drug exposure with this scale. Methods: This was an observational study of n = 1,133 consecutively ascertained adult volunteers. The main instruments used were the SCID-I interview (DSM-IV criteria) and KMSK scales for cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin. Results: Participants were 852 volunteers (297 female) with specific DSM-IV abuse or dependence diagnoses, and 281 volunteers without any drug diagnoses (154 female). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for concurrent validity of KMSK scores with the respective DSM-IV dependence diagnoses. The areas under the ROC curves for men and women combined were 99.5% for heroin, 97% for cocaine, 93% for alcohol, and 85% for cannabis. Newly determined optimal KMSK “cutpoint” scores were identical for men and women for cocaine and heroin dependence diagnoses, but were higher in men than in women, for cannabis and alcohol dependence diagnoses. Conclusions: This study confirms the scales’ effectiveness in performing rapid dimensional analyses for cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin exposure, in a cohort larger than previously reported, with “cutpoints” changed from initial determinations, based on this larger sample. The KMSK scales also detected gender differences in self-exposure to alcohol and cannabis that are associated with the respective dependence diagnoses.