Abstract
The treatment of substance abuse with oxytocin is a novel approach to a challenging public health issue that continues to contribute to a growing economic cost for societies worldwide. Methamphetamine addiction is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and despite advances in understanding the neurobiology of methamphetamine addiction, treatment options are limited. There are no medications that the Food and Drug Administration currently approves for stimulant use disorder. Off-label use of therapies for stimulant misuse include antidepressants, anxiolytics, and milder stimulants as replacement agents. Due to the shortcomings of these attempts to treat a complicated psychiatric disorder, recent attention to oxytocin therapy (OT) has gained momentum in clinical studies as a possible therapy in the context of social stress, social anxiety, social cognition, and psychosis. Oxytocin produces enhanced connectivity between cortical regions. The results from studies in rodents with OT suggest that central neuromodulation of oxytocin may be beneficial across transition states of stimulant dependence and may alleviate intense withdrawal symptoms. Studies of oxytocin in the context of other drugs of abuse, including cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol, also support the potential of oxytocin to treat stimulant use disorder, methamphetamine type. Methamphetamine abuse continues to be a significant cause of distress and dysfunction throughout the world. The effects of oxytocin on methamphetamine use outlined in this review should act as a catalyst for further investigation into the efficacy of treating stimulant use disorder, methamphetamine type with oxytocin in humans. More human-based research should initiate studies involving the long-term efficacy, side effects, and patient selection.
Highlights
The treatment of substance misuse with oxytocin is a novel approach to a challenging public health issue that continues to contribute to a growing economic cost for societies worldwide
After amphetamines are in the presynaptic terminal, they interact with vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) to trigger dopamine release into the cytosol, disrupting the pH balance [16]
These results suggest that methamphetamine induces a place preference, that vasopressin therapy following methamphetamine exposure plays a role in eliminating seeking behaviors, and that oxytocin may increase seeking behaviors with more potential for relapse [50]
Summary
The treatment of substance misuse with oxytocin is a novel approach to a challenging public health issue that continues to contribute to a growing economic cost for societies worldwide. Current therapies for stimulant use disorder include antidepressant, anxiolytic, and mild stimulatory pharmacologic agents, though none are FDA approved Alternative therapies such as behavioral and herbal remedies have led to limited therapeutic results and have been widely ineffective in clinical use [3]. Recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) regarding methamphetamine use in the USA concluded that the number of people with stimulant use disorder methamphetamine type was 1,048,000 in 2019 [12]. This is a significant increase as compared with the data from 2016, which showed. Methamphetamine has a strong presence throughout the United States, which indicates that this psychostimulant will continue to be a significant component of the drug epidemic for years to come
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