Substance Abuse In Population Research Articles

Optical neuroimaging of executive function impairments in food addiction

This study investigated the neural mechanisms located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) involved in maintaining addictive-like eating behavior. Therefore, we aimed to fill a gap in the existing literature and help clarify the food addiction (FA) cycle by inspecting the relationship between the executive control and psychopathology involved in the FA cycle. Twenty-three students recruited from the University of Macau participated in this study. We investigated a hemodynamic response captured by NIRS recordings, activated during [Formula: see text]-back, set-shifting, and go/no-go paradigms. Moreover, we investigated the FA symptoms through the YFAS clinical inventory to better understand the relationship between hemodynamic response and clinical symptomatology in college students. First, the hemodynamic findings confirm that altered cognitive control in executive function performance appears to be linked to addictive-like eating behaviors, which in turn confirms a circuit similarity between FA and the substance abuse population (SUD) as reported in previous fMRI studies. Secondly, the psychological findings confirm the significant association between the working memory deficits and symptoms severity which suggest the role of self-control and regulation in limiting the storage resources as a potential trigger to develop overconsumption episodes in the FA cycle. Our findings highlight how disrupted self-control and regulation of craving and negative affect induced by mental imagery might shape and overload the working memory storage as a potential trigger to develop binge eating episodes to maintain the FA cycle. In conclusion, the use of fNIRS in the context of eating disorders studies represents a valuable application, noninvasive, and patient-friendly tool, providing new insights into understanding the addiction cycle and treatment guidelines.

A Retrospective Cohort Study on the Increasing Trend of Suicide Ideations and Risks in an Opioid-Dependent Population of Puerto Rico 2015–2018

The rate of suicide attempts among people with substance abuse disorders in the U.S. is six times higher than in the general population. The prevalence of suicidal ideations and attempts continues to increase in Puerto Rico, with a significant incidence in substance-abusing populations. This retrospective cohort study evaluate the suicide profile of 4,347 opioid dependent participants in ASSMCA's methadone center in San Juan, PR, from 2015 to 2018 using questions related to suicidal ideation and attempts included in the admission questionnaire. Participants reporting suicide ideation increase from 8.5% in 2015 to 17.0% in 2018. In 2015 only 7.0% claimed to have had a history of a suicide attempt, increasing to 12.4% in 2018. Our data support the need for screening for suicide risk among substance abusing populations to identify targeted interventions. The identification of high-risk populations for suicide can help during rehabilitation and finding the adequate resources needed.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) on cannabis abstinence amongst undergraduates in two private universities in southwestern Nigeria

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug with higher abuse prevalence among undergraduates; which comes with adverse health and psychosocial consequences on the adolescents and the society at large. The trend has become a major public health concern for governments and other stakeholders that require qualitative and effective treatment approach different from those used with other drug abuse populations. This study, therefore, examined the effect of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) on cannabis use among undergraduates in private universities in southwestern, Nigeria.<BR> The study was anchored on the Social Cognitive theory, while the pretest-posttest, control group, quasi experimental design of a 2x2x2 factorial matrix was adopted. Two private universities in the Southwest, Nigeria that conduct drug screening of its student population were purposively selected, while undergraduates who tested positive to cannabis use during the screening exercises were selected as participants. The participants were randomized into MET (25) and control (15) groups. Two hypothesis were formulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Analysis of covariance at 0.05 level of significance.<BR> Participants were mostly male (75%) with a mean age of 13.3±4 years. Treatment had a significant main effect on cannabis use among undergraduates (F(1, 39)=23.45, η2=.45). Participants in MET had a post-treatment mean score of (χ=63.123) than those in the control (χ=58.407). while the three-way interaction effect was not significant.<BR> Motivational enhancement therapy was effective in bolstering rapid and internally motivated cannabis abstinence among undergraduates in private universities in southwestern, Nigeria. The intervention should, therefore, be incorporated as part of universities’ drug rehabilitation policy to encourage drug abstinence among students who are challenged with drug use.<BR>

Should screening for risk of gambling-related harm be undertaken in health, care and support settings? A systematic review of the international evidence

BackgroundGambling-related harm is an increasing recognised problem internationally. Recent years have seen an explosion in opportunities to gamble, both in person and online. Health and other care settings have the potential to act as screening sites to identify and support gamblers who may be at high risk of experiencing gambling-related harm. This study aimed to identify interventions to screen for risk of gambling-related harm in the general population which may be delivered in health, care and support settings.MethodsSystematic review. Searches of key databases and grey sources since 2012 were undertaken in October 2019. Electronic database searches generated a total of 5826 unique hits. Nine studies published 2013–2019, along with thirteen grey literature documents met our eligibility criteria. The criteria were setting (health, care and support settings), participants (any attendee in help, care and support settings), interventions (screening to identify risk of harm from gambling behaviours) and outcome measures (gambling behaviours, service use).ResultsThree papers evaluating screening interventions delivered in general practice (repeat visits and written advice), mental health service (the use of screening tools to identify risk of harm), and substance abuse treatment (intensive outpatient treatment for substance use disorders or methadone maintenance) indicated evidence of potential effectiveness. Six papers supported the feasibility and acceptability of delivering interventions in various settings. Grey literature reports described the implementation of interventions such as training materials, and transfer of interventions developed for substance abuse populations by practitioners.ConclusionsHealth, care and support services offer potentially important contexts in which to identify and offer support to people who are at risk of gambling related harm. Screening interventions appear feasible and acceptable in a range of community and healthcare settings for those at risk of gambling harm. Evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening in these populations should therefore be prioritised.

217 Sleep in heavy marijuana users after smoking differing THC doses compared to controls

Abstract Introduction Sleep disturbances are commonly reported by chronic marijuana (MJ) users and often identified as reasons for MJ relapse and/or other drug use. In the current study we compared the sleep architecture of 12 heavy MJ users to 11 normal controls. Methods Participants in the marijuana group met DSM-V criteria for cannabis use disorder but were otherwise healthy individuals. On the first study day, individuals smoked (1330-1400 hr) 11 puffs from a cannabis cigarette (7% THC). During the next four days, under varying experimental contingencies participants smoked an average of 4.58 (±3.48) day 1, 4.92 (±3.62) day 2, 4.75 (±3.52) day 3, and 4.17 (±3.56) day 4 puffs from cannabis cigarettes (7% THC). Their sleep was recorded the first four study nights using standard polysomnography procedures at Henry Ford Sleep and Research Center Hospital, under an 8-hr fixed time in bed (2300-0700 hr). Controls (n=11) had no history of illicit drug use or medical illness and were not shift workers. Neither group reported a history of sleep-related disorders. PSG recordings were scored using Rechtschaffen and Kales standard criteria. Sleep measures included sleep efficiency (total sleep time/time in bed * 100), latency to persistent sleep, and percent of time spent in Stage 1, 2, 3/4, and rapid eye movement (REM). Results PSGs taken across all four nights of inpatient stay showed that MJ users spent significantly more time in REM sleep compared to controls (means 24.91, 24.64, 24.42, 24.13 vs 18.81, p&amp;lt;.001) and less time in stage 3/4 sleep (means 4.33, 4.79, 4.53, 6.91 vs 15.68, p&amp;lt;.001). MJ users showed reduced sleep efficiency compared to controls on night 4 (means 82.03 vs 90.32, p=0.039), and increased latency to persistent sleep on night 1 (means 6.04 vs 17.77, p=0.026). Conclusion These data show reduced sleep efficiency, lightened sleep (reduced stage 3/4), as well as an increased duration during REM sleep in heavy MJ users during decreased use, findings that are predictive of relapse in other drug abuse populations. Support (if any) NIH/NIDA R21 DA040770 (LHL)

A Quantitative Study Evaluating the Relationship between Psychopathic Traits and Cognitive Abilities in the Substance Abuse Population

Psychopath is a cluster of emotional deficits and antisocial behaviors, which continues to spark interest in the mental health community as well as the general public. Even though research over the past two decades has provided many clarifications regarding psychopath, many unknowns still linger. The purpose of the study was to examine the association between psychopathic tendencies and intelligence. In the study, psychopathic traits were evaluated using the Antisocial Scale (ANT) of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV). The sample was comprised of archival assessment data of clients from a community mental health clinic (N=30).

Cannabis use among the drug users with compulsory detained detoxification treatment in China

To explore the epidemic situation of cannabis use among drug users with compulsory detained detoxification treatment in China. Using the data from the Drug Abuse Population Estimation in the Key Cities of the Ministry of Public Security, we analyzed the sociodemographic characteristics and substance use of cannabis abusers with compulsory detained detoxification treatment in 55 provincial capital cities and key cities of China. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test were used to compare the prevalence of cannabis, heroin, synthetic and mixed drug use among patients with detoxification treatment, as well as the differences in polydrug use and areas among cannabis users. In the study, 25 366 drug users with compulsory detained detoxification treatment were recruited, of whom 2.2% (546/25 366) used cannabis in the previous year before the treatment. The proportion of males was 83.5%, and the proportion of ethnic minorities was 41.0%. Those who received junior high school education or above accounted for 30.8%, and the unemployed accounted for 44.1%. The average age was (33.3±8.2) years, the average age of beginning drug use was (24.8±7.7) years, and the average duration between the first drug abuse and first detoxification treatment was (5.4±4.6) years. The prevalence of cannabis use was higher among those drug users who were 35-year-old and younger, ethnic minorities, employees and residents in Xinjiang. Of the cannabis users, 91.4% used polydrug, 13.6% combined with heroin alone, 42.1% combined with synthetic drugs alone and 35.7% combined with both of heroin and synthetic drugs. Of the cannabis users, 49.6% came from 3 regions: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jiangsu Province and Shanghai City. The cannabis users in Xinjiang had a high proportion of ethnic minorities who received junior high school education and below. Moreover, 79.6% of them combined cannabis use with heroin. The cannabis users in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai areas had a higher proportion of ethnic Han who received better education (high school and above). Moreover, 92.7% of them combined cannabis use with methamphe-tamine. The prevalence of cannabis use among the population with compulsory detained detoxification treatment is higher than that among drug users under surveillance, but there are obvious regional cluster effect and high possibility of polydrug abuse. Thus, it's important to strengthen the monitoring of cannabis use, to increase the control of cannabis and to formulate China's anti-cannabis policy among different population.

Assessment of anxiety and depression among substance use disorder patients: a case-control study

BackgroundSeveral evidences from epidemiologic and treatment studies indicate that anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders commonly co-occur, and the interaction is multifaceted and variable. Epidemiological studies and investigations within clinical substance abuse populations have found an association between anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders.ResultsThe mean age was 28.1 ± 6.5 years. The majority belonged to the moderate socioeconomic status (52%). Substance use disorder (SUD) patients expressed higher levels of anxiety and depression in comparison to the control group. Most of the study group (97%) expressed different levels of anxiety. Eighty percent of them expressed high and moderate anxiety levels, and 20% of caregivers were having mild anxiety levels. Ninety-three percent of the substance users expressed different levels of depression, either mild 12%, moderate 9%, or severe 72%. The Drug Use Disorder Identification Test scores were positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.256 and p = 0.010) and depression (r = 0.330 and p = 0.001). Moreover, it was found that anxiety and depression are positively correlated with each other’s (r = 0.630 and p = 0.001).ConclusionSubstance use disorders are associated with high levels of anxiety and depression. More specifically, it is associated with severe depression and anxiety. There is an obvious association between the presence of anxiety and depression on the one hand and the severity of drug-related problems on the other hand. Depression and anxiety are commonly present together in patients with SUDs.

Abstract IA02: Science to policy for a ban on the sale of menthol and flavored tobacco products: The San Francisco Cancer Initiative (SF CAN)

Abstract The San Francisco Cancer Initiative (SF CAN) seeks to implement evidence-based interventions for the top five most prevalent cancers for which prevention and early detection procedures are available. In San Francisco, breast, prostate, colorectal, liver, and lung and other tobacco-caused cancers account for 48% of cancer mortality, and cancer is now the leading cause of death. SF CAN uses a “collective impact” structure whereby multiple health systems, the Department of Public Health, safety net clinics, nongovernmental agencies, and community groups all work together on the same goal of accelerating the reduction in cancer mortality at the population level, with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) serving as the backbone entity. SF CAN has been active for 3 years and is supported by philanthropy, grants, and in-kind contributions from collaborative partners. Implementation work is carried out by five task forces, each made up of members from UCSF and collaborating institutions and agencies. The Tobacco Task Force, led by Dr. Stanton Glantz and his colleagues, has sought to have an impact on the use of menthol and flavored cigarettes on African Americans and other targeted ethnic groups, youth, and young adult tobacco use and tobacco cessation among homeless and substance-abusing populations within the city. Some of the interventions they are implementing, based on scientific evidence of impact, have had or will have direct policy implications. Foremost among these has been the use of evidence on the impact of menthol cigarettes, commonly used by African American, Latino, and LGBT communities. The Task Force investigators assembled data on both the biologic mechanisms by which menthol additives increase the likelihood of addiction and the historical data from examination of documents obtained through legal channels from the tobacco industry. These data were first supplied to the FDA to assist in their decision-making and then made available to San Francisco Supervisors for their consideration for actions by local government ordinance. After consideration of the evidence and motivated by the health issues of their constituents, they wrote an ordinance completely banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products (including menthol). The ordinance passed unanimously in June 2017 and was signed into law by then-Mayor Lee. A petition drive to revoke the ordinance by referendum, heavily financed by RJ Reynolds Tobacco (maker of the leading menthol cigarette, Newport) with support from other tobacco companies, failed with 68% of voters in favor of keeping the ban. The ordinance went into effect in July 2018 with systematic outreach and education to retailers of tobacco by the SF DPH, and initial inspections were begun in Dec 2018 and have continued as routine since April of 2019 and found strong by tobacco outlets. This and other efforts at policy change in tobacco that have been conducted in the area of health economics of tobacco use and in the institution of smoke-free areas in homeless shelters around the city will be described. Citation Format: Robert A. Hiatt. Science to policy for a ban on the sale of menthol and flavored tobacco products: The San Francisco Cancer Initiative (SF CAN) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr IA02.

Validation of the Malay Version of Mini-IPIP among Substance Use Disorder Patients Attending Methadone Clinics in Malaysia.

There has been an increasing interest in personality study over the years. This has led to the necessity for personality measures with good psychometric properties. However, good personality measures are usually too cumbersome to apply in real practical settings due to their length. This study aims to validate a commonly used short personality measure of the Big Five model, i.e., Mini-IPIP (Mini International Personality Item Pool), which has never been validated and used in the substance abuse population in the local setting. The participants were 239 individuals attending one of the six methadone clinics in Malaysia. Structural analysis was conducted using confirmatory factor analysis. Results showed a good model fit for Mini-IPIP when item-parcelling and adding-in correlated uniqueness items were applied (fit indices: Comparative Fit Index = 0.949, Standardised Root Mean Residual = 0.044). Our study supported the five-factor solution for the Mini-IPIP. It is valid and reliable to be used among individuals with drug abuse in Malaysia.

PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE APPROACH

Adolescence is developmental period during which, most commonly, use of substances begins. Thus majority of preventive initiatives target child population and youngsters. With regards that many traditional and widely utilized preventive programs turned out to be ineffective, scientists have put much effort into development of much more efficacious, contemporary approaches in evidence based prevention during the last decades. Although the number of available evidence based preventive programs significantly raised during the past several years, there are still obstacles in recognition of importance in their implementation, as well as obscurities about what that term actually stands for. This paper provides a review of most important scientific insights about substance abuse in population of youngsters, which are foundation of good practice in the field of prevention, as well as more specific definition of programs that bear “evidence based” label. Key traits of efficacious substance abuse preventive programs targeting family, school and community are presented, as well as examples of good practice. Keywords: substance abuse in children and adolescents, preventive programs, evidence based approaches

Biofeedback as an adjunct to conventional stress management and relaxation techniques in substance abuse disorders: A randomized controlled interventional study

Background: Biofeedback has been employed in substance abuse disorder over the last three decades. Stress, anxiety, and depression are commonly seen in patients with substance abuse disorders. Biofeedback employed in conjunction with other relaxation therapies may be useful in enhancing certain outcome of therapy. Biofeedback either alone for alcoholism or in combination with other relaxation techniques for stimulant and mixed substance abuse and combined with residential treatment program is probably efficacious. Objectives: This study is aimed at assessing effectiveness of biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques and stress management for substance abuse population. Study Design: A randomized controlled interventional study design was chosen for the research. Methods: The study sample consisted of 60 in-patient males aged 18–55 years, diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substance, according to the International Classification of Diseases-10, Diagnostic Criteria for Research (1992) criteria (30 in biofeedback and 30 in control groups). The patients were first screened for inclusion criteria and then recruited from CIIMHANS Mental Health Institute of Central India using lottery method for random allocation. A randomized controlled interventional study design was chosen for the research. Sociodemographic data and clinical details of all the patients were assessed using Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale followed by biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques, which was conducted for 30 days. Results: The present study shows that there was significant difference in the stress (t = 3.841, P

Aging High: Opioid Use Disorder in the Elderly Population

As the 80 million “baby boomers” reach retirement, they bring their relaxed attitudes toward drug use to create a clinically significant population of geriatric drug abusers. Opioid use disorder (OUD) brings with it special considerations in the elderly population: age-related changes to drug disposition, brain changes in the elderly, polypharmacy, and the likelihood of comorbid conditions (such as cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases) and pain syndromes. Thirteen percent of patients in a New York city methadone clinic were over the age of 60 and clinicians increasingly treat geriatric patients with OUD or other substance use disorders. Opioid abuse patterns suggest that older patients are more likely to overdose on prescription drugs while younger individuals are more likely to overdone on street drugs (heroin). Diagnosing OUD may be challenging in the geriatric population and there has been little research into age-specific rehabilitation efforts although it is reasonable to assume increasing numbers of aging people will seek treatment for OUD in the future. Once in treatment, outcomes for older patients with OUD are as good as or superior to those of younger patients.

National Trends in Lower Extremity Pseudoaneurysm within the Drug Abuse Population

National Trends in Lower Extremity Pseudoaneurysm within the Drug Abuse Population

Multifunctional Nanotherapeutics for the Treatment of neuroAIDS in Drug Abusers

HIV and substance abuse plays an important role in infection and disease progression. Further, the presence of persistent viral CNS reservoirs makes the complete eradication difficult. Thus, neutralizing the drug of abuse effect on HIV-1 infectivity and elimination of latently infected cells is a priority. The development of a multi-component [antiretroviral drugs (ARV), latency reactivating agents (LRA) and drug abuse antagonist (AT)] sustained release nanoformulation targeting the CNS can overcome the issues of HIV-1 cure and will help in improving the drug adherence. The novel magneto-liposomal nanoformulation (NF) was developed to load different types of drugs (LRAs, ARVs, and Meth AT) and evaluated for in-vitro and in-vivo BBB transmigration and antiviral efficacy in primary CNS cells. We established the HIV-1 latency model using human astrocyte cells (HA) and optimized the dose of LRA for latency reversal, Meth AT in in-vitro cell culture system. Further, PEGylated magneto-liposomal NF was developed, characterized for size, shape, drug loading and BBB transport in-vitro. Results showed that drug released in a sustained manner up to 10 days and able to reduce the HIV-1 infectivity up to ~40–50% (>200 pg/mL to <100 pg/mL) continuously using single NF treatment ± Meth treatment in-vitro. The magnetic treatment (0.8 T) was able to transport (15.8% ± 5.5%) NF effectively without inducing any toxic effects due to NF presence in the brain. Thus, our approach and result showed a way to eradicate HIV-1 reservoirs from the CNS and possibility to improve the therapeutic adherence to drugs in drug abusing (Meth) population. In conclusion, the developed NF can provide a better approach for the HIV-1 cure and a foundation for future HIV-1 purging strategies from the CNS using nanotechnology platform.

Helplessness and the Need to Withdraw From Drugs: The Beginning of the Path to Recovery

Objectives: The decision to quit drug use is a prerequisite for recovery and depends on various factors. Identifying each of the factors that affect attempts to quit drug use helps public education planners develop and implement evidence-based programs aimed at reducing drug use and preventing relapse. The present study sought to explain drug abusers' experiences of the decision to quit drug use. Methods: The present qualitative content analysis was conducted on a population of female drug abusers presenting to addiction treatment centers in west Mazandaran, Iran, in 2016. Purposive sampling was used to collect data through individual face-To-face interviews with 20 subjects. The interview guide was used as a research tool and the interviews were continued until data saturation was reached. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. The interview data were analyzed using the method proposed by Lundman and Graneheim. The 4 criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba were also used to confirm the trustworthiness of the data. Results: Four main categories emerged in this study, namely, getting tired of the present conditions, Perceived threat of changing the present conditions, hitting rock bottom, and actively seeking information to find a loophole or solution. Conclusions: Community support, reducing the social stigma of addiction, building addiction treatment centers for women, informing drug abusers and their families about available health centers, and encouraging drug addicts' families to participate in Nar-Anon meetings improves their enduring commitment to long-Term and unwavering support for the patient through the course of cessation. © Copyright 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Dental and oral health status of an Iranian population of drug abusers: A comparative study

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of hallucinogens, opioids and methamphetamines abuse on oral and dental health of an Iranian population. Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional survey conducted in 2017, 500 drug abusers referred to addiction rehabilitation centers in Tehran Province in Tehran were selected as the study population. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate demographic data, self-reported oral health experiences during periods of substance abuse and details of substance abuse including types of substances abused, patterns and period of substance abuse. Results: After excluding 23 addicts due to incomplete data, 500 peoples participated. Of the 500 included subjects, 390 (88 %) were male and 110 (22 %) were female. As for the qualitative variables the differences were found to be significant for route of abuse (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.03), pain (p < 0.001) and abnormal sounds (p < 0.001) of TMJ, sensitivity of chewing muscles (p = 0.002), smoking melanosis (p < 0.05), hypertrophic lesions (p = 0.01) and bleeding on probing (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings reveal the poor dental and oral health status of drug addicts in Iran, especially methamphetamine abusers. Therefore, the results call for the design and implementation of oral health improvement programs for addicts in Iran. Keywords: Drug abuse, Dental health, Addicts, Hypertrophic lesions, Chewing muscles, Smoking melanosis, Methamphetamine

Women’s treatment on men’s conditions: a critical evaluation of selected literature and research findings

PurposeDeviant behavior was punished during the middle ages. In the seventeenth century, people were locked up in asylums. A first step towards humanization was taken by the founders of the moral treatment movement in the nineteenth century, but it declined at the end of that century. What we today call “milieu therapy” represents a new phase in treating mental illness and deviance. After the Second World War, the therapeutic community (TC) method was widely implemented in Europe, but the needs of different target populations were not dealt with equally. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachIn this contribution, the treatment needs of diverse populations of female drug abusers are addressed. Selected literature and research findings for women in mixed and gender-specific treatment are presented.FindingsThe conclusion is that we need a women and family perspective in substance abuse treatment and research. Moreover, a holistic and multidisciplinary treatment approach is needed since so many factors and aspects are involved.Originality/valueTreatment programs should focus on long-term lifestyle changes and be tailored to the specific needs of diverse target populations. Modified TCs for women and men with children and/or dual diagnosis are definitely the future for TCs.

Novel nanoformulation to mitigate co-effects of drugs of abuse and HIV-1 infection: towards the treatment of NeuroAIDS.

Drug abuse (e.g., methamphetamine-Meth or cocaine-Coc) is one of the major risk factors for becoming infected with HIV-1, and studies show that in combination, drug abuse and HIV-1 lead to significantly greater damage to CNS. To overcome these issues, we have developed a novel nanoformulation (NF) for drug-abusing population infected with HIV-1. In this work, a novel approach was developed for the co-encapsulation of Nelfinavir (Nel) and Rimcazole (Rico) using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled magnetic nanoformulation for the cure of neuroAIDS. Developed NF was evaluated for blood-brain barrier (BBB) transmigration, cell uptake, cytotoxicity and efficacy (p24 assay) in HIV-1 infected primary astrocyte (HA) in presence or absence of Coc and Meth. Developed magnetic nanoformulation (NF) fabricated using the LbL approach exhibited higher amounts of drug loading (Nel and Rico) with 100% release of both the therapeutic agents in a sustained manner for 8 days. NF efficacy studies indicated a dose-dependent decrease in p24 levels in HIV-1-infected HA (~55%) compared to Coc+Meth treated (~50%). The results showed that Rico significantly subdued the effect of drugs of abuse on HIV infectivity. NF successfully transmigrated (38.8±6.5%) across in vitro BBB model on the application of an external magnetic field and showed >90% of cell viability with efficient cell uptake. In conclusion, our proof of concept study revealed that sustained and concurrent release of sigma σ1 antagonist and anti-HIV drug from the developed novel sustained release NF can overcome the exacerbated effects of drugs of abuse in HIV infection and may solve the issue of medication adherence in the drug-abusing HIV-1 infected population.

Differences in Delay, but not Probability Discounting, in Current Smokers, E-cigarette Users, and Never Smokers

Steeper delay discounting in substance abuse populations, compared to non-abusing populations, has been well-established in prior studies. Despite the growing interest in e-cigarettes as a novel and relatively understudied form of nicotine consumption, relatively little is known as to how e-cigarette users discount rewards compared to traditional cigarette smokers and never smokers. In the present study, we measured delay and probability discounting rates, as well as perceived risk inherent to a delayed reward, in current traditional cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and never smokers. We found that traditional cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users discounted delayed rewards at a similar rate—and both were steeper than never smokers. However, no differences were observed in probability discounting or in perceived risk inherent in reward delay.