Models Of Addiction Research Articles

Investigating mood-modification, withdrawal, and sensitization in compulsive sexual behaviour.

Compulsive Sexual Behaviour (CSB), defined as a persistent failure to control repetitive sexual impulses, has been discussed as a pathological phenomenon for centuries. Various terms, such as excessive sexual behaviour, hyper-sexuality, compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD), or sexual addiction (SA), have been used to describe it, contributing to ongoing debates about its theoretical framework. The following three studies aim to empirically assess whether CSB exhibits key elements of behavioural addiction (mood-modification, sensitization/tolerance, and withdrawal). Three studies, involving participants with and without CSB, were conducted. The mood-modification hypothesis was tested by exposing participants to short films inducing positive, negative, and emotionally neutral moods, followed by an evaluation of their craving for pornography. To test the sensitization hypothesis, participants viewed short films with varying levels of explicit sexual stimuli, and their level of actual wanting and liking were assessed through self-reports. For the withdrawal hypothesis, participants underwent a 10-day sexual abstinence, with self-reports of various symptoms, collected on pre-intervention, 3rd, 7th, and 10th days. Contrary to previous studies of addiction, CSB participants didn't show increased craving to mood induction and negative mood actually decreased craving for pornography. Secondly, they showed wanting to explicit sexual stimuli although it was not increased with explicitness. Finally, they demonstrated reduced withdrawal symptom during abstinence. The results of this study provide conflicting results concerning the model of behavioural addiction. There is supporting evidence for wanting in response to explicit pornography stimuli although it was not associated with increased explicitness. There is also evidence for reduced withdrawal during abstinence. Finally, there was no evidence that mood modification increases craving for pornography, negative mood actually decreased craving. Further research is needed to test the various models of CSB.

Restricted linear association between night sleep duration and diabetes risk in middle-aged and older adults: a 7-year follow-up analysis from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

A rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes is an urgent public health concern among older adults, especially in developing countries such as China. Despite several studies on lifestyle factors causing diabetes, sleep, a key contributor, is understudied. Our study investigates the association between night sleep duration and diabetes onset over a 7-year follow-up to fill information gaps. A population-based cohort study with 5437 respondents used 2011-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data. Using self-reported night sleep duration from the 2011 baseline survey, information on new-onset diabetes was collected in follow-up surveys. Baseline characteristics of participants with vs. without new-onset diabetes were compared using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Multivariable Cox regression models estimated the independent relationship between night sleep and new-onset diabetes. The addictive Cox regression model approach and piece-wise regression described the nonlinear relationship between night sleep and new-onset diabetes. Subgroup analysis was also performed by age, gender, body measurement index, dyslipidemia, drinking status, smoking, hypertension, and afternoon napping duration. 549 respondents acquired diabetes during a median follow-up of 84 months. After controlling for confounders, night sleep duration was substantially linked with new-onset diabetes in the multivariable Cox regression model. The risk of diabetes is lower for respondents who sleep longer than 5 hours, except for those who sleep over 8 hours [5.1-6h Hazard ratios (HR) [95% confidence intervals (CI)] = 0.71 (0.55, 0.91); 6.1-7h HR = 0.69 (0.53, 0.89); 7.1-8h HR = 0.58 (0.45, 0.76)]. Nonlinear connections were delineated by significant inflection points at 3.5 and 7.5 hours, with a negative correlation observed only between these thresholds. With one hour more night sleep, the risk of diabetes drops 15%. BMI and dyslipidemia were identified as modifiers when only consider the stand linear effect of sleep duration on diabetes. This study establishes a robust association between night sleep and new-onset diabetes in middle-aged and older Chinese individuals within the 3.5-7.5-hour range, offering a foundation for early glycemic management interventions in this demographic. The findings also underscore the pivotal role of moderate night sleep in preventing diabetes, marking a crucial juncture in community medical research.

Examining social media fatigue and flow experience: a moderated mediation model of addiction and self-esteem

Examining social media fatigue and flow experience: a moderated mediation model of addiction and self-esteem

A novel, non-opioid, selective orexin-1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of substance use disorders

There is a pressing need for novel treatments for substance use disorders to address increasing rates of addiction and drug overdose. Preclinical studies have shown that the orexin (hypocretin) system in the brain, mediated primarily by the orexin 1 receptor, plays a role in reward-related behaviours and that selective blockade of this receptor is efficacious in rodent models of addiction for a wide range of substances including opioids, cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. We report here the preclinical profile of C4X3256, a novel, selective oral antagonist of the orexin 1 receptor. In the rat, high levels of receptor occupancy were observed in the tenia tecta region of the brain for up to 8 h following oral dosing. Translation of brain receptor occupancy into pharmacological efficacy was demonstrated in rat models showing significantly reduced nicotine self-administration and diminished cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking following an oral dose of 30 mg/kg C4X3256. In addition, C4X3256 significantly reduced reinstatement of cocaine seeking induced by presentation of tone/light cues in a rat model of relapse. In summary, the nonclinical profile of C4X3256 has supported the progression of this compound into human clinical trials as an investigational medicinal product for the treatment of substance use disorders.

Association between short-term ambient air pollutants and type 2 diabetes outpatient visits: a time series study in Lanzhou, China.

Diabetes is a global public health problem, and the impact of air pollutants on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has attracted people's attention. This study aimed to assess the association of short-term exposure to six criteria air pollutants with T2DM outpatient visits in Lanzhou, China. We collected data on daily outpatient visits for T2DM, daily meteorological data and hourly concentrations of air pollutants in Lanzhou from 2013 to 2019. An over-dispersed passion generalized addictive model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was applied to estimate the associations and stratified analyses were performed by gender, age, and season. The models were fitted with different lag structures, including single lag days from the current to the previous seven days (lag0 to lag7) and moving average concentrations over seven lag days (lag01 to lag07). A positive association between multiple air pollutants, especially PM2.5, NO2, O38h and CO and hospital outpatient visits for T2DM was observed. The largest association between T2DM outpatient visits and PM2.5 was observed at lag06 (RR 1.013, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.027), NO2 at lag03 (RR 1.034, 95% CI: 1.018, 1.050), O38h at lag05 (RR 1.012, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.023) for an increase of 10 μg m-3 and CO at lag03 (RR 1.084, 95% CI: 1.029, 1.142) for an increase of 1 mg m-3 in the concentrations. In addition, people aged <65 and males are more susceptible, and air pollutants have a greater impact on the cold season. This study showed that although the air pollution in Lanzhou was improved, there was still a statistical correlation between air pollution exposure and T2DM outpatient visits. Therefore, the local government still needs to strengthen the control of air pollution and enhance the protection awareness of the diabetic population through education and publicity.

Investigating suicidal behavior among prisoners in the light of the behavioral addiction approach: results of a multicenter cross-sectional study.

The behavioral addiction model posits that repetitive suicidal behaviors can serve as maladaptive strategies for managing stress and negative emotional states, akin to substance addiction. Both behaviors involve negative emotions, offer temporary psychological relief, and persist, indicating shared neurobiological mechanisms. This study explored psychometric differences among major repeaters, occasional attempters, and non-suicidal prisoners. A multi-centre cross-sectional survey of 363 inmates across four prisons assessed depression, cognitive-emotional regulation, impulsivity, perceived stress, lifetime non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts. Mild depression, moderate suicidal ideation, and moderate impulsivity were common, with nearly half of the participants having attempted suicide at least once. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that repeated suicidal behavior in the past increases susceptibility to future suicidal thoughts, with suicide attempts serving as a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy among repeated attempters. The results reveal differences in emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and stress coping strategies among the studied groups, reinforcing the idea of suicidality as a form of behavioral addiction. The addiction approach helps explain the sensitivity to later suicidal thoughts in former attempters and self-harmers, offering valuable insights for tailored interventions within correctional settings.

Evaluation of Effects of Food Addiction in Rat Model: An Experimental Study

Introduction: Palatable foods have potent reinforcing effects that are mediated, partly, by an abrupt augmentation of dopaminergic neurotransmitters in the brain’s reward pathways. Food addiction to highly palatable foods contributes to the increasing prevalence of obesity. Aim: To evaluate the effect of food addiction on neurobehavioural parameters and the Behavioral Satiety Sequence (BSS) during restriction to a highly palatable diet in a food addiction rat model. Materials and Methods: The experimental study was conducted in the Pharmacology Department at PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India from April 2018 to January 2019. The study included six animals out of 28 female Sprague Dawley rats aged approximately 10 weeks and weighing 180-220 g were allocated to the control group and were fed a Standard Chow diet (SC) throughout the study. Twenty-two animals (induction group) were exposed to free choice between SC and a highly palatable Cafeteria Diet (CD), a mix of equal amounts of Bounty®, Snickers®, Mars®, and Milka® chocolate made into homogenous food pellets. After six weeks, 12 animals were randomly selected to have restricted access to the CD diet with free access to SC, while the rest continued to receive a free choice between the two diets for two weeks. Central Nervous System (CNS) parameters, BSS, 24-hour food intake, and body weight were recorded. Results: A significant decrease of 25.4 seconds (18.27%) in the mean time the CD restricted group stayed on the rotarod (113.6±8.31) seconds. and a reduced locomotor activity score of 46.92 (20.94%) in the CD access group in the actophotometer (177.08±5.29) compared to SC was noted. In the open field test, the CD restricted group demonstrated a 47.33% increase in grooming (12.0±1.11) and a 30% lower number of central squares crossed (2.80±0.57). In the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), the time spent in the open arm (15.00±8.10) was statistically lower (p=0.045). No statistically significant difference between groups was recorded in the forced swim or tail suspension tests. Disruption of the BSS in varying dimensions was apparent in both CD groups. Conclusion: The study has shown that anxiety and altered feeding behaviour were evident in the CD restricted rats in the food addiction model.

Modified fractional order social media addiction modeling and sliding mode control considering a professionally operating population

&lt;abstract&gt;&lt;p&gt;With the advancement of technology, social media has become an integral part of people's daily lives. This has resulted in the emergence of a new group of individuals known as "professional operation people". These individuals actively engage with social media platforms, taking on roles as content creators, influencers, or professionals utilizing social media for marketing and networking purposes. Therefore, in this article, we designed a six-dimensional fractional-order social media addiction model (FOSMA) in the sense of Caputo, which took into account the professional operations population. Initially, we established the positivity and boundedness of the FOSMA model. After that, the basic regeneration number and the equilibrium points (no addiction equilibrium point and addiction equilibrium point) were computed. Then, the local asymptotic stability of the equilibrium points were proved. In order to investigate the bifurcation behavior of the model when $ R_0 = 1, $ we extended the Sotomayor theorem from integer-order to fractional-order systems. Next, by the frequency analysis method, we converted the fractional order model into an equivalent partial differential system. The tanh function was introduced into the scheme of sliding mode surface. The elimination of addiction was achieved by the action of the fractional order sliding mode control law. Finally, simulation results showed that fractional order values, nonlinear transmission rates, and specialized operating populations had a significant impact on predicting and controlling addiction. The fractional-order sliding mode control we designed played an important role in eliminating chatter, controlling addiction, and ensuring long-term effectiveness. The results of this paper have far-reaching implications for future work on modeling and control of fractional-order systems in different scenarios, such as epidemic spread, ecosystem stabilization, and game addiction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/abstract&gt;

Эскапизм и видеоигровая аддикция у подростков

&lt;p&gt;The article analyzes the problem of the formation of video game addiction in adolescents with a tendency to escapism. Escapism is considered as a predictor of video game addiction in adolescents in the information society, the motivation to escape from the fear of a trivial life and everyday difficulties in the virtual worlds of cyberspace. The study involved students of the Agricultural College of the city of Tula from 16 to 18 years old in the amount of 98 people. The purpose of the article is to provide a psychological and pedagogical analysis of the personality characteristics of adolescents that influence the formation of an addictive behavior model in relation to computer games. To achieve the goal of the study, the following psychological tools were used: the Thomas A. Tucker test (adapted by I.A. Konygina), the General Scale for Problematic Internet Use-3 (GPIUS-3) (A.A. Gerasimov, A.B. Kholmogorova), test "Scale for assessing the level of reactive and personal anxiety" Ch.D. Spielberg (adapted by Yu.L. Khanin), a questionnaire to identify the approximate time spent by teenagers on video game content, the test "Methodology for measuring the level of escapism" (T.N. Savchenko, O.I. Teslavskaya, E.V. Belovol, A.A. Kardapoltseva). The conducted study allows us to conclude that the parameter "escapism" is significantly correlated with the parameters "anxiety", "the degree of formation of a video game addict", as well as the time spent by a teenager on gaming content. There is a significant correlation of escapism with the parameter "negative consequences" from a computer game. It is worth noting the absence of a significant correlation between &amp;ldquo;flight&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;preference for online communication&amp;rdquo;. The results of the study are considered by the authors in the context of solving the problems of preventive work with adolescents implementing an escapist strategy of behavior, preventing the development of video game addiction. The obtained empirical data confirm the expediency of taking into account the personality characteristics of adolescents in the psychological and pedagogical prevention of video game addiction in adolescents&lt;/p&gt;

Oral self-administration of pregabalin in a mouse model and the resulting drug addiction features

Prescription drug abuse is an issue that is rapidly growing globally. Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant, analgesic, and anxiolytic medication, is effective in the management of multiple neurological disorders; however, there is increasing concern regarding its widespread illicit use. It has been previously reported in mice that pregabalin can induce conditioned place preference. In this current investigation, the potential of pregabalin to elicit free-choice drinking in a mouse model of drug addiction, and its effect on recognition and withdrawal behaviors after forced abstinence, were studied. Twenty-two male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 7–8/group); control, pregabalin-30, and pregabalin-60. The study had three phases: habituation (days 1–5) with free water access, free-choice drinking (days 6–13) with pregabalin groups receiving one water and one pregabalin bottle, and forced abstinence (days 14–21) with free water access. On day 13, the first open field test was conducted, followed by the Novel Object Recognition Test. On day 21, the second open field test was performed, followed by the Tail Suspension Test and Forced Swimming Test. Pregabalin elicited voluntary drinking in the higher-dose group, concurrently causing a decline in recognition memory performance in the novel object recognition test. Moreover, pregabalin induced withdrawal behavior after a period of forced abstinence in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests. This is the first report to establish an animal model of free-choice pregabalin drinking that may be used for further molecular studies and targeted therapy for pregabalin addiction.

The Disease Model of Addiction: The Impact of Genetic Variability in the Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Pathways on Alcohol Dependance and Comorbid Psychosymptomatology.

Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of alcohol addiction. However, little is known regarding the effect of genetic, behavioral, psychological, and environmental sources of origin on the inflammation and oxidative stress pathways of patients with alcohol addiction. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of selected common functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms in inflammation and oxidative stress genes on alcohol addiction, and common comorbid psychosymptomatology. Our study included 89 hospitalized alcohol-addicted patients and 93 healthy individuals, all Slovenian males. Their DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and patients were genotyped for PON1 rs705379, rs705381, rs854560, and rs662, SOD2 rs4880, GPX1 rs1050450, IL1B rs1143623, rs16944, and rs1071676, IL6 rs1800795, IL6R rs2228145, and miR146a rs2910164. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used for the additive and dominant genetic models, respectively. Our findings suggested the involvement of IL6 rs1800795 in alcohol addiction. Moreover, our data indicated that the genetic variability of SOD2 and PON1, as well as IL1B and IL6R, may be related to comorbid psychosymptomatology, revealing a potential indirect means of association of both the oxidative stress and inflammation pathways.

Bifurcation analysis of a synthetic drugs model affected by multiple factors

Synthetic drug addiction represents an escalating worldwide concern. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive synthetic drug addiction model that considers both psychosocial and environmental factors. Additionally, our model encompasses aspects related to relapse and the drug supply chain. Through a dynamic analysis of this model, we uncover a multitude of intricate dynamical phenomena, including saddle–node bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation. Meanwhile, we have also obtained an elliptic-type nilpotent singularity. Furthermore, we provide bifurcation diagrams and corresponding phase diagrams to offer epidemiological insights into these intricate dynamic phenomena.

“I think we're getting better but we're still not there”: Provider-based stigma and perceived barriers to care for people who use opioids (PWUO)

BackgroundDespite significant efforts to improve access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), uptake remains low relative to the scope of the problem in the United States. A growing body of quantitative and qualitative research has documented consistent barriers to MOUD treatment access and retention, at the level of individuals, institutions, and society at large. Stigma - surrounding both people who use opioids (PWUO) and treatment using MOUD – is among the most-cited barriers by patients and providers alike, yet few studies have examined provider-based stigma specifically, or considered its interaction with other impediments to OUD care. MethodsThis paper employs a qualitative approach to the analysis of provider-based stigma among professionals involved in the treatment or supervision of individuals with OUD. We conducted and analyzed interviews with 19 professionals as part of a larger mixed methods study on stigma among substance use treatment providers and court personnel in Pennsylvania. Beyond capturing providers' perceptions of PWUO and MOUD, the authors asked participants to describe barriers to recovery, and the effective delivery of care within this population. ResultsInterviewees enumerated multiple entrenched barriers that sometimes operated at different levels, such as criminal-legal involvement, which weakened PWUO's social networks and employment prospects, while undermining providers' attempts at continuity of care; moreover, participants cited the “War on Drugs” as an overarching impediment to effective substance use treatment, not least for its role in perpetuating stigma against PWUO. ConclusionsInterestingly, while an overwhelming majority of participants named stigma as a barrier to treatment at every level, most also articulated stigmatizing beliefs around PWUO. Namely, providers evoked one element of stigma – blameworthiness – in their contention that many PWUO are inadequately motivated to recover. In addition to adding further complexity to MOUD barriers research, this study troubles the notion that professional training and education on the disease model of addiction serve to eradicate stigma.

A quantitative survey measure of moral evaluations of patient substance misuse among health professionals in California, urban France, and urban China

BackgroundThe merits and drawbacks of moral relevance models of addiction have predominantly been discussed theoretically, without empirical evidence of these potential effects. This study develops and evaluates a novel survey measure for assessing moral evaluations of patient substance misuse (ME-PSM).MethodsThis measure was tested on 524 health professionals (i.e., physicians, nurses, and other health professionals) in California (n = 173), urban France (n = 102), and urban China (n = 249). Demographic factors associated with ME-PSM were investigated using analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and t-tests, with results suggesting that ME-PSM is higher among younger health professionals, nurses (when compared with physicians and other health professionals), and Chinese health professionals (when compared with French and American health professionals).ResultsResults provide preliminary support for the psychometric quality of the survey measure introduced in this study, including the existence of a single latent structure and partial invariance of collected data across countries.ConclusionThe survey measure for ME-PSM which was developed and tested in the current study appears to hold potential utility for use as a measure of moral views of patient substance misuse. With development, this measure may be used to examine moral evaluations, both as factors of stigma and of other clinical factors associated with the treatment of patients with substance use disorders.

Lexicographic Ordering and Loss Aversion among Low-Income Farmers

As Richard Day explained, expected utility theory suffers from procedural irrationality. This and other problems are illustrated here in the context of decision-making among low-income farmers. Farmers in developing countries are commonly thought to underinvest in modern techniques because their low incomes make them especially risk averse. In addition to the procedural leap of faith, highly restrictive assumptions are needed to apply expected utility theory to the problem. Nor does expected utility theory, as usually prescribed, fit the narrative of loss aversion. The reader is introduced to a procedurally rational substitute called lexicographic safety first. The model is illustrated for the case of rice fertilization in the Philippines, and policy implications are drawn. To illustrate the potential appeal of lexicographic ordering for other applications involving thresholds, a lexicographic model of rational addiction is also provided.

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Mediates Heavy Alcohol Drinking in Mice.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disease characterized by periods of heavy drinking and periods of withdrawal. Chronic exposure to ethanol causes profound neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala, which cause allostatic changes promoting excessive drinking. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region involved in both excessive drinking and anxiety-like behavior, shows particularly high levels of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a key mediator of the stress response. Recently, a role for PACAP in withdrawal-induced alcohol drinking and anxiety-like behavior in alcohol-dependent rats has been proposed; whether the PACAP system of the BNST is also recruited in other models of alcohol addiction and whether it is of local or nonlocal origin is currently unknown. Here, we show that PACAP immunoreactivity is increased selectively in the BNST of C57BL/6J mice exposed to a chronic, intermittent access to ethanol. While pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) type 1 receptor-expressing cells were unchanged by chronic alcohol, the levels of a peptide closely related to PACAP, the calcitonin gene-related neuropeptide, were found to also be increased in the BNST. Finally, using a retrograde chemogenetic approach in PACAP-ires-Cre mice, we found that the inhibition of PACAP neuronal afferents to the BNST reduced heavy ethanol drinking. Our data suggest that the PACAP system of the BNST is recruited by chronic, voluntary alcohol drinking in mice and that nonlocally originating PACAP projections to the BNST regulate heavy alcohol intake, indicating that this system may represent a promising target for novel AUD therapies.

Explanation of the internet addiction model based on academic performance, academic experience, and clinical self-efficacy in nursing students: A path analysis.

Internet addiction is a common disorder in nursing students, and this calls for a deeper investigation into this phenomenon and its dimensions. The aim of this study was to explain the internet addiction model based on academic performance, academic experience, and clinical self-efficacy in nursing students. This study is a correlational and path analysis study that was conducted on 340 nursing students. Data collection tools included Yang's internet addiction questionnaire and self-efficacy in clinical performance scale. In this study, the academic grade point average was the measure of academic performance and the academic term was the measure of academic performance. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 and AMOS-22 software, descriptive and analytical statistics, and structural equations. There was a significant negative correlation between clinical self-efficacy (r = -0.950, P ≤ 0.01), academic experience (r = -0.872, P ≤ 0.01), and academic performance (r = -0.654, P ≤ 0.01) with internet addiction. A negative and significant relationship was found between the internet addiction and variables of clinical self-efficacy (total effect = -0.743, P < 0.001). Model fit indices were good and acceptable. There was a negative and significant relationship between the variables of clinical self-efficacy, academic experience and academic performance, and the internet addiction. Meanwhile, the academic experience had a negative and significant effect on the internet addiction. This finding highlights the need to implement advisory and psychological interventions to reduce internet addiction, especially in students with less academic experiences.

How has the brain disease model of addiction contributed to tobacco control?

Our paper evaluates the extent to which the brain disease model of addiction (BDMA) has contributed to reducing the prevalence of tobacco smoking and tobacco-related harm over the past 20 years. We discuss the ways in which genetic and neuroscience research on nicotine addiction have contributed to our understanding of tobacco smoking. We then examine the extent to which the BDMA has produced more effective treatments to assist smoking cessation. We also assess the degree to which the BDMA has contributed to the tobacco control policies that have produced substantial reductions in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the two decades since the model was first proposed by Alan Leshner. We also assess whether the BDMA has reduced the stigmatisation of people who smoke tobacco.

Further evidence for the bidimensionality of the components model of addiction: a reply to Amendola (2023)

In our original research article entitled “Deconstructing the components model of addiction: an illustration through “addictive” use of social media” (Fournier et al., 2023), we showed that the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, a six-item psychometric instrument derived from the components model of addiction to assess social media “addiction”, did not form a unitary, but a bidimensional construct in which some components (i.e., salience, tolerance) were not associated with psychopathological symptoms, thus conflating central and peripheral features of addiction. Subsequently, in a recent commentary, Amendola (2023) sought to determine whether our findings were driven by the use of data aggregated from multiple independent datasets, i.e., a decision we transparently acknowledged as a limitation in our original research article. Following their re-analysis, Amendola (2023) claimed to have demonstrated that a unidimensional model best fitted the data. However, they only reported results for a partial set of models relevant to this investigation. In the present reply, through a transparent assessment and reporting of all unidimensional and bidimensional models relevant to this investigation, we show that the bidimensionality of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale is, in fact, tenable, robust, and consistent across multiple independent datasets. In line with the growing evidence demonstrating that many sets of criteria involved in operationalizing behavioral addictions pathologize involvement in appetitive behaviors, these results highlight the necessity to renew the conceptualization and assessment of behavioral addictions.

Effect of aerobic exercise on brain metabolite profiles in the mouse models of methamphetamine addiction: LC-MS-based metabolomics study

Methamphetamine (MA) abuse is recognized as a brain disorder, and physical activity has clear benefits for MA use disorders. The specific mechanisms by which physical activity alleviates MA use disorders are currently not fully understood. Based on this, the present study used untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to analyze the metabolic changes induced by MA in the brains of mice by exercise intervention. It was found that after 2 weeks of treadmill training, aerobic exercise modulated MA-induced brain metabolic disorders, in which 129 metabolites existed that were significantly differentiated in response to MA induction, and 32 metabolites were significantly affected by exercise. These differential metabolites were mainly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and degradation, and renin-angiotensin system pathways. To our knowledge, this study is the first to use LC-MS to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on MA-induced brain metabolic profiling. The findings of this study provide new insights into exercise therapy using MA.