Psychoactive Substance Addiction Research Articles

The versatile binding landscape of the TAAR1 pocket for LSD and other antipsychotic drug molecules

Increasing global concerns about psychoactive substance addiction and psychotic disorders highlight the need for comprehensive research into the structure-function relationship governing ligand recognition between these substances and their receptors in the brain. Recent studies indicate the significant involvement of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) in the signaling regulation of the hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other antipsychotic drugs. This study presents structures of the TAAR1-Gs protein complex recognizing LSD, which exhibits a polypharmacological profile, and the partial agonist RO5263397, which is a drug candidate for schizophrenia and addiction. Moreover, we elucidate the cross-species recognition and partial activation mechanism for TAAR1, which holds promising implications from a drug discovery perspective. Through mutagenesis, functional studies, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we provide a comprehensive understanding of a versatile TAAR1 pocket in recognizing various ligands as well as in the ligand-free state, underpinning the structural basis of its high adaptability. These findings offer valuable insights for the design of antipsychotic drugs.

Factors associated with the use of benzodiazepine and opioid prescription drug in the student population: a cross-sectional study

The misuse of benzodiazepines and opioid medications is frequent in students. To improve our understanding of this behavior, we aimed to identify factors associated with separate and concomitant use of these substances. Anonymous self-reported questionnaires were e-mailed to students enrolled at a French university between March and July 2021, covering: sociodemographic characteristics, academics, psychoactive substance use, ADHD symptomatology (adulthood and childhood), and psychiatric/psychological or addiction follow-up. Factors associated with the use of benzodiazepines and opioid medications included female sex (OR = 1.41 [1.08; 1.86]) and OR = 1.38 [1.06; 1.79], respectively), older age (OR = 1.65 [1.04; 2.6] and OR = 2.17 [1.4; 3.36], respectively), current psychiatric/psychological follow-up (OR = 6.53 [5.18; 8.24] and OR= 1.5 [1.12; 2.0], respectively), ADHD symptomatology (OR= 2.33 [1.71;3.16] and OR= 1.61 [1.15; 2.24], respectively), polyconsumption (tobacco use for benzodiazepine users, OR = 1.38 [1.04; 1.82]; alcohol use OR = 1.67 [1.17; 2.39] and tobacco use OR = 1.62 [1.23; 2.14] for opioid users). These factors were even more strongly associated with the concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioid medications: older age (OR = 3.64 [2.22; 5.99]), female sex (OR = 1.54 [1.1; 2.14]), grade repetition (OR = 1.7 [1.14; 2.54]), psychiatric/psychological follow-up (OR = 4.51 [3.35;6.06]), ADHD symptomatology (OR = 5.3 [3.69; 7.63]), polyconsumption (tobacco use OR = 2.05 [1.39; 3] and cannabis use, OR = 2.07 [1.97; 4.16]. The factors associated with the use of benzodiazepines and prescription opioids identified in this study could lead to the development of targeted prevention methods.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescents on psychoactive substance addiction: a survey in Jharkhand, India

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescents on psychoactive substance addiction: a survey in Jharkhand, India

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Amino Acids in the Treatment of Psychoactive Substance Addiction: A Comprehensive Review

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Amino Acids in the Treatment of Psychoactive Substance Addiction: A Comprehensive Review

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IN PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW

Adverse childhood experiences include psychological, physical, and sexual forms of abuse, as well as dysfunction in the home, including substance abuse among family members, and mental health problems in the family. These experiences are among the most intense and frequent sources of stress that children can experience early in life, and they also increase their risk of various behavioural disorders and substance abuse. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and potential impact of childhood adverse experiences in connection to alcohol and other psychoactive substance abuse and addiction. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted, and an electronic search of the PubMed database was performed. The review process initially identified 653 articles, of which 11 were included in the review. Results: Smokers and alcohol users are more likely to report an adverse childhood experience compared to people who do not report harmful habits. Parental divorce was one of the most common negative experiences that affected 17-59.5% of the respondents. The results of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey are a potentially significant predictor of risky behaviour.

Substance abuse and the radicalisation process

Previous research on radicalisation suggests that this process is the result of an accumulation of factors that generate a person’s susceptibility to extremist narratives. The authors of this article analysed the biographies of the perpetrators of terrorist attacks and, given the frequent references in these biographies to the abuse of various stimulants by the attackers, attempted to summarise the available knowledge on the relationship between psychoactive substance addiction and radicalisation. Although no simple causal relationship between addictions and radicalisation was found, the effects of addictions partly overlap with identified vulnerabilities to extremist narratives. A comprehensive approach to terrorism prevention should therefore take into account that addictions may contribute to increasing the vulnerability of some individuals to radicalisation leading to terrorism.

Epidemiologia zaburzeń psychicznych wśród dzieci i młodzieży w województwie małopolskim w latach 2010-2019

Introduction. World statistics show that from 10 to 20% of children and adolescents suffer from widely understood mental disorders, and youth suicides are the third cause of death in this age group. In Poland, this percentage is at least 9%, which means that approximately 630,000 children and adolescents under 18 require assistance from the psychiatric and psychological treatment system. The most common mental disorders among children and adolescents aged 0-18 years who visit a pediatrician, mental health clinic, drug addiction and psychoactive substance addiction clinics include behavioral and emotional disorders that usually begin in childhood and adolescence, various types of mood disorders and stress-related neurotic disorders. Aim. The aim of the article is to discuss the epidemiology of selected mental disorders in children and adolescents from the Małopolskie Voivodeship in 2010-2019. The article covers: mood disorders (F30-F39), stress-related and somatic neurotic disorders (F40-F49), and behavioral and emotional disorders that usually begin in childhood and adolescence (F90-F99). Material and methods. Data were obtained from the National Health Fund – Małopolska Branch in Krakow on the number of benefits (absolute numbers) provided for selected mental disorders among children and adolescents from 0 to 19 years of age (divided into age groups) from the Małopolskie voivodship. These data concern the years 2010-2019. Then, figures were prepared that illustrate the morbidity and hospitalization of the diseases in question. Results. In the age group between 5 and 14 years of age, the number of services provided due to the occurrence of mood (affective) disorders showed an increasing character and amounted to between 88 in 2010 and 168 in 2019. Among children and adolescents aged 15 to 19 in years 2010-2014, the number of health services provided due to stress-related neurotic disorders and in the somatic form increased and amounted to 811 and 912, respectively. The number of health services increased by as much as 208 in 2019 (1049) compared to 2018, where this number was 841. Conclusions. Conclusions: Rapid observed in recent years in Poland increase in the number of health services provided due to mental disorders raises reasonable anxiety. Mental health is a prerequisite for the proper development of children and adolescents. A real chance for a significant improvement in mental health children and adolescents is to combine large-scale prevention programs with effective and accessible, regardless of the place of residence and material resources and forms of therapy. Willing to strengthen the mental health of children and adolescents, families should be mainly supported at the level of educational competences and mental health protection parents, as well as applying legal regulations that allow parents to spend more time with with their children, make family relationships based on effective communication, monitoring and mutual support constituted a factor in protecting the mental health of children and youth, as well as support schools (take care of proper preparation teaching staff to strengthen the mental health of children and adolescents and to create appropriate conditions for work: smaller schools, less numerous classes, the appropriate climate and ethos of the school. Another important factor is working with children and adolescents to raise them life skills that enable effective coping with tasks and challenges everyday life; teaching correct is especially important communication and interpersonal skills, making decisions and thinking critically, managing stress and managing emotions as well building self-esteem and positive self-esteem.

A Research Domain Criteria Approach to Gambling Disorder and Behavioral Addictions: Decision-Making, Response Inhibition, and the Role of Cannabidiol.

Gambling Disorder (GD) has been recently re-classified in the DSM-5 under the “substance-related and addictive disorders,” in light of its genetic, endophenotypic, and phenotypic resemblances to substance dependence. Diminished control is a core defining concept of psychoactive substance dependence or addiction and has given rise to the concept of “behavioral” addictions, which are syndromes analogous to substance addiction, but with a behavioral focus other than ingestion of a psychoactive substance. The main symptom clusters are represented by loss of control, craving/withdrawal, and neglect of other areas of life, whereas in a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) perspective, GD patients exhibit deficits in the domain of “Positive valence systems,” particularly in the “Approach motivation” and “Reward learning” constructs, as well as in the “Cognitive systems,” primarily in the “Cognitive control” construct. In the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA), three relevant domains for addictions emerge: “Incentive salience,” “Negative Emotionality,” and “Executive Function.” The endocannabinoid system (ECS) may largely modulate these circuits, presenting a promising pharmaceutical avenue for treating addictions. Up to now, research on cannabidiol has shown some efficacy in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), whereas in behavioral addictions its role has not been fully elucidated, as well as its precise action on RDoC domains. Herein, we review available evidence on RDoC domains affected in GD and behavioral addictions and summarize insights on the use of cannabidiol in those disorders and its potential mechanisms of action on reward, decisional, and sensorimotor processes.

Significant association of DRD2 and ANKK1 genes with rural heroin dependence and relapse in men.

Substance abuse significantly influences human health and may induce problems with social functioning worldwide. Numerous genetic and environmental risk factors, as well as their interactions, accelerate the development of drug addiction. Etiologically, the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic reward pathways are related to psychoactive substance addiction, and the reward properties of heroin are connected with changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The aim of this study is a haplotypic analysis of subjects addicted to polysubstance. However, with the knowledge that this is not a homogenous subgroup, it was decided to separate and analyze homogenous subgroups of subjects in order to find specific haplotypic variants among them. The subjects in the subgroups were addicted to heroin, and subjects with more than two relapses in the past two years. The study group comprised of 301 polysubstance addicted rural male subjects. From this group, 2 homogenous subgroups of subjects were isolated and additionally analyzed: (1) a group of heroin addicted subjects (n=61), and (2) a group of heroin-addicted subjects with at least two relapses in the last two years (n=21). The group consisting of all polysubstance addicted rural subjects and both homogenous subgroups were analyzed against a control group of non-addicted subjects (n=300), matching gender and age. Five polymorphisms in the DRD2/ANKK1 region were analyzed: rs1076560, rs1800498, rs1079597, rs6276 in the DRD2 gene, and rs1800497 in the ANKK1 gene. A statistically significant haplotype association was found in analysis of the heroin addicted subjects, compared to controls, and two possible trends - when comparing the whole group of addicted subjects to controls, and in relapse subgroups, compared to the controls. The results obtained showed that haplotypes indicate a part of the biological component of addiction.

Analysis of the association of the PRDM12 gene with pain sensitivity in individuals with psychoactive substance dependence

Early diagnosis of susceptibility to psychoactive substance (PAS) use and addiction is a pressing problem of addictology. The development of PAS dependence involves a reward system that also plays a key role in the modulation of nociception. The PRDM12 gene associated with congenital insensitivity to pain is involved in neurogenesis and affects the properties of nerve cells. Objective: to comparatively assess pain sensitivity in mental and behavioral disorders caused by the use of PASs in healthy individuals and subjects with their occasional uses according to the genotype of rs10121864 in the PRDM12 gene. Patients and methods. Examinations were made in 103 patients with addiction to PAS (F1x.2), in 114 apparently healthy individuals (a control group) and in 36 subjects who occasionally used PASs (a risk group). The pain sensitivity threshold and pain tolerance were determined by tensoalgometry; a subjective assessment of pain thresholds was made using a visual analogue scale. Genotyping was performed using the PRDM12 rs10121864 polymorphism. Results and discussion. The distribution of the genotypes of PRDM12 rs101218 was statistically significantly different in the comparison groups. Odds ratio (OR) calculation showed that in the subjects who occasionally used PASs, the risk of their dependence was several times greater than that in carriers of the mutant A allele (OR, 2.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42–4.50) of rs10121864 and its homozygous genotype AA (OR, 6.66; 95% CI, 1.50–29.54) and in those of alternative genotypes. The PRDM12 was also found to be associated with the parameter of subjective assessment of pain sensitivity in PAS-dependent subjects. Thus, this parameter was significantly lower in the carriers of the mutant A allele than in those of the GG genotype. Conclusion. The A allele and AA genotype of PRDM12 rs10121864 were established to be associated with the risk of PAS dependence and with the parameter of subjective perception of the upper pain threshold.

SOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF WOMEN WITH MENTAL DISORDERS WHO COMMITTED SERIOUS OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON AND UNDERGOING COMPULSORY TREATMENT UNDER CONDITIONS OF INTENSIVE OBSERVATION

The article analyzes the social functioning and quality of life of women with mental disorders. The relationship of demographic and premorbid factors with violent delicts were examined. The analysis of influence on the criminal behavior of the alcohol abuse and psychoactive substance addiction was carried out, as well as neglect, lack of housing and antisocial environment.

Positron Emission Tomography: Updates on Imaging of Addiction.

Positron Emission Tomography: Updates on Imaging of Addiction.

Magnesium in addiction - a general view.

Addiction is a dysregulation of brain reward systems that progressively increases, resulting in compulsive drug use and loss of control over drug-taking. Addiction is a brain disease. There is evidence that magnesium deficit is involved in addiction to various addictive substances (heroin, morphine, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and others).Magnesium is involved in all the stages of addiction. Magnesium deficit enhances the vulnerability to psychoactive substance addiction. Stress and trauma reduce the brain magnesium level and at the same time favor addiction development. In experimental studies, administration of magnesium while inducing morphine dependence in rats reduced the dependence intensity. Magnesium reduces the NMDA receptor activity and the glutamatergic activity. Because stress and trauma induce hypomagnesemia with increased vulnerability to addiction, magnesium intake by people who are under prolonged stress could be a way to reduce this vulnerability and the development of addiction to different psychoactive substances. Anxiety and depression appear to be associated with increases in drug-related harmand addictive substance use. Magnesium anxiolytic effect could be important for the antiaddictive action. Addiction is characterized by relapses. Magnesium deficiency may be a contributing factor to these relapses.

Redukcja szkód związana z przyjmowaniem substancji psychoaktywnych

Psychoactive substance addiction is difficult to treat, brings huge damage to the body and has negative social and economic consequences for the addicted, their families and society. Rehabilitation therapy is often long and has a high failure rate. For this reason, there is a need for extensive action to minimise the negative effects of psychoactive substance use. Substitution therapy is one of the programmes included in the harm reduction strategy. It involves the replacement of an illicit drug with a legal substance with similar or identical pharmacological effects and is applied in drug addiction therapy. In the case of nicotine addiction, substitution therapy involves taking the same psychoactive substance (nicotine) in a form which is devoid of the majority of other toxic substances that are found in tobacco smoke. The introduction of alternative forms of nicotine supply (electronic cigarettes, non-smoking tobacco products) have renewed the controversy around the topic of efficacy of harm reduction involving the replacement of traditional tobacco products with those with reduced emission of toxic substances, but which still deliver nicotine. According to the opponents of substitution therapy, it prevents one from achieving abstinence that allows for full elimination of harm generated by psychoactive substances. Finding a common platform between the proponents of harm reduction and advocates of complete abstinence-based therapy would be of benefit to the addicted individuals.

Protective Measures in Misdemeanor Legislations of the Republic of Srpska and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina // Zaštitne mjere u prekršajnom zakonodavstvu Republike Srpske i Bosne i Hercegovine

Protective measures (in criminal law referred to as security measures) constitute a special category of misdemeanor sanctions to remedy circumstances or situations which could lead the perpetrator to repeat misdemeanor offences. This special and preventive purpose of these measures is implemented by elimination of states (primarily psychological, such as, for instance drug or alcohol addiction) or conditions (primarily objective ones, for instance, presence at sports events) that favor perpetration of offences. Law on Misdemeanor Offences of Republika Srpska adopted in 2014 foresees the following protective measures: 1. seizure of items, 2. Prohibition to practice a profession, business activity or duty, 3. Suspension of driver’s license, 4. Mandatory alcohol and psychoactive substance addiction treatment, 5. Mandatory psychiatric treatment, 6. ban from attending the certain sports events 7. ban from keeping and seizure of animals.In addition to the listed protective measures, some pieces of legislation dealing with misdemeanor offences can foresee some additional or other types of protective measures. This paper deals with these protective measures in more detail.

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to Assess Identity Formation Among Users of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Identity work and the perception and transformation of the addicted self are the most important processes during recovery from psychoactive substance addiction. While synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become increasingly popular among drug users in recent years, little is known about how the users of SCs perceive their identities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six male former SC users, and the transcribed interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two master themes were identified: 1. The impact of SC use experience on self and identity formation, and 2. The transformed self and the user self. SCs users have difficulties organizing their experiences into definite meaning structures and constructing collective meanings. Their experiences are similar to traumatic experience; therefore, SC use may be treated as a particular type of trauma. As a result, the resources of SC users to change their self and construct a new non-addict identity are limited, which may mean a significant obstacle in recovery. Hence, treatment should focus on identity work more emphatically.

Evaluation of the respiratory system of non-alcohol drug addicted patients

<B>Introduction</b>: One of the diseases that has left a mark on our age is psychoactive substance addiction. The onset of narcotic substance abuse has dropped to very early ages of life in our country. The prevalence of abuse of such substances as heroin and cocaine through inhaling is increasing dramatically. Abusing these substances by inhalation has life-threatening risks such as bronchospasm, alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory syndrome. Our aim in this study was to describe possible respiratory system risks in individuals who had substance addiction.<br /> <B>Material and methods: </b> The study was conducted with 40 healthy and 40 drug addicted people who receive treatment at AMATEM department in Akdeniz University Medicine Faculty. The data were interpreted according to the results of the anamnesis, physical examination, chest X-ray, spirometry and respiratory questionnaire for both test groups, and the final evaluation was carried out using these data.<br /> <B>Results: </b> For the addicted group, the symptoms related to the respiratory system and the symptom scores of the respiratory questionnaire were found to be significantly high during our study (p < 0.05).<br /> <B>Conclusions</b>: Consequently, the results of our study revealed that substance addicts most frequently preferred the inhalation mode when abusing narcotic substances. Moreover, it was also determined that they were heavily smoking besides narcotic substance abuse. We believe that efforts to prevent smoking addiction in society can be developed so as to include narcotic substance abuse, especially among young individuals, which in turn can contribute to a decrease in future risks.

Mental and Physical Mobile Health Apps: Review

Tremendous development in mobile technologies has emerged as a powerful tool in health care with more than 160,000 mobile health apps available for download from the apps stores. However, there is a lack of meticulous testing for efficacy, reliability and accuracy of these applications. The purpose of this paper is to review the current state of the art of the development of mobile health applications dedicated to chronic and disabling diseases that are manifested by a physical or mental disability in the patient, namely: brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury; psychoactive substance abuse and addiction, depression, stress, and anxiety. We performed search in both Android and Apple apps stores and developed a database to carry out searches’ results analysis. Many apps dedicated to diagnostic and treatment are designed without involvement of healthcare professionals and there is an inequality of users’ profiles in both mental and physical mobile apps. We plan to evaluate the usefulness, efficiency and suitability of most relevant application in the Moroccan context. Comparison and evaluation of efficacy of these applications is underway.

Potential role of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in obesity

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive technique with mild side effects. Some forms of obesity may arise from eating disorders and recent data suggest that rTMS treatment could have beneficial effects in eating disorders. The purpose of this comprehensive review is to hypothesize that rTMS may play a role in obesity. Articles were selected based on a search on medline using the terms "rTMS", "food craving", "eating disorders", "addiction", and "obesity". They were published between 1995 and 2013. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been evaluated in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. It appears that it exerts its effect via the reduction of the level of craving for food. Obesity is being recognized as one of the endpoints of food addiction and craving. Besides, rTMS and transcranial direct current stimulation are brain stimulation techniques being used in the treatment of psychoactive substance addiction. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, through the reduction of food craving may be a potential treatment for a subset of individuals suffering from obesity. Further studies with a higher number of subjects are still needed to confirm the effects of rTMS on obesity.

La consommation d'alcool et de drogue des étudiants suite à la fusillade de Dawson: Une analyse différenciée selon le sexe

To study alcohol and drug addiction incidence in students exposed to the Dawson College shooting within the 18 months following the event, to identify the precursors of a psychoactive substance addiction development while considering the severity of event exposure, and to examine whether alcohol use, 18 months after the event, is related to any of the various posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom groups. The population of this study was comprised of all the Dawson College students at the time of the event. Analyses were conducted with 854 students enrolled in the college at the time of the shooting. Five per cent of women and 7% of men showed, for the first time in their life, a problem with substance addiction following the shooting. In men, young age, lifetime suicidal ideation, and having seen the killer during the shooting are the main precursors of incident accident cases. None of the studied precursors were significant in women. Men and women were also different in terms of PTSD symptoms predicting alcohol use 18 months after the shooting. The study highlights the importance of considering a person's sex when studying their psychoactive substance use following a trauma.