In situ evaluation of an active-passive sampling (APS) technique for monitoring psychoactive compounds in effluent wastewater.

The Delhi Cocktail and the crisis of substance use: An autopsy-based pilot study.

Aripiprazole is a drug that modulates both the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. It is currently widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and mental disorders due to its stabilizing effect on the dopaminergic system. Studies on psychotropic drugs have demonstrated negative effects on hormonal regulation and sexual behavior as a consequence of their mechanism of action; however, the potential genotoxic effects of aripiprazole have not yet been fully clarified. Given the limited number of studies on the changes that this drug can cause in the reproductive system, the present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of aripiprazole on fertility and female sexual behavior, focusing on metabolic and endocrine-reproductive responses through biochemical and toxicological parameters related to reproduction. For this purpose, adult rats were divided into four experimental groups and subjected to different doses of aripiprazole (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 6.0 mg/kg), diluted in the vehicle (DMSO and saline) by gavage for 21 days. Estrous cyclicity was monitored, and reproductive and biochemical parameters were evaluated at the end of treatment. The results showed that there was no increase in body weight and that the data, in general, did not follow the monotonic dose-response curve. Biochemical changes in creatinine, albumin, and triglycerides were observed, in addition to adverse effects on cyclicity and sexual behavior. Thus, aripiprazole at doses of 0.3 and 6.0 mg/kg in this experimental model may cause toxic effects on the endocrine-reproductive system of fertile rats.

Deprescribing Psychotropic Medications and Falls in Older Adults: A Setting-Stratified Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) has risen, but published data are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of NAS and the associated prenatal drug exposure in a Danish population. We conducted a historical multicentre cohort study of neonates treated for NAS during 2013-2018. The Danish National Patient Register identified 447 neonates with one of four predefined diagnoses. Reviews of the medical records showed that 98 of the neonates were pharmacologically treated for NAS. The incidence of NAS in the 6-year period was stable at 0.6 per 1000 live births. The majority of neonates treated for NAS were born to mothers treated with analgesic opioids. However, one-third of the neonates treated for NAS were not exposed to opioids. The most frequent other drugs causing NAS were cannabis, benzodiazepines, antidepressants and psychoactive drugs. Half of the neonates were only exposed to a single drug; 14% were exposed to cannabis and 9% of all neonates treated for NAS were exposed to cannabis as a single drug in addition to tobacco. The incidence of NAS in the 6-year period was stable. Healthcare professionals should be aware of NAS after prenatal exposure to cannabis.

The role of cannabinoid ligands in neurodegenerative diseases: emerging anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation and disease-modifying perspectives.

Biological age acceleration associated with mental and behavioural disorders: Evidence from the UK biobank cohort.

Planning and problem solving across multiple psychiatric disorders in young adults.

Comparative stability analysis of selected psychoactive substances on various household surfaces

Design and application of mixed cation exchange modified zirconium dioxide composite-based magnetic polymers for determination of nine tricyclic psychotropic drugs in human plasma samples

Children in foster care (FC) experience disproportionately high rates of mental health (MH) needs and frequently use behavioral health services. They are overrepresented in restrictive MH settings and are more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications. Home-based behavioral health services (HBHS) offer a less restrictive alternative for addressing the complex needs of children in FC, but their use and effectiveness remain understudied. Using Medicaid data from 28 states, we examined MH service utilization among children aged 3-18 with primary MH diagnoses across three eligibility groups: FC (n=128,180), disability (n=214,959), and low-income (n=1,054,426). We summarized utilization patterns, estimated multivariable models of HBHS take-up, and assessed associations between HBHS and other MH-related care. About 60% of children in FC had a MH diagnosis, compared with 65% of children with disabilities and 19% of children with income-based eligibility. HBHS use was highest among children in FC (29%), exceeding use among children with disabilities (15%) and low-income children (10%). Among children in FC, HBHS use was associated with greater MH diagnostic complexity, Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity, and certain MH diagnoses. HBHS use (vs. no use) was associated with lower odds of hospitalization (aOR=0.82), ED visits (aOR=0.75), and new psychotropic prescriptions (antipsychotics aOR=0.76; SSRIs aOR=0.80; ADHD medications aOR=0.77), and higher odds of school-based MH service use (aOR=1.47). HBHS are widely used within FC and serve clinically complex populations. Their use was linked to reduced reliance on restrictive and pharmaceutical care, suggesting that expanding access may enhance MH services for children.

Depression is a leading mental health concern in adolescents. The maturation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis during adolescence coincides with higher basal cortisol, and elevations in evening cortisol have been associated with depressive symptoms. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is differentiated by challenges with socioemotional reciprocity. Research in autistic youth has shown earlier and higher rates of depressive symptoms and elevated evening cortisol. The extent to which cortisol profiles may be linked to depressive symptoms in ASD has not been explored. Participants included 244 youth, 140 autistic and 104 neurotypical, aged 10-16 over four years. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) 2nd Edition Total T-score assessed depressive symptoms. Salivary morning and evening cortisol collected over three days in the home were log transformed and averaged. We fit a mixed effects model for CDI Total scores with log-transformed cortisol (fit with natural cubic splines) as the main variable of interest, adjusting for diagnosis (ASD or TD), nonlinear age (fit with natural cubic splines), sex, and use of psychotropic medication. We also allowed for diagnosis-by-cortisol and sex-by-cortisol interactions. There was a main effect of morning cortisol on the CDI total score (p = 0.028, robust effect size index (RESI) = 0.17), but no main effect for evening cortisol (p = 0.421, RESI=0.00). There was a diagnosis-by-evening cortisol interaction (p = 0.001, RESI = 0.25), but no diagnosis-by-morning cortisol interaction; the ASD CDI scores were flat across evening cortisol values (p = 0.824), however increasing evening cortisol in the interval 0.11-0.80 nmol/L was associated with increasing CDI in the TD group (p = 0.005). We observed a significant morning cortisol by age interaction (p = 0.029, RESI = 0.18). Results replicate previous findings in autism showing higher depressive symptoms, but do not show a clear association with cortisol levels. Elevations in evening cortisol were associated with higher depressive symptoms in neurotypical youth; a link previously found in non-autistic adolescents and adults.

Advancing cancer neuroscience through stress modulation: Interdisciplinary potential of psilocybin and ketamine.

Boron and nitrogen-doped coronene as high-performance sensors for gamma-hydroxybutyrate drug sensing: A DFT/TD-DFT study.

Enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for bioanalysis and chemical and stereochemical stability study of N-ethylpentedrone.

ABSTRACT Drug trafficking ranks among the gravest threats confronting contemporary societies, cutting across public health, social cohesion, and national security in ways that no single legislative instrument can fully address. In the Indian context, the enactment of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (hereinafter "the NDPS Act" or "the Act") marked a decisive shift in state policy toward illicit narcotics consolidating a fragmented pre-existing legal architecture, honouring India's obligations under foundational United Nations conventions,[1] and erecting a comprehensive statutory mechanism for regulating every phase of the drug supply chain from cultivation through to financing. The Act's penal philosophy rests on deterrence: offences are graded by the quantity of the substance involved, and commercial-quantity offences attract mandatory minimum sentences of rigorous imprisonment ranging from ten to twenty years alongside substantial fines.[2] Reinforcing this framework are provisions for reverse burden of proof, restrictive bail conditions under Section 37, and enhanced penalties for repeat offenders each reflecting a legislative determination to suppress narcotics-related criminality through the instrument of severe, predictable punishment. Keywords: Drug Trafficking, NDPS Act 1985, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Proportionality, Judicial Interpretation, Reverse Burden of Proof, Drug Policy Reform, India [1]Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Act 61 of 1985), Preamble [hereinafter NDPS Act]; Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Mar. 30, 1961, 520 U.N.T.S. 151; Convention on Psychotropic Substances, Feb. 21, 1971, 1019 U.N.T.S. 175. [2]NDPS Act §§ 15–25 (prescribing rigorous imprisonment of not less than ten years and a fine of not less than one lakh rupees for commercial-quantity offences).

Substance-induced psychosis (SIP) is a clinical condition in which psychotic symptoms occur during intoxication or withdrawal related to psychoactive substance use. Beyond psychotic symptoms, SIP may lead to significant psychosocial problems that affect individuals socially, within the family, at work, and in emotional and behavioural functioning. This review aims to comprehensively examine the psychosocial problems experienced by individuals diagnosed with SIP based on the available literature. Evidence indicates that these individuals commonly experience social isolation and withdrawal, stigma and exclusion, loss of roles and functioning within the family, unemployment and financial difficulties, difficulties in emotion regulation, hopelessness, aggression, depressive symptoms, and other behavioural problems. These problems negatively affect treatment adherence, overall functioning, and quality of life. Therefore, in addition to pharmacological treatment, psychosocial dimensions should be addressed in the management of SIP. In this process, psychiatric nurses should take an active role in assessment, supportive interventions, and continuity of care.

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is characterised by episodes of altered perception linked to past psychoactive drug use, accompanied by distress and functional impairment. To date, clinical characterisation has been limited in scale. Using TriNetX, a global federated health research network of electronic health records, we conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing clinical associations in individuals with HPPD versus population and psychedelic-using controls. Cumulative incidences of psychiatric and medical disorders were compared. Cox proportional hazards models assessed risk factors for developing HPPD, and odds ratios (ORs) were used to evaluate associated conditions following diagnosis. We identified 25,778 individuals diagnosed with HPPD. Prior to diagnosis, high rates of comorbidities were observed, including depressive episodes (29.2%), anxiety disorders (26.2%), chronic pain (15.9%), headache syndromes (14.7%), post-viral fatigue (12.3%), ADHD (6.6%), and fibromyalgia (6.7%). Anxiety and functional somatic syndromes were significantly more common in the HPPD group than in psychedelic-using controls (p < 0.001). Anxiety (OR 1.5) and post-viral fatigue (OR 1.9) predicted HPPD development in psychedelic users. HPPD diagnosis was associated with increased risk of subsequent functional somatic syndromes (OR 2.0) and psychiatric disorders (OR 1.4) versus psychedelic-using controls. This largest-to-date study of HPPD highlights its psychiatric and somatic complexity, with strong associations with anxiety and functional somatic syndromes. Several methodological limitations are acknowledged. Further research should explore overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms linking HPPD, visual disorders (e.g. visual snow syndrome), anxiety, and functional somatic syndromes.

Many people use cannabis to self-medicate for pain. Little is known about the impact of pain on tolerance and spontaneous withdrawal to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. Our previous research with the opioid morphine suggests persistent pain will increase the magnitude and duration of THC withdrawal. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were individually housed in a cage with a running wheel to provide a continuous and objective measure of well-being. All rats were injected with Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the right hindpaw to induce inflammatory pain. Beginning 1 day later, rats received twice daily THC or vehicle injections for 7 days followed by assessment of tolerance and spontaneous withdrawal. Administration of CFA decreased wheel running. Twice daily injections of THC (3 mg/kg/injection) caused a further reduction in running in male and female rats. Tolerance to the THC-induced decrease in running was more pronounced in male compared to female rats. There was no evidence of spontaneous withdrawal to THC despite continuous assessment for 6 days. Likewise, withdrawal had no effect on body weight. The lack of spontaneous withdrawal in rats with hindpaw inflammation is consistent with our recent study showing a lack of spontaneous withdrawal to THC in pain free rats, but opposite to our opioid research showing enhancement of spontaneous withdrawal to morphine in rats with hindpaw inflammation. In sum, persistent inflammatory pain does not appear to alter the effects of repeated THC injections in male or female rats. The use of THC as a treatment for pain is limited by side effects and tolerance but not by dependence associated withdrawal symptoms.

The growing prevalence of substance use and its associated health consequences highlights the need for reliable approaches to assess consumption patterns and validate self-reported data. This study, conducted at an international music festival in Portugal, aimed to characterise substance use by integrating objective toxicological findings with self-reported information. Quantitative hair analysis was combined with survey data from 249 participants recruited in 2022 and 2023. Hair samples were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to detect psychoactive substances and metabolites. Self-reported use was assessed across multiple timeframes, from same-day consumption to use within the previous year. Alcohol (96%) and cannabinoids (90%) were the most frequently self-reported substances overall, based on lifetime self-reported use. Overall, 50% of participants tested positive for at least one compound in the analysed hair samples, with cocaine, MDMA and ketamine being the most commonly detected substances (24.5%, 24.1% and 22.9%, respectively). Some participants who denied consumption tested positive, particularly for MDMA and ketamine. Self-reported non-use was inversely associated with hair positivity for MDMA (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.09-0.65) and ketamine (OR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09-0.40), compared with self-reported users. Discrepancies were also observed for cannabinoids, highlighting limitations of self-reported data. Strong correlations were identified between cocaine and benzoylecgonine, and between cannabis-related analytes (cannabidiol and THC), supporting the consistency of the toxicological results. Integrating self-reported data with objective biological measures improved data reliability, revealed polydrug use patterns and supported substance use monitoring in high-risk populations such as music festival attendees in this high-exposure festival setting.