Risk For Substance Abuse Research Articles

Neuroscience Outside the Box: From the Laboratory to Discussing Drug Abuse at Schools.

One of the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic is that low-income countries were pushed further into extreme poverty, exacerbating social inequalities and increasing susceptibility to drug use/abuse in people of all ages. The risks of drug abuse may not be fully understood by all members of society, partly because of the taboo nature of the subject, and partly because of the considerable gap between scientific production/understanding and communication of such knowledge to the public at large. Drug use is a major challenge to social development and a leading cause of school dropout rates worldwide. Some public policies adopted in several countries in recent decades failed to prevent drug use, especially because they focused on imposing combative or coercive measures, investing little or nothing in education and prevention. Here we highlight the role of neuroscience education as a valid approach in drug use education and prevention. We propose building a bridge between schools and scientists by promoting information, student engagement and honest dialogue, and show evidence that public policy regulators should be persuaded to support such science-based education programs in their efforts to effect important positive changes in society.

Prenatal morphine exposure increases gamma oscillation and theta coherence in the rat reward system

Previous studies have found that prenatal morphine (PNM) exposure leads to both increased and decreased risk of substance abuse in offspring. Understanding more about the neurobiological changes after the PNM exposure would help to understand more about this issue. Signaling from dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the mesoaccumbal and mesocortical pathways plays a vital role in drug dependency. To provide further knowledge about the effects of PNM on drug seeking behavior and the dopamine system. We recorded local field potentials (LFP) simultaneously in the VTA, NAc (nucleus accumbens), BLA (basolateral amygdala) and mPFC (medial prefrontal cortex) in male adult rats prenatally treated with saline or morphine. Morphine (10 mg/kg) induced conditioned place preference (CPP) establishment, extinction and priming were tested to investigate the effects of PNM on addictive-like behavior. In addition, the expression of nuclear histone deacetylases (HDAC4, HDAC5), which plays essential epigenetic roles in neuroplasticity after drug use were also tested in VTA and NAc. The results showed that PNM did not change the acquisition of morphine CPP in male rats, but impaired CPP extinction and morphine (5 mg/kg) - primed reinstatement of CPP after extinction. PNM increased the low gamma (30–60 Hz) and high (60–90 Hz) gamma LFP powers in NAc and BLA. PNM also leads to increased theta (4–9 Hz) coherence between VTA and NAc, and increased HDAC5 expression in VTA. After chronic morphine administration, coherence between VTA-NAc, mPFC-NAc and mPFC-BLA increased significantly in PNS rats, but no changes were find in PNM rats, indicating impaired plasticity in brain circuits. All these results suggest that PNM exposure increased reward processing in adult male rats, but impaired morphine CPP extinction and reinstatement, which relate to decreases network plasticity and increased HDAC5 expression in the reward system.

Substance Abuse in Emerging Adults: The Role of Neuromelanin and Ventral Striatal Response to Social and Monetary Rewards.

Perturbations in dopamine system function may increase risk of substance use disorder (SUD). We recently demonstrated that neuromelanin (NM) MRI signal in the substantia nigra, a non-invasive index of dopamine system function, is elevated in long term cocaine users (Cassidy et al., 2020). However, it is unclear whether elevated NM-MRI signal is linked to risk of SUD, or is a byproduct of long-term drug use. Our prior work failed to show relations between NM-MRI signal and functional engagement of ventral striatum during a monetary reward task. However, social experiences are commonly linked to drug use and relapse. Given that, NM-MRI signal may be more closely linked to ventral striatal engagement during social, rather than monetary reward processing. Emerging adults (n = 33, 21.88 ± 4.35 years) with varying levels of substance abuse, but without SUD, underwent NM-MRI and fMRI during social and monetary reward processing tasks. Voxelwise analysis within the substantia nigra (SN) demonstrated lower NM-MRI signal was associated with more severe substance abuse. Lower right ventral striatal engagement to social reward was also associated with more severe substance abuse. This relation was moderated by SN NM-MRI signal such that diminished striatal response to reward was associated with greater substance abuse among those with low NM-MRI signal, but lower substance abuse among those with high NM-MRI signal. Unexpectedly, higher right ventral striatal engagement during monetary reward was associated with more severe substance abuse. This relation was moderated by SN NM-MRI signal such that greater striatal response to reward was associated with greater substance abuse among those with low NM-MRI signal. Taken together, we provide preliminary evidence that, in emerging adults, low rather than high dopamine system function may increase risk of substance abuse, and strengthen the association between substance use and the brain’s sensitivity to social and monetary outcomes in different ways.

The violent offending of drug users: the pathway from childhood maltreatment to violent arrests mediated by conduct disorder and crime age

ABSTRACT The relationship between drug use and violence has a strong empirical basis, with recent studies finding that violent crime of drug users could be due to both drug abuse and pre-existing risk factors like childhood maltreatment and conduct disorder. However, results regarding the mechanism underlying drug use–violence nexus are less consistent. It is unclear how these pre-existing risk factors associate drug use with violent offending. More research exploring mediating factors of the path from childhood maltreatment to violence is in need, especially when drug use variables are included. As such, this study aims to investigate the role of pre-existing risk factor in shaping the drug use–violence association. Data on demographics, drug use, violent offending and pre-existing risk factor were collected between 2018 and 2021 in a sample of housed drug users (N = 202). According to regression analysis results, childhood maltreatment, conduct disorder and onset age of committing crime are predictive of violent arrests of drug users after controlling other covariates. Furthermore, support was found through Structural Equation Modeling analyses for pathways from childhood maltreatment to violent arrests and aggression subsequently mediated by conduct disorder and onset age of committing crime. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Early-life Stress Modifies the Reactivity of Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area and Lateral Hypothalamus to Acute Stress in Female Rats

Early-life stress (ELS) has long-term consequences, including an increased risk for drug abuse and psychiatric disorders later in life, which is higher in women than in men. The consequences of ELS include heightened sensitivity to stressful events. Here, we hypothesized that ELS changes the stress sensitivity of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and orexin (OXA) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), that are crucial for the control of motivated behaviors. We combined morphological and immunohistochemical approaches to investigate the effect of maternal separation (MS), a rodent model of the ELS, on the expression of c-Fos protein in putative DAergic and non-DAergic VTA and LH OXA neurons, as well as on dendritic spine density and morphology in the VTA of adult female rats. We showed that MS increased basal and acute restraint stress-induced c-Fos expression in putative DAergic neurons, specifically in the dorsomedial VTA, an area implicated in responsiveness to aversive stimuli. Conversely, restraint-induced increase in c-Fos expression in non-DAergic dorsolateral VTA neurons was dampened by MS. Furthermore, an increase in spine head diameter of VTA neurons and a concurrent decrease in dendritic spine density in dorsal VTA were observed. We also showed that MS changed the stress sensitivity of OXA neurons selectively in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), which is implicated in arousal and the stress response. These findings show the long-lasting consequences of ELS and indicate the selective, regional sensitivity of structures involved in the control of arousal, motivational behaviors and the stress response to ELS.

Alcohol-related stimuli modulate functional connectivity during response inhibition in young binge drinkers.

Binge drinking is a pattern of intermittent excessive alcohol consumption that is highly prevalent in young people. Neurocognitive dual-process models have described substance abuse and adolescence risk behaviours as the result of an imbalance between an overactivated affective-automatic system (related to motivational processing) and damaged and/or immature reflective system (related to cognitive control abilities). Previous studies have evaluated the reflective system of binge drinkers (BDs) through neutral response inhibition tasks and have reported anomalies in theta (4-8 Hz) and beta (12-30 Hz) bands. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of the motivational value of alcohol-related stimuli on brain functional networks devoted to response inhibition in young BDs. Sixty eight BDs and 78 control participants performed a beverage Go/NoGo task while undergoing electrophysiological recording. Whole cortical brain functional connectivity (FC) was evaluated during successful response inhibition trials (NoGo). BDs exhibited fast-beta and theta hyperconnectivity in regions related to cognitive control. These responses were modulated differently depending on the motivational content of the stimuli. The increased salience of alcohol-related stimuli may lead to overactivation of the affective-automatic system in BDs, and compensatory neural resources of the reflective system will thus be required during response inhibition. In BDs, inhibition of the response to alcohol stimuli may require higher theta FC to facilitate integration of information related to the task goal (withholding a response), while during inhibition of the response to no-alcoholic stimuli, higher fast-beta FC would allow to apply top-down inhibitory control of the information related to the prepotent response.

Abstract TP176: Arrhythmia And Stroke Risk Among Migraineurs With Aura As Predicted By CHA 2 Ds 2 -VASc Scoring Tool

Introduction: Migraine with aura (MWA) is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke. A recent study found that among young adults with MWA, AF was the second most common cause of ischemic stroke behind high-risk patent foramen ovale. The CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score predicts 1 year risk of thromboembolic events, and may further characterize stroke risk in this population. Objectives: We hypothesize that arrhythmias are more common in patients with MWA than migraine without aura (MWoA); and that among migraine patients with arrhythmia, MWA leads to higher ischemic stroke risk, as predicted by CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc. Methods: The American Registry for Migraine Research (ARMR) database consists of patient questionnaires and headache diagnoses from 9 headache centers. Data on history of arrhythmia can be used as a marker for AF and other arrhythmias with stroke risk. Patients in ARMR ages 18-86 with ICHD-3 diagnosis of migraine were divided into MWA or MWoA based on survey responses, and evaluated for history of arrhythmia. Predicted stroke risk in migraineurs with arrhythmia was then characterized by CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score calculation. Results: 2406 patients were included in the analysis (21.8% MWA, 78.1% MWoA). Patient groups had comparable age and gender composition. Arrhythmias were more common in MWA patients (N=30, 5.7%) than MWoA (N=11, 0.58%) after adjusting for age, gender, substance abuse and cardiac risk factors (p<0.05). Among patients with arrhythmia, there was no significant difference between median CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score in MWA (1, IQR1-2) and MWoA (2, IQR 1-3) groups (p=0.32), nor among individual CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores (p=0.449). This persisted when score was dichotomized with a cutoff of 2. Conclusions: Arrhythmia is more prevalent in patients with MWA than MWoA. However, higher risk of stroke in arrhythmic patients with aura is not predicted by CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc. This suggests that increased stroke risk in these patients may be independent of other stroke risk factors, and perhaps linked to the arrhythmias themselves. Our findings support the need for further large-scale studies to evaluate arrhythmia in MWA patients, and bring into question whether routine screening for arrhythmia is of benefit for stroke prevention in select migraine patients.

Sex differences in conditioned orienting and the role of estradiol in addiction-related behaviors.

Conditioned orienting response (OR) is a form of cue-directed behavior thought to indicate increased attentional and/or motivational processing of reward-associated stimuli. OR as a phenotype has been shown to predict both direct drug proclivity in female rats and behaviors indirectly related to drug proclivity in male rats, but no extant research has compared males and females in terms of their OR behavior or its notable substrates. As females are at increased risk for substance abuse, and the ovarian hormone estradiol is often cited as a driving factor for this predilection, it is important to characterize sex differences between males and females and explore what, if any, contribution estradiol has in behaviors which predict substance abuse. In these experiments, male and female rats [intact or ovariectomized (OVX) with/without estradiol replacement] were compared on a battery of behavioral tasks, including OR, novelty-seeking, attentional set-shifting, and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to amphetamine treatment. Female rats, regardless of estradiol replacement, had higher OR scores than males. OR score was a predictor of attention impairments, and estradiol availability contributed to this relationship in females. Sex differences were not observed in novelty-seeking, attentional set-shifting, or USV response to amphetamine; however, estradiol replacement did alter the presentation of these behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Management of Psychiatric Disorders with HIV and Dermatological Disorders.

Management of Psychiatric Disorders with HIV and Dermatological Disorders.

Symposium

Protective factors are characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of negative outcomes. Protective factors may be seen as positive countering events. These are characteristics within the individual or conditions in the family, school or community that help someone cope successfully with life challenges. Protective factors are instrumental in healthy development; they build resiliency, skills and connections. Individual-level protective factors might include positive self-image, self- control, or social competence. Risk and protective factors can affect individuals at different stages of their lives. At each stage, risks occur that can be changed through prevention intervention. Early childhood risks, such as aggressive behaviour, can be changed or prevented with family, school, and community interventions that focus on helping children develop appropriate, positive behaviours. If not addressed, negative behaviours can lead to more risks, such as academic failure and social difficulties, which put children at further risk for later drug abuse. Loneliness, neglect, abuse and illness in old age are risks for developing dependence on benzodiazepine or other substances. Staying with family members, getting proper care are some of the protective factors in old age. Certain highly stressful work conditions poses risks of substance use for the personnel working in such situations. Cohesiveness, conducive work culture, promotional avenues are considered as protective factors at work place. In the seminar role of the protective factors will be discussed in relation of prevention and management of substance use disorders

Suicide among South Asian Americans: A Systematic Review of Causal and Risk Factors

This paper will provide an overview of suicide prevalence among South Asian Americans who constitute nearly one-third of Asian Americans and 1.7 percent of the United States population. South Asians, late 20th century immigrants, are a numerally small percentage of the population in the United States. As a distinct ethnic population despite significant diversity within, South Asians encounter unique challenges with myriad sub-cultures and struggles that make them vulnerable and underrepresented in policy and service utilization in mental health and health care due to various barriers. These conditions create vulnerability among first and subsequent generations as they go through social pressures of acculturation and integration into American society. Suicide, as a rising social concern related to health disparities research, is described with the aid of common theoretical perspectives along with causal/risk factors. Suicide rate is the highest among South Asians even among Asian-origin Americans which has higher suicide among all minority populations – Asian, African and Hispanic Americans. Success of South Asians is associated with certain hidden or unrecognized costs. Making the American dream a reality which is a strenuous journey for South Asians predisposes them at higher risk for health, mental health, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and behavior. Systematic review of articles from three databases with focus and content on South Asian Americans was conducted and the results are presented in this article. Identified concerns and issues are addressed in the light of theoretical perspectives and evidence gathered from the systematic review and critical analysis.

Insomnie et risque suicidaire dans les troubles de la personnalité du groupe B : une étude comparative transversale

Objectif Le taux de mortalité par suicide parmi les personnes souffrant d’un trouble de la personnalité du groupe B (TPB) se situe autour de 20 %. La haute prévalence de comorbidités anxiodépressives ainsi que l’abus de substances majorent ce risque. Selon des études récentes, l’insomnie persistante serait aussi un facteur de risque suicidaire dans ce groupe clinique. Les mécanismes expliquant cette association sont peu connus. Il a été proposé que des facteurs psychopathologiques comme la dysrégulation émotionnelle ou l’impulsivité pourraient agir comme médiateurs dans ce lien entre l’insomnie et le suicide. Afin de bien comprendre la relation insomnie-suicide dans le TPB, il est important d’identifier le rôle des comorbidités. L’étude comporte deux objectifs. Le premier vise à comparer la sévérité des symptômes d’insomnie et le niveau d’impulsivité d’un groupe avec TPB à ceux d’un groupe contrôle, le deuxième tente d’établir les relations entre l’insomnie, l’impulsivité, les comorbidités anxiodépressives, l’abus de substance et le risque suicidaire. Méthode Étude transversale portant sur 138 patients (âge moyen = 33,74 ; 58,7 % femmes) ayant un TPB. Les données de ce groupe, obtenues à partir d’une base de données d’un institut en santé mentale québécois (banque Signature : www.banquesignature.ca) ont été comparées à celles d’un groupe de 125 sujets sains appariés sur l’âge et le sexe et sans historique de trouble mental. C’est à l’admission aux urgences psychiatriques que le diagnostic de TPB a été déterminé à l’aide d’une entrevue diagnostique et que des questionnaires autorapportés mesurant l’anxiété, la dépression, l’impulsivité et l’abus de substances ont été remplis par les participants. Les participants du groupe contrôle se sont rendus au centre Signature afin de compléter ces mêmes questionnaires. Une matrice corrélationnelle et une régression linéaire multiple ont été utilisées pour explorer les relations entre les variables. Résultats Le groupe avec TPB présentait des symptômes d’insomnie plus élevés et des niveaux d’impulsivité supérieurs par rapport au groupe contrôle, à l’exception du temps total de sommeil. Dans le modèle de régression, la satisfaction envers le sommeil, le manque de préméditation, l’urgence positive, la dépression et l’utilisation de substances étaient significativement associés aux scores au Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Ce modèle expliquait 46,7 % de la variance des scores au SBQ-R. Conclusion Les résultats ont permis de mettre en évidence, pour la première fois, les éléments d’insomnie et d’impulsivité qui distinguent un groupe avec TPB par rapport à un groupe contrôle sain. Cette étude indique que l’insomnie et l’impulsivité pourraient être des facteurs de risque suicidaire dans le TPB, indépendamment des comorbidités et de l’utilisation de substances. De futures études permettront de vérifier la pertinence clinique potentielle de ces éléments de risque pour cette patientèle.

Population-Based Study on Cancer Incidence in Pharmacist: A Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Cancer is increasing in rate globally and is leading cause of death among no communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) after cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most of the research focuses on the risk of occupational injury, job stress, mental illness, substance abuse and workplace safety in physicians and nurses. However, fewer studies have investigated the risk of cancer in pharmacists. We compared the matched general population to investigate the risk of cancer in pharmacists in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Health and Welfare Data Science Center of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan. We established a pharmacist group that included 11,568 pharmacists and selected a 4-fold comparison (n = 46,272) for the non-clinics comparison group, frequency being matched by age, gender and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score. The pharmacists had a lower but non-significant risk of all cancer (Adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.85–1.07) compared with the general population. Female pharmacists had a higher risk of cancer than male pharmacists ([aHR] = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.06–1.43). Pharmacists had higher risks of breast cancer in females (aHR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.35–2.08) and of prostate cancer in males (aHR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.35–2.08) when compared with the general population. Occupational risk factors could play a role, but they were not evaluated. These epidemiological findings require additional studies to clarify cancer risk mechanisms in pharmacists.

Risk and protective factors of drug abuse among adolescents: a systematic review

BackgroundDrug abuse is detrimental, and excessive drug usage is a worldwide problem. Drug usage typically begins during adolescence. Factors for drug abuse include a variety of protective and risk factors. Hence, this systematic review aimed to determine the risk and protective factors of drug abuse among adolescents worldwide.MethodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was adopted for the review which utilized three main journal databases, namely PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science. Tobacco addiction and alcohol abuse were excluded in this review. Retrieved citations were screened, and the data were extracted based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria include the article being full text, published from the year 2016 until 2020 and provided via open access resource or subscribed to by the institution. Quality assessment was done using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tools (MMAT) version 2018 to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Given the heterogeneity of the included studies, a descriptive synthesis of the included studies was undertaken.ResultsOut of 425 articles identified, 22 quantitative articles and one qualitative article were included in the final review. Both the risk and protective factors obtained were categorized into three main domains: individual, family, and community factors. The individual risk factors identified were traits of high impulsivity; rebelliousness; emotional regulation impairment, low religious, pain catastrophic, homework completeness, total screen time and alexithymia; the experience of maltreatment or a negative upbringing; having psychiatric disorders such as conduct problems and major depressive disorder; previous e-cigarette exposure; behavioral addiction; low-perceived risk; high-perceived drug accessibility; and high-attitude to use synthetic drugs. The familial risk factors were prenatal maternal smoking; poor maternal psychological control; low parental education; negligence; poor supervision; uncontrolled pocket money; and the presence of substance-using family members. One community risk factor reported was having peers who abuse drugs. The protective factors determined were individual traits of optimism; a high level of mindfulness; having social phobia; having strong beliefs against substance abuse; the desire to maintain one’s health; high paternal awareness of drug abuse; school connectedness; structured activity and having strong religious beliefs.ConclusionThe outcomes of this review suggest a complex interaction between a multitude of factors influencing adolescent drug abuse. Therefore, successful adolescent drug abuse prevention programs will require extensive work at all levels of domains.

Pathways by Which Food Insecurity Is Associated With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

BackgroundFood insecurity (FI) has been associated with an increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk; however, the pathways by which FI leads to worse cardiovascular health are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that FI is associated with ASCVD risk through nutritional/anthropometric (eg, worse diet quality and increased weight), psychological/mental health (eg, increased depressive symptoms and risk of substance abuse), and access to care pathways.Methods and ResultsWe conducted a cross‐sectional study of adults (aged 40–79 years) using the 2007 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Our primary exposure was household FI, and our outcome was 10‐year ASCVD risk categorized as low (<5%), borderline (≥5% –<7.5%), intermediate (≥7.5%–<20%), and high risk (≥20%). We used structural equation modeling to evaluate the pathways and multiple mediation analysis to determine direct and indirect effects. Of the 12 429 participants, 2231 (18.0%) reported living in a food‐insecure household; 5326 (42.9%) had a low ASCVD risk score, 1402 (11.3%) borderline, 3606 (29.0%) intermediate, and 2095 (16.9%) had a high‐risk score. In structural models, we found significant path coefficients between FI and the nutrition/anthropometric (β, 0.130; SE, 0.027; P<0.001), psychological/mental health (β, 0.612; SE, 0.043; P<0.001), and access to care (β, 0.110; SE, 0.036; P=0.002) pathways. We did not find a significant direct effect of FI on ASCVD risk, and the nutrition, psychological, and access to care pathways accounted for 31.6%, 43.9%, and 15.8% of the association, respectively.ConclusionsWe found that the association between FI and ASCVD risk category was mediated through the nutrition/anthropometric, psychological/mental health, and access to care pathways. Interventions that address all 3 pathways may be needed to mitigate the negative impact of FI on cardiovascular disease.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health in an Adolescent Partial Hospital Program

ABSTRACT Childhood adversity has been associated with myriad physical, emotional, and mental health symptoms across the lifespan, including higher risk for substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and premature mortality. The current study evaluates the association between cumulative adverse childhood experiences and mental health distress at admission and discharge in an adolescent partial hospital program. Data were collected from 157 adolescents through clinical assessments administered during admission and discharge procedures (Youth Outcomes Questionnaire Self-Report (YOQ-SR), Treatment Support Measure (TSM), and Center for Youth Wellness Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire Teen (CYW ACE-Q Teen)). Regression analyses were conducted to assess how cumulative ACEs predict admission mental health distress (Intrapersonal Distress, Critical Items, and Total Score) as well as mental health distress at discharge, above and beyond other clinically relevant factors. While ACEs significantly predicted overall distress at admission (p = .026), there were no other significant associations between ACEs and outcomes at admission, nor ACEs and any outcomes at discharge. This suggests experiences of adversity may not hinder or influence outcomes over the course of treatment in this setting. Experiences of adversity were highly endorsed in this sample; thus, further understanding of experiences of trauma and resilience in acute treatment settings is a critical area for future research to improve interventions for adolescents. Abbreviations: ACE(s): Adverse Childhood Experience(s); ACE-Q: Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire; APHP: Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program; LOS: Length of Stay; NSSI: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury; PHP: Partial Hospitalization Program; Y-OQ: Youth Outcome Questionnaire; Y-OQ-SR: Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report; TSM: Treatment Support Measure

Elevated fear responses to threatening cues in rats with early life stress is associated with greater excitability and loss of gamma oscillations in ventral-medial prefrontal cortex

Stress experienced early in development can have profound influences on developmental trajectories and ultimately behaviors in adulthood. Potent stressors during brain maturation can profoundly disrupt prefrontal cortical areas in particular, which can set the stage for prefrontal-dependent alterations in fear regulation and risk of drug abuse in adulthood. Despite these observations, few studies have investigated in vivo signaling in prefrontal signals in animals with a history of early life stress (ELS). Here, rats with ELS experienced during the first post-natal week were then tested on a conditioned suppression paradigm during adulthood. During conditioned suppression, electrophysiological recordings were made in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during presentations of a fear-associated cue that resolved both single-unit activity and local field potentials (LFPs). Relative to unstressed controls, ELS-experienced rats showed greater fear-related suppression of lever pressing. During presentations of the fear-associated cue (CS+), neurons in the vmPFC of ELS animals showed a significant increase in the probability of excitatory encoding relative to controls, and excitatory phasic responses in the ELS animals were reliably of higher magnitude than Controls. In contrast, vmPFC neurons in ELS subjects better discriminated between the shock-associated CS+ and the neutral (“safe”) CS− cue than Controls. LFPs recorded in the same locations revealed that high gamma band (65–95 Hz) oscillations were strongly potentiated in Controls during presentation of the fear-associated CS+ cue, but this potentiation was abolished in ELS subjects. Notably, no other LFP spectra differed between ELS and Controls for either the CS+ or CS−. Collectively, these data suggest that ELS experience alters the neurobehavioral functions of PFC in adulthood that are critical for processing fear regulation. As such, these alterations may also provide insight into increased susceptibility to other PFC-dependent processes such as risk-based choice, motivation, and regulation of drug use and relapse in ELS populations.

1.L. Workshop: Assessment of substance abuse in different populations

Abstract Substance abuse is a growing public mental health issue. Recent data from Global Burden of Disease study demonstrate that age standardized DALYs rate attributed to drug use disorders has increased by 25% in age group of 25-49 years during 1990-2019 (Lancet 2020; 396 1204-22). Standardized DALY rate due to alcohol use disorders reduced by 1/5 in this age group during the last 30 years, however it remains among the top 20 causes leading to greatest losses of DALYs in this age group. European countries persist to have high burden of diseases due to substance abuse. Social ecological model enables to structure individual, family, community and broader societal risk factors for substance abuse in specific groups within society. Some European countries (e.g. Germany) face increased migration especially from the war affected countries like Syria. Respective refugees and migrants may demonstrate higher substance abuse (alcohol and drug abuse) prevalence as an outcome of traumatic exposures and reflect the attempts to escape past and present experiences. In other countries (e.g. Lithuania), who still reflect transitional societies, substance abuse rates remain high due to psychosocial stress and structural barriers to implement effective prevention. Identification of risk factors may alleviate targeted and tailored prevention. The aim of the workshop is to systematize substance abuse risk factors in specific population groups based on socio-ecological framework applying different methodological approaches. There is a knowledge gap in culturally sensitive and translated into different languages instruments which assess substance use in refugee populations, especially from the Arabic countries. Therefore, a systematic review results on culturally sensitive substance abuse screening and assessment instruments among refugee populations will be presented. The qualitative study conducted in Germany will provide findings and insights on substance abuse perceptions among Syrian migrants and refugees. Understanding the explanatory model of Syrian refugees could inform future interventions to prevent substance abuse and design tailored interventions. Assessment of the behavioral risk factors related to injecting dug use in Lithuanian population using respondent driven sampling technique will be presented. Identifying individual and social risk factors may lead to targeted and effective prevention. Key messages Context specific knowledge of substance use is necessary for prevention including past and present factors. As refugee populations continue to grow, adequate screening instruments for substance abuse/dependence are needed.

ROLE OF PARENTAL, SCHOOL AND PEER GROUPS IN PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

This research is an attempt to assess the role of parents, schools, and peer groups in substance abuse prevention. Substance misuse is more common in persons, particularly children, who believe they are ignored by others, are excluded from their peer groups, and have no one with whom to discuss their problems. Such children utilise escapism to escape from all of life's worries by immersing themselves in a completely fictional yet lovely world. This world, on the other hand, is a fleeting pleasure that can cost one's life. The direct and indirect effects of alcohol and other drugs on children can result in a variety of negative health and safety consequences for the kid, family, and community. Understanding the dangers and how to avoid them A first step toward alleviating the problem of drug use in the paediatric population is to identify factors that may influence the development of substance dependence. This page analyses the literature on substance abuse prediction, protection, and prevention in children, as well as a list of available preventative programmes for children of various ages. The earlier a youngster begins drinking and using other drugs, the greater the chance of catastrophic health repercussions and adult substance misuse. Accidental and purposeful deaths connected with adolescent drug and alcohol use are one of the main preventable causes of death in the 15- to 24-year-old demographic. Adolescents who use alcohol or other drugs have an increased risk of academic underachievement, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, and depression. Multiple medical consequences have resulted from inadvertent passive drug exposure in infants and toddlers, including respiratory infections, seizures, changed mental status, and death. There are numerous factors that lead to the formation of substance misuse in children. Prevention and intervention programmes that use research-based, comprehensive, culturally relevant social resistance skills training and normative education in an active school-based learning format can address behavioral, emotional, and environmental factors that put children at risk for substance abuse.

Adverse lifestyle behaviors among childhood cancer survivors with cognitive impairment: The Project Forward Cohort.

138 Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are often impacted by cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), requiring long-term follow-up care. It is unknown whether survivors reporting CRCI are at higher likelihood to suffer from adverse lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and vaping. Using the Project Forward cohort, we analyzed the prevalence of CRCI and its association with substance abuse. Methods: The Project Forward study surveyed adolescent and young adult CCS between 2015 to 2018 to evaluate the quality of cancer follow-up care. Associations between self-reported CRCI and adverse lifestyle behaviors were examined in multivariable logistic regressions, adjusting for covariates: cancer type, treatment intensity, race/ethnicity, gender, and age at diagnosis. Stratified analysis by recency of latest cancer follow-up care was performed to examine its impact on the risk of substance abuse among CRCI patients. Results: The cohort comprised 1,106 CCS, with median ages of 25.5 years (IQR: 22, 29) at survey completion and 13 years (IQR: 7, 16) at diagnosis, with over half (n = 570, 51.5%) were being Hispanic. A total of 144 (13%) patients self-reported CRCI, with the highest prevalence observed among brain cancer (25.4%) and leukemia (13.3%) survivors. Cancer-related follow-ups were more frequently observed among survivors reporting CRCI, comparing to non-CRCI survivors (66.7% vs 56.9%, p = 0.030). After adjusting for confounders, survivors reporting CRCI were at higher odds to vape with e-cigarettes than those without CRCI (OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.24–4.09, p = 0.008). Among those who did not engage any recent cancer follow-up care (n = 455), CRCI was associated with 2.9 times the odds of vaping with e-cigarettes (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.07–7.88, p = 0.037). No association was observed between CRCI and the use of cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana. Conclusions: Vaping is more prevalent among CCS reporting CRCI, especially those who are less likely to attend follow-up care. Our data suggests the importance of encouraging long-term follow-ups to monitor adverse lifestyle behaviors in CCS experiencing cognitive symptoms and provide timely interventions.