Microglia in drug addiction:A perspective from neuroimmunopharmacology

Drug addiction refers to a state of dependence that arises from habitual drug intake and can result in specific withdrawal symptoms upon cessation.The most commonly abused substances include psychostimulants,cannabinoids,and opioids.When drugs are consumed,they stimulate the release of dopamine,a neurotransmitter crucial for the pleasure and reward centers of the brain.With repeated drug use,the brain undergoes various changes,leading to tolerance,dependence,and addiction(Lüscher et al.,2020).The mechanisms involved in drug addiction are highly complex and involve diverse cell types within the brain.

KAP Survey of Turkish University Students on Sexuality,reproductive Health,Drug Addiction and Violence

Objective To investigate the attitudes, behaviours and reflections of the university students, on sexuality, reproductive health, violence, smoking, alcohol and drug use, and to find out their expectations from a youth health service. Methods A total of 5 300 students （1 880 girls, 3 420 boys）from various Jaculties of Kyrykkale University were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. Students completed the self-administered questionnaire as one of the researchers was present at the classroom. Research monitors five categories of priority health-risk behaviours among youth and young adults. Results Mean age of 3 420 male （64.5%） and 1 880female （35.5%） students were 20.3 years. Among all 4 380 （82,9%） students [1 350 girls （71.8%）, 3 030 boys （88.5%）] had some kinds of information about sexuality, however this dropped to 2 730 students （51.5%） within the context of adequacy. Friends were the major source （34%） for the first information on sexuality. Using a condom was the mostly heard method of contraception （46.9%） and interestingly 1.1% of the students had no knowledge on any of the protection methods. Among all 25.3% of the students （33.0% boys, 11.4% girls） had some kind of sexual intercourse, and within this group 58.8% experienced his/her first sexual relationship at 18 years of age and over; 53.9% were protected in all intercourses. Using a condom was the main way of protection for boys （63.7%） and pills were for the girls （73.9%）. None of the female students mentioned having an abortion but 8% had friends who had undergone abortion. Tobacco use was 35.1% among the group, and 8. 7% of the male and 3.6% of the female students were using drugs. Although 67. 4% students claimed they never witnessed violence between their parents, 43.2% witnessed violence among their siblings, 67.0% beween friends, 72.6% in the streets and 64.2% in the school. About 30.0% of the students reported having weight problems, and 14.7% admitted visiting a doctor for that problem. If there would be a service providedfor the adolescents in the university, 67% of the students would attend in case of a problem. Past experiences were important for us and we saw that among all 8% of the participants had some kind of sexual problem, within this group 50.7% felt uncomfortable during the visit and only 60.4% were satisfied with the care of the physician. Conclusion Our study results show the current situation of adolescents in Kyrykkale University and will be used to improve policies and programs to reduce priority healthrisk behaviours among youth of our and surrounding provinces and establish a youth friendly service in Kyrykkale University within this purposes.

Reliability and Validity of Addiction Severity Index in Drug Users with Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Guizhou Province, China

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of addiction severity index （ASI）-5th version （ASI-C-5）, in illegal drug users receiving methadone maintenance treatment （MMT） in China. Methods One hundred and eighty-six heroin addicts （144 men and 42 women） receivihg MMT at three clinics in Guizhou province, southwest China, were recmited. They were all interviewed with a questionnaire of ASI-C-5 and 35 were re-interviewed at an interval of seven days to assess its test-retest reliability. Results Cronbach＇s alpha for internal consistency of CSs varied from 0.60 to 0.81 in all domains. Test-retest reliability of composite scores （CSs） of ASI-C-5 were satisfactory （r=0.38-0.97）. Based on item analysis and expert＇s suggestions, five items were deleted and one item was modified in ASI-C-5. Criterion validity of ASI-C-5 was found acceptable, as compared to addicts＇ self-rating anxiety scale （SAS） and self-rating depression scale （SDS） （r=0.59 and 0.45） except for social support rating scale （SSRS）. Conclusions ASI-C-5 can be used for heroin addicts receiving MMT with acceptable reliability and validity.

Comparison of brain functions between healthy participants and methamphetamine users with various addiction histories:Data analysis based on EEG and fNIRS

The electroencephalogram(EEG)rhythm and functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS)activation levels have not been compared between a healthy control group(HCG)and methamphetamine user group(MUG)with different addiction histories.This study used 64-electrode EEG and fNIRS to conduct an experiment that analyzed the resting and craving states.The EEG and fNIRS data of 56 participants were collected,including 14 healthy participants,14 methamphetamine users with an addiction history of 0.5–5 years,14 users with an addiction history of 5–10 years,and 14 users with an addiction history of 10–15 years.Isolated effective coherence(iCoh)within the brain network was used to process the EEG data.Statistical analysis was performed to compare differences in iCoh among the delta,theta,alpha,beta,and gamma bands and explore oxyhemoglobin activation levels in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,orbitofrontal cortex,and frontopolar prefrontal cortex(FPC)of the control group.Finally,the Kmeans,Gaussian mixed model(GMM),linear discriminant analysis(LDA),support vector machine(SVM),Bayes,and convolutional neural networks(CNN)algorithms were used to classify methamphetamine users based on drug and neutral images.A 3-class accuracy was achieved.Changes in EEG and fNIRS activation levels of HCG and MUG with varied addiction histories were demonstrated.

Non-human primate models in drug addiction deserve more attention

Dear Editor, The process of relapse involves firm or aberrant memories of environmental cues associated with drug craving or addiction. To date, it is not known where these memories are stored in the brain, what kinds of regulatory biological factors or molecules are involved, nor why it is so difficult to stop addiction psychologically. Currently, rodent animal models, such as the self-administration and conditioning place preference / aversion paradigm are still widely used in the studies of drug withdrawal syndromes or drug-associate memories. However, the differences between humans and rodents--particularly in terms of genetics, and pathology and pharmacology--have significantly limited the application of further studies on this topic. Essentially, rodents lack the longterm or life-time memories humans possess and lose their drug-associated memory only after a few weeks of withdrawal.

Incidence of Interpersonal Violence among Individuals with Drug Addiction Receiving Compulsory Treatment: A Survey at Two Drug Detention Centers in Hunan, China

Drug dependence is a serious global health problem.To assist individuals with drug addiction,China alone has established 678 Compulsory Detoxification Detention Centers （CDDCs） that treat over300,000i ndividuals who are required by national law to receive compulsory treatment;because community-based outpatient treatment failed.

BCI+VR Rehabilitation Design of Closed-Loop Motor Imagery Based on the Degree of Drug Addiction

After abusing drugs for long,drug users will experience deteriorated self-control cognitive ability,and poor emotional regulation.This paper designs a closed-loop virtual-reality(VR),motorimagery(MI)rehabilitation training system based on brain-computer interface(BCI)(MI-BCI+VR),aiming to enhance the self-control,cognition,and emotional regulation of drug addicts via personalized rehabilitation schemes.This paper is composed of two parts.In the first part,data of 45 drug addicts(mild:15;moderate:15;and severe:15)is tested with electroencephalogram(EEG)and near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS)equipment(EEG-NIRS)under the dual-mode,synchronous signal collection paradigm.Using these data sets,a dual-modal signal convolutional neural network(CNN)algorithm is then designed based on decision fusion to detect and classify the addiction degree.In the second part,the MIBCI+VR rehabilitation system is designed,optimizing the Filter Bank Common Spatial Pattern(FBCSP)algorithm used in MI,and realizing MI-EEG intention recognition.Eight VR rehabilitation scenes are devised,achieving the communication between MI-BCI and VR scene models.Ten subjects are selected to test the rehabilitation system offline and online,and the test accuracy verifies the feasibility of the system.In future,it is suggested to develop personalized rehabilitation programs and treatment cycles based on the addiction degree.

Sex differences in exercise and drug addiction:A mini review of animal studies

Growing literature has demonstrated that exercise may be an effective prevention and treatment option for drug addiction. In the past few years, many studies have suggested that there were sex differences in all phases of drug addiction. However, very limited research has investigated sex differences in the effectiveness of exercise intervention in drug addiction and rehabilitation. In this mini review, we summarize the effect of sex on the results of using exercise to prevent and treat drug addiction. The studies we consider span various animal models and use multiple types of exercise to examine the effectiveness of exercise on the neurobiological mechanism of exercise rehabilitation. We believe that exercise as an adjuvant intervention strategy can be applied better in drug addiction prevention and recovery. Copyright 2014, Shanghai University of Sport. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resilience to the effects of social stress on vulnerability to developing drug addiction

We review the still scarce but growing literature on resilience to the effects of social stress on the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse.We define the concept of resilience and how it is applied to the field of drug addiction research.We also describe the internal and external protective factors associated with resilience,such as individual behavioral traits and social support.We then explain the physiological response to stress and how it is modulated by resilience factors.In the subsequent section,we describe the animal models commonly used in the study of resilience to social stress,and we focus on the effects of chronic social defeat(SD),a kind of stress induced by repeated experience of defeat in an agonistic encounter,on different animal behaviors(depression-and anxiety-like behavior,cognitive impairment and addiction-like symptoms).We then summarize the current knowledge on the neurobiological substrates of resilience derived from studies of resilience to the effects of chronic SD stress on depressionand anxiety-related behaviors in rodents.Finally,we focus on the limited studies carried out to explore resilience to the effects of SD stress on the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse,describing the current state of knowledge and suggesting future research directions.

Opioid Knows No Color or Economic Status: Crossing Over to Drug Addictions

Opioid crisis continues to gain ground in the United States with little regards to color or economic status.More than 800 people die weekly from opioid-related overdosestotally well over 42,000 deaths in 2016,and the number is rising.Surprisingly,the opioid overdose deaths involved an estimated 40%prescription opioid abuse.As reported by the National Drug Institute(2017),opioid addiction is often described as an“equal opportunity”problem that can afflict people from all races and walks of life.Unlike the crack crises of the past,the present opioid epidemic has extremely impacted White Americans not only the rural and poor,but also suburban and middle class or affluent.Further,current opioid overdoses deaths have increased for Whites,Blacks,and Hispanics,they have increased to a far greater degree for White Americans.Efforts to battle the increasing opioid epidemic have moved from incarceration to using legislation to limit the prescriptions being distributed.State and federal laws are being enacted to placing limitations on opioid prescriptions.

Effect of Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block Combined with Lornoxicam on Pain and Recovery Quality After Abdominal Surgery in Patients with Drug Addiction

Objective:This paper aims to analyze the analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block(TAPB)combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic drug lornoxicam on abdominal surgery in patients with a history of drug addiction.Methods:32 patients aged 18-60 who underwent lower abdominal surgery in the First People's Hospital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Butuo County People's Hospital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture from January 2022 to March 2023 were selected,the patients must have drug abuse history for more than 1 year,with a history of drug withdrawal and relapse.The patients were divided into observation group and control group by the envelope method,with 16 cases in the observation group and 16 cases in the control group.Two groups of patients underwent ultrasound-guided bilateral transversus abdominis plane block after the operation.The observation group was treated with dexmedetomidine hydrochloride 1μg/kg+0.25%ropivacaine hydrochloride 40ml,and the control group was treated with 40ml 0.9%sodium chloride injection,the two groups of patients returned to the ward after operation and given intravenous infusion of lornoxicam for relieving the pain.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score of postoperative pain,the times of rescue analgesia,the time of postoperative anal exhaust,the time of ambulation,nausea and vomiting,withdrawal symptoms,related adverse reactions,and hospitalization days were compared between the two groups.Results:The VAS score of postoperative pain in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group,P<0.05.Patients in the observation group used less postoperative rescue analgesics than those in the control group,P<0.05.For postoperative anal exhaust time,the difference between the two groups of patients was relatively small,and the time in the observation group was shorter,P>0.05.The time to get out of bed and the length of hospital stay were not significantly different between the control group and the observation group,P>0.05.The withdrawal symptoms of the patients in the observation group were better,P<0.05,nausea and vomiting,and other adverse reactions were lower in the control group,P<0.05.Conclusion:Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block combined with lornoxicam can be used to relieve pain in abdominal surgery for patients with drug addiction,which can effectively improve the therapeutic effect of patients and reduce the number of postoperative rescue analgesia.Thus,it has high clinical application value.

Problematic Internet use in drug addicts under treatment in public rehab centers

BACKGROUND Problematic Internet use(PIU)or Internet addiction has been recognized to be a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations,urges,or behaviors regarding computer use and Internet access that leads to impairment or distress resembling substance abuse.AIM To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of Internet use and abuse in a group of drug addicts from Southern Italy,by means of a specific questionnaire[“Questionario sull’Utilizzo delle Nuove Tecnologie”(QUNT)].METHODS All subjects(183)were heavy smokers,almost 50%of them used heroin and/or opioid compounds,30%alcohol,10%cannabis,8%cocaine,and 5%were polydrug users.Almost 10%of the individuals were also suffering from gambling disorder.RESULTS The time spent online was more than 4 hours a day in the total sample,with a slight prevalence in male subjects.Cocaine and cannabis users spent more than 6 hours online,significantly more than opioid and alcohol abusers.Distribution of the QUNT factors was not different in both sexes.Cocaine users showed higher scores at the“loss of control”,“pornography addiction”,and“addiction to social networks”factors,for the stimulant effect of this substance.Moreover,15 out of the total 17 cocaine users were pathological gamblers.Positive and statistically significant relationships were observed between some QUNT factors and body mass index.CONCLUSION These findings indicate that PIU is less severe in subjects taking sedative substances,such as heroin/opioids and alcohol,than in subjects taking stimulants.Alternatively,it may be used as a“stimulant”trigger in cocaine and cannabis users.Flattening effect of abuse drugs was noted on possible sex-related differences in QUNT items.We observed a sort of“protective”effect of a love relationship and/or living together with a partner,as those engaged subjects showed lower scores on different items than single subjects or those living alone.The relationship between time spent online(and related sedentary lifestyle)and body mass index would suggest that Internet use might be a contributing factor to increasing weight gain and obesity amongst adolescents and young adults worldwide.Our findings also highlighted the specific vulnerability of drug addicts who use stimulants,rather than sedative compounds,to other kinds of behavioral addictions,such as gambling disorder.

Next-generation surgicalmeshes for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications:materials,design and emerging manufacturing technologies

Surgical meshes have been employed in the management of a variety of pathological conditions including hernia,pelvic floor dysfunctions,periodontal guided bone regeneration,wound healing and more recently for breast plastic surgery after mastectomy.These common pathologies affect a wide portion of the worldwide population;therefore,an effective and enhanced treatment is crucial to ameliorate patients’living conditions both from medical and aesthetic points of view.At present,non-absorbable synthetic polymers are the most widely used class of biomaterials for the manufacturing of mesh implants for hernia,pelvic floor dysfunctions and guided bone regeneration,with polypropylene and poly tetrafluoroethylene being the most common.Biological prostheses,such as surgical grafts,have been employed mainly for breast plastic surgery and wound healing applications.Despite the advantages of mesh implants to the treatment of these conditions,there are still many drawbacks,mainly related to the arising of a huge number of post-operative complications,among which infections are the most common.Developing a mesh that could appropriately integrate with the native tissue,promote its healing and constructive remodelling,is the key aim of ongoing research in the area of surgical mesh implants.To this end,the adoption of new biomaterials including absorbable and natural polymers,the use of drugs and advanced manufacturing technologies,such as 3D printing and electrospinning,are under investigation to address the previously mentioned challenges and improve the outcomes of future clinical practice.The aim of this work is to review the key advantages and disadvantages related to the use of surgical meshes,the main issues characterizing each clinical procedure and the future directions in terms of both novel manufacturing technologies and latest regulatory considerations.

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Therapy in Controlling under Treatment Addicts’ Drug Cravings

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy in controlling under treatment addicts’ drug cravings. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest. The sample of this study included 30 under treatment male addicts whom were selected through applying random sampling method and were placed in two groups, experimental and control. After holding a preliminary session aiming at aiding the experimental group to become familiar with the procedure, 8 sessions of the mindfulness-based therapy were administered. Assessment tools were Craving Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). After calculating mean and standard deviation, the obtained data were analyzed using covariance. The results indicated that the mindfulness therapy was significantly effective in controlling drug cravings, decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression of under treatment addicts (p < 0.05).

A Brief Review of the Relationship between Addiction and Memory Systems

This essay will reexamine research on the relationship between human memory and addiction. This paper will review several studies that discussed how memory systems in the human brain are involved in the acquisition of behavior that is learned and is associated with the development of drug addiction and drug relapse. Additional information reveals that when individuals make the transition from recreational drug or impulsive use to compulsive drug abuse, which may result in a neuroanatomical change in areas of the brain from cognitive control guided by the hippocampus/dorsomedial striatum towards conditioned control of behavior managed by the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) [1]. This review also looked at studies that involved experiments with humans and lower animals, which suggested that the hippocampus mediates a cognitive/spatial type of memory, while the dorsal striatum manages stimulus-response (S-R) habit memory, and the amygdala governs the classical conditioning form of learning and stimulus-affective-associative relationships [1]. Overall, these studies utilize the hypothesis of the memory systems view of addiction, and the involvement of learning and memory in the context of drug addiction, which was proposed by them [2]. This theory has been proposed in response to drug addiction research and includes alcohol, amphetamine, and cocaine [1]. The research also explains how stress and anxiety can play a role in how strong emotional excitement can lead to dependent habit memory in rodents and humans [1]. .

Childhood trauma,addiction&a modernized approach to treatment

This review serves to analyze the relationship between childhood trauma and addiction;provide an overview of the science behind addiction;analyze issues with current addiction treatment methods and protocols;as well as to provide a list of proposed changes to modernize addiction treatment to a level of quality which will prove much more successful in the treatment of addicts.

The“1＋1”Therapy for Drug Addicts

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Sandwich Structure-like Meshes Fabricated via Electrospinning for Controllable Release of Zoledronic Acid

Novel sandwich structure-like nanofiber multilayered meshes were fabricated via electrospinning. The purpose of the present work was to control zoledronic acid release via the novel structure of sandwich structure-like meshes. The in vitro release experiments reveal that the drug release speed and initial burst release were controllable by adjusting the thicknesses of electrospun barrier mesh and drug-loaded mesh. Compared with those of other drug delivery systems, the main advantages of the sandwich structure-like fiber meshes are facile preparation conditions and the generality for hydrophobic and hydrophilic pharmaceuticals.

Neurotransmitter-precursor-supplement Intervention for Detoxified Heroin Addicts

This study examined the effects of combined administration of tyrosine, lecithin, L-glutamine and L-5-hydroxytryptophan （5-HTP） on heroin withdrawal syndromes and mental symptoms in detoxified heroin addicts. In the cluster-randomized placebo-controlled trial, 83 detoxified heroin addicts were recruited from a detoxification treatment center in Wuhan, China. Patients in the intervention group （n=41） were given the combined treatment with tyrosine, lecithin, L-glutamine and 5-HTP and those in the control group （n=42） were administered the placebo. The sleep status and the withdrawal symptoms were observed daily throughout the study, and the mood states were monitored pre- and post-intervention. The results showed that the insomnia and withdrawal scores were significantly improved over time in participants in the intervention group as compared with those in the control group. A greater reduction in tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia and total mood disturbance, and a greater increase in their vigor-activity symptoms were found at day 6 in the intervention group than in the control group （all P〈0.05）. It was concluded that the neurotransmitter-precursor-supplement intervention is effective in alleviating the withdrawal and mood symptoms and it may become a supplementary method for patients＇ recovery from heroin addiction.

Personality Traits and Self Regulation: A Comparative Study among Current, Relapse and Remitted Drug Abuse Patients

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the relationship among personality traits and self regulation among different drug abuse cases. The three categories of drug abuse were based on phases of addiction namely current, relapse and remitted cases. Method: The sample consisted of 108 drug abusers taken from different rehabilitation centers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The selected drug abusers were at current (n = 40), relapsed (n = 42) and remission phase (n =2 7) of drug addiction;with an age range of 20 to 70 years. The data were collected from private rehabilitation centers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. In this study, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised EPQR-Short (Eysenck, Eysenck & Barrett, 1985) was used to measure personality traits of the drug abuse cases. Self Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) developed by Miller and Brown (1991) was used to measure the self regulatory skills. The data were collected from rehabilitation centers. Before collection of data, formal permission was taken from the administration of these centers. Research protocol included an Ethical Proforma explaining rationale of study, ensuring confidentiality of the information to be used for research purpose only and also had personal consent form. In the first phase, pilot study was conducted to check the reliability of translated scale and availability of sample. A sample of 15 drug abusers was selected for pilot study. In the next step (main study);protocol was administered on current, relapsed and remitted cases through individual administration. For remitted cases, the researcher consulted authorities (administration head, and medical doctors) of centers and administered protocol on the days when these participants came for follow-up session. Results: The results of the study indicate strong correlation between self regulation and personality traits (r = 0.27**). Furthermore, most of the participants scored higher on Psychoticism (100%), Introversion (75%) while Neuroticism (58%) trait was found less among drug abuse cases. The study also indicates strong correlation between self regulation and Extraversion-Introversion personality trait (r = 0.20**) while other traits did not have significant correlations with self regulation. Furthermore, the descriptive frequencies reveal that most of the participants scored higher on Psychoticism (100%), Introversion (75%) while Neuroticism (58%) trait was found less among drug abuse cases. Conclusion: From the above mentioned findings, it is concluded that self regulation is associated with personality traits among drug abusers. The comparisons of personality traits and self regulatory skills among the different phases of addiction provide an insight into how these traits interact with self control to regulate impulsive and addictive behaviors.