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Drug and Alcohol Dependence Sep 2020Poor sleep quality and insomnia have been associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis, but it is unclear if there is a causal link. In this Mendelian...
BACKGROUND
Poor sleep quality and insomnia have been associated with the use of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis, but it is unclear if there is a causal link. In this Mendelian Randomization (MR) study we examine if insomnia causes substance use and/or if substance use causes insomnia.
METHODS
MR uses summary effect estimates from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to create a genetic instrumental variable for a proposed 'exposure' variable and then identifies that same genetic instrument in an 'outcome' GWAS. Using GWASs of insomnia, smoking (initiation, heaviness, cessation), alcohol use (drinks per week, dependence), and cannabis initiation, bi-directional causal effects were tested. Multiple sensitivity analyses were applied to assess the robustness of the findings.
RESULTS
There was strong evidence for positive causal effects of liability to insomnia on all substance use phenotypes (smoking traits, alcohol dependence, cannabis initiation), except alcohol per week. In the other direction, there was strong evidence that smoking initiation increased insomnia risk (smoking heaviness and cessation could not be tested as exposures). We found no evidence that alcohol use per week, alcohol dependence, or cannabis initiation causally affect insomnia risk.
CONCLUSIONS
There were unidirectional effects of liability to insomnia on alcohol dependence and cannabis initiation, and bidirectional effects between liability to insomnia and smoking measures. Bidirectional effects between smoking and insomnia might give rise to a vicious circle. Future research should investigate if interventions aimed at insomnia are beneficial for substance use treatment.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Ethanol; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Smoking; Substance-Related Disorders; Tobacco Use
PubMed: 32634714
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108151 -
The European Journal of Neuroscience Aug 2019Addictions are highly heritable disorders, with heritability estimates ranging from 39% to 72%. Multiple studies suggest a link between paternal drug abuse and addiction... (Review)
Review
Addictions are highly heritable disorders, with heritability estimates ranging from 39% to 72%. Multiple studies suggest a link between paternal drug abuse and addiction in their children. However, patterns of inheritance cannot be explained purely by Mendelian genetic mechanisms. Exposure to drugs of abuse results in epigenetic changes that may be passed on through the germline. This mechanism of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance may provide a link between paternal drug exposure and addiction susceptibility in the offspring. Recent studies have begun to investigate the effect of paternal drug exposure on behavioral and neurobiological phenotypes in offspring of drug-exposed fathers in rodent models. This review aims to discuss behavioral and neural effects of paternal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and nicotine. Although a special focus will be on addiction-relevant behaviors, additional behavioral effects including cognition, anxiety, and depressive-like behaviors will be discussed.
Topics: Adult; Brain; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Child of Impaired Parents; Epigenesis, Genetic; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Male; Paternal Exposure; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 29949212
DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14060 -
Nature Reviews. Genetics Nov 2021Substance use disorders (SUDs) are conditions in which the use of legal or illegal substances, such as nicotine, alcohol or opioids, results in clinical and functional... (Review)
Review
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are conditions in which the use of legal or illegal substances, such as nicotine, alcohol or opioids, results in clinical and functional impairment. SUDs and, more generally, substance use are genetically complex traits that are enormously costly on an individual and societal basis. The past few years have seen remarkable progress in our understanding of the genetics, and therefore the biology, of substance use and abuse. Various studies - including of well-defined phenotypes in deeply phenotyped samples, as well as broadly defined phenotypes in meta-analysis and biobank samples - have revealed multiple risk loci for these common traits. A key emerging insight from this work establishes a biological and genetic distinction between quantity and/or frequency measures of substance use (which may involve low levels of use without dependence), versus symptoms related to physical dependence.
Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Brain; Epigenomics; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Nicotine; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 34211176
DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00377-1 -
Journal of Neuroscience Research Aug 2022Despite the prevalence and public health impact of substance use disorders (SUDs), effective long-term treatments remain elusive. Aerobic exercise is a promising,... (Review)
Review
Despite the prevalence and public health impact of substance use disorders (SUDs), effective long-term treatments remain elusive. Aerobic exercise is a promising, nonpharmacological treatment currently under investigation as a strategy for preventing drug relapse. Aerobic exercise could be incorporated into the comprehensive treatment regimens for people with substance abuse disorders. Preclinical studies of SUD with animal models have shown that aerobic exercise diminishes drug-seeking behavior, which leads to relapse, in both male and female rats. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the effects of substance abuse-induced cellular and physiological adaptations believed to be responsible for drug-seeking behavior. Accordingly, the overall goal of this review is to provide a summary and an assessment of findings to date, highlighting evidence of the molecular and neurological effects of exercise on adaptations associated with SUD.
Topics: Animals; Drug-Seeking Behavior; Female; Humans; Male; Rats; Recurrence; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 34850988
DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24990 -
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice Nov 2019Dependence to prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs represents an increasing public health and clinical problem both in England and internationally. However,...
BACKGROUND
Dependence to prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs represents an increasing public health and clinical problem both in England and internationally. However, relatively little is known about those affected, particularly in relation to their management at drug dependence treatment centres. This study aimed to explore the views and experiences of health care professionals (HCPs) working in formal drug treatment services in relation to supporting clients with prescription and OTC drug dependence.
METHODS
An exploratory, qualitative design was used involving semi-structured telephone interviews. 15 staff were recruited using purposive sampling to represent a variety of different professional roles, funding (NHS, charity and local government) and geographical locations across England. Transcribed interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six stage thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Current services were considered to be inappropriate for the treatment of OTC and prescription drug dependence, which was perceived to be a significantly under-recognised issue affecting a range of individuals but particularly those taking opioid analgesics. Negativity around current treatment services involved concerns that these were more suited for illicit drug users and this was exacerbated by a lack of specific resources, funding and commissioning. There was a perceived variation in service provision in different areas and a further concern about the lack of formal treatment guidelines and care pathways. Participants felt there to be stigma for affected clients in both the diagnosis of OTC or prescription drug dependence and also attendance at drug treatment centres which adversely impacted service engagement. Suggested service improvements included commissioning new specific services in general practices and pain management clinics, developing national guidelines and care pathways to ensure equal access to treatment and increasing awareness amongst the public and HCPs.
CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals considerable negativity and concern about current treatment services for prescription and OTC drug dependence in England from the perspective of those working in such services. Policy and practice improvement are suggested to improve outcomes for this neglected group in relation to increasing funding, guidelines and awareness.
Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Attitude of Health Personnel; Critical Pathways; England; Female; Financing, Government; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Male; Middle Aged; Nonprescription Drugs; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prescription Drugs; Qualitative Research; Social Stigma; State Medicine; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 31718716
DOI: 10.1186/s13722-019-0170-4 -
Differences in Drug Use among Persons Experiencing Homelessness According to Gender and Nationality.International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023The main aims of this article are to update the data related to drug and alcohol use in persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) who use shelters, and to see if there are...
The main aims of this article are to update the data related to drug and alcohol use in persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) who use shelters, and to see if there are significant differences in their drug use depending on their gender and nationality. The article presents an analysis of the interconnections between the results of drug dependence detection tools (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS)) according to gender and nationality with the intention of identifying specific needs that lead to new lines of research into better approaches to homelessness. A cross-sectional, observational and analytical method was used to analyse the experiences of persons experiencing homelessness who use various shelters in the cities of Madrid, Girona, and Guadalajara (Spain). The results show that there are no gender differences in the risks of using drugs and drug addiction, but there are differences in terms of nationality for drug addiction, with Spanish nationals showing a greater tendency to develop drug addiction. These findings have significant implications, as they highlight socio-cultural and socio-educational influence as risk factors in drug addiction behaviours.
Topics: Humans; Alcoholism; Ethnicity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ill-Housed Persons; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 36901020
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054007 -
Community Mental Health Journal May 2021Our aim was to examine adolescent predictors (family- and school-related factors, substance use, and psychiatric disorders) for drug crime offending. The initial study...
Our aim was to examine adolescent predictors (family- and school-related factors, substance use, and psychiatric disorders) for drug crime offending. The initial study population consisted of 508 former adolescent psychiatric inpatients aged between 13 and 17 years. Of them, 60 (12%) had committed a drug crime by young adulthood and they were matched with 120 (24%) non-criminal controls by sex, age and family type. During adolescent hospitalization, study participants were interviewed using valid semi-structured research instruments. Criminal records were obtained from the Finnish Legal Register Centre up to young adulthood. A distant relationship with a father, lying, and thieving, moderate/high nicotine dependence and weekly use of stimulants were shown to be the most prominent predictors for drug crime offending. Our findings encourage the use of modern child- and family-centered approaches in preventing youth involvement in illegal drug use and drug crimes.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Crime; Finland; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Inpatients; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Substance-Related Disorders; Violence; Young Adult
PubMed: 32910370
DOI: 10.1007/s10597-020-00708-2 -
Translational Psychiatry Oct 2022The persistent difficulty in conceptualizing the relationship between addictive and other mental disorders stands out among the many challenges faced by the field of... (Review)
Review
The persistent difficulty in conceptualizing the relationship between addictive and other mental disorders stands out among the many challenges faced by the field of Psychiatry. The different philosophies and schools of thought about, and the sheer complexity of these highly prevalent clinical conditions make progress inherently difficult, not to mention the profusion of competing and sometimes contradictory terms that unnecessarily exacerbate the challenge. The lack of a standardized term adds confusion, fuels stigma, and contributes to a "wrong door syndrome" that captures the difficulty of not only diagnosing but also treating addictive and other mental disorders in an integrated manner. The World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD) proposes the adoption of the term "Dual Disorder" which, while still arbitrary, would help harmonize various clinical and research efforts by rallying around a single, more accurate, and less stigmatizing designation.
Topics: Behavior, Addictive; Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); Humans; Mental Disorders; Psychiatry; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 36229453
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02212-5 -
PloS One 2021Co-occurrence of drug misuse with other dysregulated behaviors is common. This study was aimed at exploring the associations between the risk of presenting a clinically...
Co-occurrence of drug misuse with other dysregulated behaviors is common. This study was aimed at exploring the associations between the risk of presenting a clinically relevant condition involving non-substance-related addictive or dysregulated behaviors (as measured by the MultiCAGE CAD-4 screening), and cannabis abuse/dependence (CAST/SDS) scores, and the role of gender therein. Participants were recruited using stratified probabilistic sampling at the University of Granada. Mann-Whitney's U tests were used to compare male and female students in SDS and CAST scores. Associations between gender and MultiCAGE scores were estimated using the γ ordinal correlation index, and tested with χ2. For each MultiCAGE dimension, a Poisson-family mixed-effects model was built with either SDS or CAST as the main input variable, while controlling for nicotine and alcohol dependence, and relevant sociodemographic variables. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed for SDS/CAST effects, and the significance threshold was family-wise Bonferroni-corrected. Gender differences were significant for cannabis dependence/abuse and all MultiCAGE scores for non-substance-related conditions, with males showing higher risk scores for excessive gambling, excessive internet use, excessive video gaming, and hypersexuality, and females presenting higher scores in dysregulated eating and compulsive buying. Cannabis dependence and abuse were significantly associated with a higher risk of problematic video gaming. These associations were mostly driven by males. Importantly, although risk of problematic video gaming was specifically associated with cannabis abuse/dependence, there was only a weak non-significant association between problematic video gaming and alcohol use scores. Risk of alcohol use problems, in turn, was strongly associated with all other non-substance-related problems (problematic gambling, excessive Internet use, dysregulated eating, compulsive buying, and hypersexuality). These differential associations can cast light on the etiological similarities and dissimilarities between problematic substance use and putative addictive behaviors not involving drugs.
Topics: Adult; Alcoholism; Behavior, Addictive; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Female; Gambling; Humans; Male; Marijuana Abuse; Risk Factors; Sexuality; Statistics, Nonparametric; Substance-Related Disorders; Tobacco Use Disorder; Video Games; Young Adult
PubMed: 34375360
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255872 -
Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the... Jan 2020
Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Brain; Humans; Substance-Related Disorders; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 31965552
DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00833-6