Neuroclinical Framework for the Role of Stress in Addiction

Transfer from goal-directed behavior to stimulus-response habits and its modulation by acute stress in individuals with risky gaming behavior

Habitual responses towards addiction-related cues play a relevant role in the development and maintenance of addictions. Such automatic responses may be more likely under stress, as stress has been shown to induce a shift from goal-directed to habitual behavior. The current study investigated these mechanisms in risky gaming behavior. Individuals with risky gaming behavior (n = 68), as established by a structured clinical interview, and a matched control group (n = 67) completed a Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) paradigm with gaming-related cues and rewards. After the Pavlovian training, participants underwent a stress (Trier Social Stress Test) or control condition before performing the instrumental training and the transfer phase of the PIT paradigm. To assess habitual behavior, the gaming-related rewards were devalued after half of the transfer phase. In both groups, gaming-related cues enhanced the choice of the gaming-related reward and this gaming PIT effect was reduced, however, not eliminated by the devaluation. Unexpectedly, stress did not significantly increase responding for the gaming-related reward in participants aware of the stimulus-outcome associations, however seemed to enhance habitual responding in unaware participants. Our findings underline the relevance of gaming-related cues in triggering habitual responses, which may undermine attempts to change a problematic gaming behavior.

The role of prescribed controlled substance acquisition as potential triggers of opioid overdose: A case-crossover study

BACKGROUND

The role of prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines as risk factors for opioid overdose are well established, however, their role as potential 'triggers' of opioid overdose has not been formally investigated.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal relationship between controlled substance acquisition and opioid overdose utilizing a case-crossover design.

METHODS

This study utilized Arkansas statewide data between 2014 and 2020. Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data were used to assess controlled substance acquisition and fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose were assessed using linked death certificate, inpatient discharge, and emergency department (ED) data. All persons residing in Arkansas who experienced an opioid overdose or had ≥ 1 Arkansas PDMP prescription fill(s) were included. Controlled substance characteristics were described in the 7 days prior to overdose and compared to the controlled substance characteristics in 11 weekly (7-day) control windows prior to overdose. Binary controlled substance variables indicating presence or absence of: any controlled substance, opioid, benzodiazepine, stimulant, sedative, carisoprodol, opioid and benzodiazepine, and opioid and benzodiazepine and carisoprodol were created. Additionally, total morphine milliequivalents were calculated for each time window. Conditional logistic regression models were estimated and adjusted odds ratios for each controlled substance characteristic after accounting for other controlled substance, and prior overdose, and clinical characteristics derived from ED and inpatient data are reported.

RESULTS

A total of 2,818,135 individuals with ≥1 Arkansas PDMP record(s) (45.10 % male; 39.94 mean age) were included, of which 28,670 (1.02 %) experienced ≥1 opioid overdose. There was a significant association between opioid overdose and the acquisition of a controlled substance (OR=1.785; p < 0.001), opioid (OR=1.992; p < 0.001), benzodiazepine (OR=1.379; p < 0.001), carisoprodol (OR=1.744; p < 0.001), opioid and benzodiazepine (OR=2.203; p < 0.001), and opioid and benzodiazepine and carisoprodol (OR=2.503; p < 0.001), in the 7 days prior to an opioid overdose event.

CONCLUSION

Controlled substance prescription acquisition, particularly opioids in combination with carisoprodol and/or benzodiazepines, are potential triggers of opioid overdose.

Stress and compulsive buying-shopping disorder: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Theoretical frameworks of behavioral addictions mostly acknowledge the role of stress in the development and maintenance of these disorders, models of compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) however rarely incorporated stress. The association between stress and CBSD has not been reviewed yet.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted to evaluate empirical results on the association between stress and CBSD. A comprehensive search string was employed in three databases.

RESULTS

16 studies were included. Correlative studies suggested significant correlations between general perceived stress and CBSD symptom severity. Studies involving mean comparisons found higher general perceived stress levels in persons with problematic buying-shopping behavior/CBSD compared to control participants (large effects). Mixed results were found in studies involving regression/structural equation models and ecological momentary assessments. One study with a stress/negative mood induction observed more CBSD symptoms in a high stress group compared to a low stress group.

DISCUSSION

The studies are heterogeneous concerning design, samples and measures. Only very few studies surpass the level of cross-sectional correlative data which limits the ability to draw clear conclusions. Future research should study the impact of experimentally induced stress on CBSD symptoms, examine the relationship between stress and CBSD longitudinally and assess objective stress markers.

Sex differences in neural response to an acute stressor in individuals with an alcohol use disorder

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and stress influence overlapping neural circuits in the brain. The literature is mixed regarding the presence of sex differences in the neural response to acute stressors, and this issue has not been examined in individuals with AUD. We validated a stress functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm in individuals with AUD and tested for sex differences.

METHODS

Twenty-five treatment-seeking individuals with AUD (15M/10F) were recruited to participate in the neuroimaging study linked to a clinical trial of ibudilast (NCT03594435). To assess social-evaluative stress, participants completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Whole brain and amygdala region-of-interest analyses were conducted. Subjective ratings of anxiety and distress were collected. Repeated measures ANCOVAs were performed to evaluate the effect of stress on anxiety and distress and to evaluate sex differences.

RESULTS

There were trend-level effects of stress on anxiety ratings and amygdala activation (p's = 0.06). There was a significant effect of stress in the bilateral thalamus, ventral tegmental area, and paracingulate (Z's > 4.09, p's < 0.03). There was a trend-level effect of sex on subjective ratings of stress (p's = 0.07). Females had higher amygdala activation in response to stress (p = 0.02). Females also had greater activation than males in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and right inferior frontal gyrus during acute stress (Z's > 3.56, p's < 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides an initial validation of the MIST in a sample of individuals with AUD. It also provides preliminary evidence of sex differences in the response to social-evaluative stress, which is important, given the relevance of stress and negative emotionality as motivators for alcohol use in females.

The potential of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: A first look at therapeutic mechanisms of action

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders worldwide with high economic costs. Current treatment options show modest efficacy and relapse rates are high. Furthermore, there are increases in the treatment gap and few new medications have been approved in the past 20 years. Recently, psychedelic-assisted therapy with psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide has garnered significant attention in the treatment of AUD. Yet, they require significant amounts of therapist input due to prolonged subjective effects (~4-12 h) leading to high costs and impeding implementation. Accordingly, there is an increasing interest in the rapid and short-acting psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). This paper offers a first look at potential therapeutic mechanisms for AUD by reviewing the current literature on 5-MeO-DMT. Primarily, 5-MeO-DMT is able to induce mystical experiences and ego-dissolution together with increases in psychological flexibility and mindfulness. This could decrease AUD symptoms through the alleviation of psychiatric mood-related comorbidities consistent with the negative reinforcement and self-medication paradigms. In addition, preliminary evidence indicates that 5-MeO-DMT modulates neural oscillations that might subserve ego-dissolution (increases in gamma), psychological flexibility and mindfulness (increases in theta), and the reorganization of executive control networks (increases in coherence across frequencies) that could improve emotion regulation and inhibition. Finally, animal studies show that 5-MeO-DMT is characterized by neuroplasticity, anti-inflammation, 5-HT2A receptor agonism, and downregulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 with clinical implications for AUD and psychiatric mood-related comorbidities. The paper concludes with several recommendations for future research to establish the purported therapeutic mechanisms of action.

Mapping the Neural Substrates of Cocaine Craving: A Systematic Review

Craving is one of the most important symptoms of cocaine use disorder (CUD) since it contributes to the relapse and persistence of such disorder. This systematic review aimed to investigate which brain regions are modulated during cocaine craving. The articles were obtained through searches in the Google Scholar, Regional BVS Portal, PubMed, and Scielo databases. Overall, there was a selection of 36 studies with 1574 individuals, the majority being participants with CUD, whereby about 61.56% were individuals with CUD and 38.44% were controls (mean age = 40.4 years). Besides the methodological points, the neurobiological investigations comprised fMRI (58.34%) and PET (38.89%). The induction of cocaine craving was studied using different methods: exposure to cocaine cues (69.45%), stressful stimuli, food cues, and methylphenidate. Brain activations demonstrated widespread activity across the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, diencephalon, brainstem, and the limbic system. In addition to abnormalities in prefrontal cortex activity, abnormalities in various other brain regions' activity contribute to the elucidation of the neurobiology of cocaine craving. Abnormalities in brain activity are justified not only by the dysfunction of dopaminergic pathways but also of the glutamatergic and noradrenergic pathways, and distinct ways of inducing craving demonstrated the involvement of distinct brain circuits and regions.

Association between RMTg Neuropeptide Genes and Negative Effect during Alcohol Withdrawal in Mice

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) frequently co-occur with negative mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, exacerbating relapse through dopaminergic dysfunction. Stress-related neuropeptides play a crucial role in AUD pathophysiology by modulating dopamine (DA) function. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), which inhibits midbrain dopamine neurons and signals aversion, has been shown to increase ethanol consumption and negative emotional states during abstinence. Despite some stress-related neuropeptides acting through the RMTg to affect addiction behaviors, their specific roles in alcohol-induced contexts remain underexplored. This study utilized an intermittent voluntary drinking model in mice to induce negative effect behavior 24 h into ethanol (EtOH) abstinence (post-EtOH). It examined changes in pro-stress (Pnoc, Oxt, Npy) and anti-stress (Crf, Pomc, Avp, Orx, Pdyn) neuropeptide-coding genes and analyzed their correlations with aversive behaviors. We observed that adult male C57BL/6J mice displayed evident anxiety, anhedonia, and depression-like symptoms at 24 h post-EtOH. The laser-capture microdissection technique, coupled with or without retrograde tracing, was used to harvest total ventral tegmental area (VTA)-projecting neurons or the intact RMTg area. The findings revealed that post-EtOH consistently reduced Pnoc and Orx levels while elevating Crf levels in these neuronal populations. Notably, RMTg Pnoc and Npy levels counteracted ethanol consumption and depression severity, while Crf levels were indicative of the mice's anxiety levels. Together, these results underscore the potential role of stress-related neuropeptides in the RMTg in regulating the negative emotions related to AUDs, offering novel insights for future research.

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment: Problems and Solutions

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) afflicts over 29 million individuals and causes more than 140,000 deaths annually in the United States. A heuristic framework for AUD includes a three-stage cycle-binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation-that provides a starting point for exploring the heterogeneity of AUD with regard to treatment. Effective behavioral health treatments and US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications are available but greatly underutilized, creating a major treatment gap. This review outlines challenges that face the alcohol field in closing this treatment gap and offers solutions, including broadening end points for the approval of medications for the treatment of AUD; increasing the uptake of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment; addressing stigma; implementing a heuristic definition of recovery; engaging early treatment; and educating health-care professionals and the public about challenges that are associated with alcohol misuse. Additionally, this review focuses on broadening potential targets for the development of medications for AUD by utilizing the three-stage heuristic model of addiction that outlines domains of dysfunction in AUD and the mediating neurobiology of AUD.

The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience

In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone (CORT), promote resilience: i.e., the ability to cope with threats, adversity, and trauma. To exert this protective action, CORT activates mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that operate in a complementary manner -as an on/off switch- to coordinate circadian events, stress-coping, and adaptation. The evolutionary older limbic MR facilitates contextual memory retrieval and supports an on-switch in the selection of stress-coping styles at a low cost. The rise in circulating CORT concentration after stress subsequently activates a GR-mediated off-switch underlying recovery of homeostasis by providing the energy for restraining the primary stress reactions and promoting cognitive control over emotional reactivity. GR activation facilitates contextual memory storage of the experience to enable future stress-coping. Such complementary MR-GR-mediated actions involve rapid non-genomic and slower gene-mediated mechanisms; they are time-dependent, conditional, and sexually dimorphic, and depend on genetic background and prior experience. If coping fails, GR activation impairs cognitive control and promotes emotional arousal which eventually may compromise resilience. Such breakdown of resilience involves a transition to a chronic stress construct, where information processing is crashed; it leads to an imbalanced MR-GR switch and hence increased vulnerability. Novel MR-GR modulators are becoming available that may reset a dysregulated stress response system to reinstate the cognitive flexibility required for resilience.

Event-level positive and negative reinforcement risk factors for alcohol use: Moderation by individual-level alcohol consequences and post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity

BACKGROUND

The multistage model of drug addiction posits that risk processes contributing to alcohol use change as individuals develop alcohol use disorders. However, few studies have tested this theory outside of the lab or at the event level. We assessed whether event-level associations between positive reinforcement (e.g., positive affect, sociability expectancies) and negative reinforcement risk factors (e.g., negative affect, tension reduction expectancies) and same-/next-day alcohol consumption varied as a function of an individual's level of alcohol consequences. Given elevated alcohol use consequences among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disruptions in reward processing that affect this population, we also tested whether these processes differed based on the presence and severity of PTSD.

METHODS

We used data from a 30-day ecological momentary assessment study with 174 undergraduate women who regularly engaged in heavy episodic drinking. A majority (78%) of the sample had experienced sexual assault and 44% had current PTSD. Analyses used Bayesian multilevel structural equation modeling with diffuse (non-informative) priors. We used markov chain monte carlo (MCMC) algorithms to generate a series of 10,000 random draws from the multivariate posterior distribution of our sample for each model.

RESULTS

Results partially supported the multistage model. Event-level negative reinforcement risk factors only predicted more alcohol consumption among individuals who experienced more alcohol consequences. Findings for positive reinforcement risk factors were partially consistent with hypotheses. Overall, findings appear to operate similarly across PTSD symptom severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that interventions for heavy episodic drinking could benefit from attending to an individual's level of alcohol consequences. For example, preventive interventions for individuals who tend to experience few consequences may benefit more from addressing positive reinforcement risk factors, while treatment interventions for those who experience more consequences may benefit from attending to both positive and negative reinforcement.

Conflicting theories on addiction aetiology and the strengths and limitations of substance use disorder disease modelling

A lack of cross-disciplinary unanimity prevails within addiction research. Theories conceptualizing addiction through the three-stage brain disease model contest other theories that substance use disorder is of behavioural or genetic origin. The reverberations of this lack of consensus are noticeable throughout addiction research and within the foundations of disease modelling. The availability of methods to investigate substance use disorder are inconsistent and sometimes unrepresentative. This review discusses theories of addiction aetiology, available models for addiction research and the strengths and limitations of current practical experimental methods of study.

Maternal Childhood Maltreatment, Internal Working Models, and Perinatal Substance Use: Is There a Role for Hyperkatifeia? A Systematic Review

The parent-infant relationship is critical for socioemotional development and is adversely impacted by perinatal substance use. This systematic review posits that the mechanisms underlying these risks to mother-infant relationships center on 3 primary processes: (1) mothers' childhood maltreatment experiences; (2) attachment styles and consequent internal working models of interpersonal relationships; and (3) perinatal substance use. Further, the review considers the role of hyperkatifeia, or hypersensitivity to negative affect which occurs when people with substance use disorders are not using substances, and which drives the negative reinforcement in addiction. The authors performed a systematic review of articles (published 2000-2022) related to these constructs and their impact on mother-infant relationships and offspring outcomes, including original clinical research articles addressing relationships between these constructs, and excluding case studies, reviews, non-human animal studies, intervention studies, studies with fewer than 30% female-sex participants, clinical guidelines, studies limited to obstetric outcomes, mechanistic/biological studies, and studies with methodological issues precluding interpretation. Overall 1844 articles were screened, 377 were selected for full text review, and data were extracted from 157 articles. Results revealed strong relationships between mothers' childhood maltreatment experiences, less optimal internal working models, and increased risk for perinatal substance use, and importantly, all of these predictors interacted with hyperkatifeia and exerted a marked impact on mother-infant relationships with less data available on offspring outcomes. These data strongly support the need for future studies addressing the additive impact of maternal childhood maltreatment experiences, suboptimal internal working models, and perinatal substance use, with hyperkatifeia as a potential moderator, and their interacting effects on mother-infant socioemotional outcomes.

Sexual minority stress and substance use: An investigation of when and under what circumstances minority stress predicts alcohol and cannabis use at the event-level

Sexual minority women and gender diverse (SMWGD) individuals are at elevated risk for alcohol and cannabis use disorders compared with cisgender, heterosexual women. This has been attributed to the unique stressors that SMWGD experience (i.e., sexual minority stress); however, recent studies have found mixed evidence for a link between sexual minority stress and substance use. The current manuscript introduces and tests a novel theoretical model derived from integrating minority stress theory and the multistage model of drug addiction to explain these mixed findings. We used data from a 30-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study of substance use among SMWGD to determine whether event-level associations between enacted stigma (bias from others) and same-/next-day alcohol and cannabis use are dependent on an individual's typical pattern of substance use (e.g., frequency, quantity, motives, and substance use disorder [SUD] symptoms). Findings indicate that enacted stigma predicted an increased likelihood of alcohol and cannabis use among those who used frequently and those who had a probable alcohol or cannabis use disorder and predicted a decreased likelihood of use among those who used less frequently. Enacted stigma also predicted cannabis (but not alcohol) use among those who reported high coping motives for use. Findings provide initial evidence in support of an integrated model of minority stress theory and the multistage model of drug addiction. Findings suggest that alcohol and cannabis use disorder interventions for SMWGD would benefit from addressing sexual minority stress and coping skill-building. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement

The interconnected nuclei of the ventral basal ganglia have long been identified as key regulators of motivated behavior, and dysfunction of this circuit is strongly implicated in mood and substance use disorders. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central node of the ventral basal ganglia, and recent studies have revealed complex VP cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of reward, aversion, motivation, and drug-seeking behaviors. Although the VP is canonically considered a relay and output structure for this circuit, emerging data indicate that the VP is a central hub in an extensive network for reward processing and the regulation of motivation that extends beyond classically defined basal ganglia borders. VP neurons respond temporally faster and show more advanced reward coding and prediction error processing than neurons in the upstream nucleus accumbens, and regulate the activity of the ventral mesencephalon dopamine system. This review will summarize recent findings in the literature and provide an update on the complex cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement by the VP with a specific focus on mood and substance use disorders. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which stress and drug exposure alter the functioning of the VP and produce susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Lastly, we will outline unanswered questions and identify future directions for studies necessary to further clarify the central role of VP neurons in the regulation of motivated behaviors. Significance: Research in the last decade has revealed a complex cell- and circuit-specific role for the VP in reward processing and the regulation of motivated behaviors. Novel insights obtained using cell- and circuit-specific interrogation strategies have led to a major shift in our understanding of this region. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the VP in which we integrate novel findings with the existing literature and highlight the emerging role of the VP as a linchpin of the neural systems that regulate motivation, reward, and aversion. In addition, we discuss the dysfunction of the VP in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Associations Between Self-reported Inhibitory Control, Stress, and Alcohol (Mis)use During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: a National Cross-sectional Study Utilising Data From Four Birth Cohorts

We explored (1) self-reported changes in alcohol use during the pandemic in the UK and (2) the extent to which self-reported inhibitory control and/or stress were associated with any change in drinking behaviour. We used a UK-based cross-sectional online survey administered to four nationally representative birth cohorts (N = 13,453). A significant minority of 30- (29.08%) and 50-year-olds (26.67%) reported drinking more, and between 32.23 and 45.02% of respondents reported feeling more stressed depending on the cohort. Stress was associated with hazardous drinking among 30-year-olds (OR = 3.77, 95% CI 1.15 to 12.28). Impatience was associated with both increased alcohol use (1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.24) and hazardous drinking (1.20, 95% CI 1.05, 1.38) among 19-year-olds. Risk-taking was associated with hazardous drinking for 30-year-olds (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05, 1.32). These data highlight concerns for those at risk of alcohol misuse and alcohol-related harm during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-021-00599-8.

A review of functional brain differences predicting relapse in substance use disorder: Actionable targets for new methods of noninvasive brain stimulation

Neuroimaging studies have identified a variety of brain regions whose activity predicts substance use (i.e., relapse) in patients with substance use disorder (SUD), suggesting that malfunctioning brain networks may exacerbate relapse. However, this knowledge has not yet led to a marked improvement in treatment outcomes. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has shown some potential for treating SUDs, and a new generation of NIBS technologies offers the possibility of selectively altering activity in both superficial and deep brain structures implicated in SUDs. The goal of the current review was to identify deeper brain structures involved in relapse to SUD and give an account of innovative methods of NIBS that might be used to target them. Included studies measured fMRI in currently abstinent SUD patients and tracked treatment outcomes, and fMRI results were organized with the framework of the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA). Four brain structures were consistently implicated: the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, ventral striatum and insula. These four deeper brain structures may be appropriate future targets for the treatment of SUD using these innovative NIBS technologies.

The Role of Stress and Cognitive Absorption in Predicting Social Network Addiction

Nowadays, the use of social networks (SNs) is pervasive and ubiquitous. Among other things, SNs have become a key resource for establishing and maintaining personal relationships, as further demonstrated by the emergence of the pandemic. However, easy access to SNs may be a source of addictive behaviour, especially among the younger population. The literature highlights various psychological and physiological factors as possible predictors of vulnerability to SN addiction. This paper explores the joint effects of stress level and cognitive absorption, in the form of temporal dissociation while on SNs, on the addiction of university students to SNs. Here, 312 participants were involved in an online survey. About 14% of the sample presented a risk for SN addiction. Moreover, it was found that stress level predicted SN addiction both directly and indirectly through the effect of individual temporal dissociation, as experienced during SN usage. These results suggest a significant role of perceived stress level on addiction risk, while also pointing out additional vulnerability to SN addiction for cognitive profiles that are relatively more prone to temporal dissociation while online.

[Comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder and addiction from a biopsychosocial perspective]

Posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder often co-occur within the health care system. Their comorbidity is associated with more serious acute clinical symptomatology, more frequent hospital admissions in state of emergency and significantly lower chances of improvement by psychological and pharmacological treatment. Their comorbidity contributes to dramatically unfavourable courses of illness as regards all biopsychosocial levels. The survey presented will discuss empirical findings from various perspectives: general epidemiology, substance use disorder as risk factor of trauma and PTSD, trauma and PTSD as risk factor of SUD, neurobiological effects of SUD converging towards neurobiology of PTSD, shared common factors of genetics/epigenetics, personality traits, and early developmental stress and trauma. The main focus of analysis will be put on processes that are intrinsically linked to the development and course of both disorders.

Compulsivity and impulsivity in opioid dependence

OBJECTIVE

Chronic exposure to illicit opioid drugs can cause serious health and social problems. However, less is known about the differential effect of various opioid treatments, such as methadone and buprenorphine, on neurocognitive domains such as compulsivity and impulsivity, despite their relevance to the treatment of opioid dependence.

METHODS

A total of 186 participants were recruited with a cross-sectional design: i) illicit heroin users (n = 27), ii) former heroin users stabilized on methadone MMT (n = 48), iii) a buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT) group (n = 18), iv) an abstinent (ABS) group with a history of opioid dependence who were previously stabilized on MMT or BMT (n = 29) and v) healthy controls (HC) (n = 64). We used the Intra-Extra Dimensional Shift (IED) and Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) paradigms for measuring compulsivity and impulsivity constructs respectively.

RESULTS

Heightened compulsivity persisted in the heroin, buprenorphine and abstinent groups. Heroin, methadone and buprenorphine groups exhibited impaired behavioral responses to feedback, consisting of increased deliberation time and poorer risk adjustment. Higher compulsivity measures were negatively associated with opioid dose which may reflect sedation effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that compulsivity and impulsivity are core neurocognitive dimensions for opioid dependence which differ in their presentation according to the stage of treatment. Participants taking higher morphine equivalent doses performed better in compulsivity measures. These findings have implications for the treatment of opioid dependence and longitudinal studies are warranted.

The Etiologic, Theory-Based, Ontogenetic Hierarchical Framework of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Translational Systematic Review of Reviews

Modern nosologies (e.g., ICD-11, DSM-5) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and dependence prioritize reliability and clinical presentation over etiology, resulting in a diagnosis that is not always strongly grounded in basic theory and research. Within these nosologies, DSM-5 AUD is treated as a discrete, largely categorical, but graded, phenomenon, which results in additional challenges (e.g., significant phenotypic heterogeneity). Efforts to increase the compatibility between AUD diagnosis and modern conceptualizations of alcohol dependence, which describe it as dimensional and partially overlapping with other psychopathology (e.g., other substance use disorders) will inspire a stronger scientific framework and strengthen AUD's validity. We conducted a systematic review of 144 reviews to integrate addiction constructs and theories into a comprehensive framework with the aim of identifying fundamental mechanisms implicated in AUD. The product of this effort was the Etiologic, Theory-Based, Ontogenetic Hierarchical Framework (ETOH Framework) of AUD mechanisms, which outlines superdomains of cognitive control, reward, as well as negative valence and emotionality, each of which subsume narrower, hierarchically-organized components. We also outline opponent processes and self-awareness as key moderators of AUD mechanisms. In contrast with other frameworks, we recommend an increased conceptual role for negative valence and compulsion in AUD. The ETOH framework serves as a critical step towards conceptualizations of AUD as dimensional and heterogeneous. It has the potential to improve AUD assessment and aid in the development of evidence-based diagnostic measures that focus on key mechanisms in AUD, consequently facilitating treatment matching.

Individuals with substance use disorders have a distinct oral microbiome pattern

BACKGROUND

Substance use disorder emerges from a complex interaction between genetic predisposition, life experiences, exposure, and subsequent adaptation of biological systems to the repeated use of drugs. Recently, investigators have proposed that the human microbiota may play a role in brain health and disease. In particular, the human oral microbiome is a distinct and diverse ecological niche with its composition influenced by external factors such as lifestyle, diet, and oral hygiene. This investigation examined whether individuals with substance use disorder (SU) show a different oral microbiome pattern and whether this pattern is sufficient to delineate the SU group from healthy comparison (HC) subjects.

METHODS

Participants were a sub-sample (N ​= ​177) of the Tulsa 1000 (T-1000) project. We analyzed 123 SU and 54 HC subjects using 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing to characterize the oral microbiome.

RESULTS

The groups differed significantly based on the UniFrac distance, a phylogenetic-based measure of beta diversity, but did not differ in alpha diversity. Using a machine learning approach, microbiome features combined with socio-demographic variables successfully categorized group membership with 87%-92% accuracy, even after controlling for external factors such as smoking or alcohol consumption. SU individuals with relatively lower diversity also reported higher levels of negative reinforcement experiences associated with their primary substance of abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral microbiome features are useful to sufficiently differentiate SU from HC subjects. There is some evidence that subjects whose drug use is driven by negative reinforcement show an impoverished oral microbiome. Taken together, the oral microbiome may help to understand the dysfunctional biological processes that promote substance use or may be pragmatically useful as a risk or severity biological marker.

Development of Automated Reinforcement Management System (ARMS): Protocol for a Phase I Feasibility and Usability Study

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use is directly related to over 3 million deaths worldwide every year. Contingency management is a cost-effective treatment for substance use disorders; however, few studies have examined its efficacy for alcohol use disorder. Recent technological advances have enabled the combined use of mobile apps and low-cost electronic breathalyzer devices to remotely monitor alcohol use. Leveraging this type of technology, our study group has recently developed an integrated contingency management system that would enable community treatment programs to remotely deliver contingency management to anyone who owns a smartphone.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, we present a full description of our integrated contingency management system, Automated Reinforcement Management System (ARMS), and describe a protocol that will evaluate its feasibility and usability.

METHODS

Initially, 6 clinicians will participate in a 1-hour focus group where the study staff will navigate through ARMS as it would be used by clinicians and patients. Clinicians will provide feedback on the intervention in general, which will be used to modify ARMS to make it more user friendly, time saving, and relevant to treatment. A second focus group will summarize the changes made following the initial clinician feedback and will provide additional input regarding the potential utilization of ARMS. Thereafter, the clinicians' acceptability of ARMS will be evaluated using the System Usability Scale. Following the clinicians' assessments of ARMS and final modifications, the system will be evaluated in terms of feasibility and patient usability by using an A-B-A within-subject experimental design wherein 20 treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol use disorder will be recruited. The two A phases (control conditions) will each last 2 weeks, and the B phase (contingency management condition) will last 4 weeks. During all phases, participants will be asked to use the ARMS app to submit three breathalyzer samples per day (at 10 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM). Participants will be prompted by the ARMS app at these predetermined times to record and submit their breathalyzer samples. During the A phases, participants will earn vouchers for every breathalyzer sample submitted, independent of their sample results. During the B phase, vouchers will be provided contingent upon the submission of alcohol-negative breathalyzer samples (breath alcohol content = 0.00). At the end of the A-B-A experiment trial, patients' usability of the ARMS app will be evaluated using the System Usability Scale. Feasibility will be measured based on whether the ARMS app helped significantly increase alcohol abstinence.

RESULTS

Recruitment for this study began in January 2021 and is expected to be completed by December 2021.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will provide the baseline capability for the implementation of a remotely monitored contingency management platform. If successful, ARMS has the potential to provide effective treatment for alcohol use disorders to individuals living in remote rural areas.

Addiction and Sleep Disorders

Shared neurophysiology of addiction and sleep disorders results in a bidirectional interplay. Diagnosing and treating primary sleep disorders, particularly in adolescents, can prevent the development of addiction in susceptible individuals. Addressing sleep issues in early recovery, and throughout maintenance, can prevent relapse. Cannabis use for insomnia shows mixed results; assisting with onset sleep latency in early use, this subsides with chronic use and holds addiction risk. Insomnia is a primary complaint of cannabis withdrawal syndrome and a primary cause of relapse in cannabis use disorder. An ideal sleep aid would prevent relapse and have low abuse potential. Pharmaceutical and behavioral options include suvorexant, mirtazapine, trazodone, and aerobic exercise, but clinical trials are lacking to demonstrate efficacy.

Genome-wide methylation in alcohol use disorder subjects: implications for an epigenetic regulation of the cortico-limbic glucocorticoid receptors (NR3C1)

Environmental factors, including substance abuse and stress, cause long-lasting changes in the regulation of gene expression in the brain via epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation. We examined genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in the prefrontal cortex (PFC, BA10) of 25 pairs of control and individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), using the Infinium^® MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We identified 5254 differentially methylated CpGs (p_nominal < 0.005). Bioinformatic analyses highlighted biological processes containing genes related to stress adaptation, including the glucocorticoid receptor (encoded by NR3C1). Considering that alcohol is a stressor, we focused our attention on differentially methylated regions of the NR3C1 gene and validated the differential methylation of several genes in the NR3C1 network. Chronic alcohol drinking results in a significant increased methylation of the NR3C1 exon variant 1_H, with a particular increase in the levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine over 5-methylcytosine. These changes in DNA methylation were associated with reduced NR3C1 mRNA and protein expression levels in PFC, as well as other cortico-limbic regions of AUD subjects when compared with controls. Furthermore, we show that the expression of several stress-responsive genes (e.g., CRF, POMC, and FKBP5) is altered in the PFC of AUD subjects. These stress-response genes were also changed in the hippocampus, a region that is highly susceptible to stress. These data suggest that alcohol-dependent aberrant DNA methylation of NR3C1 and consequent changes in other stress-related genes might be fundamental in the pathophysiology of AUD and lay the groundwork for treatments targeting the epigenetic mechanisms regulating NR3C1 in AUD.

Daily Patterns of Emotional Functioning on Drinking and Nondrinking Days

BACKGROUND

Alcohol misuse continues to be a significant public health problem. Understanding the factors that may contribute to the harmful progression in drinking is an important aspect of public health. Previous research has shown that affect regulation is associated with problematic alcohol use. Additionally, emotion instability has been found as a predictor of alcohol-related problems and may be linked to reinforcement mechanisms.

METHODS

The current study examined positive mood, negative mood, and mood instability in real time across drinking and nondrinking days utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Current drinkers (n = 74) were recruited for a 21-day EMA study. Participants completed up to 10 random assessments of positive mood, negative mood, and alcohol use per day. Mood instability was assessed as the squared difference in current mood from mood in the previous assessment. Data were analyzed using piecewise multilevel regression to examine mood trajectories across drinking and nondrinking days.

RESULTS

Positive emotion across the day was higher on drinking days than nondrinking days and continued to increase after drinking initiation. In contrast, negative emotion across the day was lower on drinking days than nondrinking days and continued to decrease after drinking initiation. Emotional functioning was stable across the day on nondrinking days. However, on drinking days there was a steady increase in emotional instability leading up to drinking initiation, followed by a rapid stabilization after initiation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the potentially reinforcing impact of alcohol via emotional stability. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of mood dynamics when examining the reinforcing effects of alcohol consumption.

Stress-related suppression of peripheral cytokines predicts future relapse in alcohol-dependent individuals with and without subclinical depression

Chronic alcohol abuse and depressive symptoms are both associated with peripheral cytokine changes. Despite this, cytokine adaptations have not been assessed in co-morbid populations or prospectively as predictors of relapse. We examine cytokine responses to stress in alcohol-dependent individuals and social drinkers, both with and without subclinical depression. We also examine the potential link between cytokine adaptations in response to stress and prospective alcohol relapse risk. Thirty-three, alcohol-dependent individuals (21 with and 12 without high depressive symptoms) and 37 controls (16 with and 21 without high depressive symptoms) were exposed to two 5-minute personalized guided imagery conditions (stress and neutral) across consecutive days in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Alcohol craving and serum measures of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) were collected prior to and following imagery exposure. Following treatment discharge, follow-up interviews were conducted over 90 days to assess relapse. Dampened IL-1ra and IL-6 in response to stress was observed as a function of alcohol dependence and not moderated by depressive symptoms. Lower levels of IL-6 following stress also predicted greater drinking days following treatment. Conversely, high depressive symptomatology was associated solely with pro-inflammatory adaptations. Stress-related suppression of TNFα predicted drinking severity only in alcohol-dependent individuals with subclinical depression, and suppressed TNFR1 following stress was only seen in individuals with subclinical depression. Stress-induced suppression of pro-inflammatory TNF markers may indicate a risk factor for alcohol-dependent individuals with co-occurring depressive symptoms.

Personality traits in substance use disorders and obesity when compared to healthy controls

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although personality traits are implicated in substance use disorders (SUDs) and obesity, differences and similarities between them have not been assessed. Our main aim was to compare personality traits between people with different SUDs, obese people and healthy controls.

DESIGN

This was a secondary analysis of personality scores obtained from participants in neuroimaging studies from Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institutes of Health.

SETTING

United States.

PARTICIPANTS/CASES

Individuals with obesity (OB) n = 41, alcohol use disorder (AUD) n = 39, marijuana use disorder (MUD) n = 24, cocaine use disorder (CUD) n = 100, and healthy controls (HC) n = 117 (237 males and 84 females).

MEASUREMENTS

The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, which characterizes positive emotionality (PEM), negative emotionality (NEM) and constraint (CON) traits. Adjusted covariates included cigarette smoking status, age, gender and body mass index (BMI).

FINDINGS

Multivariate analysis of covariance showed a main group effect (i.e. OB, AUD, MUD, CUD and HC) only on NEM (P < 0.0001, η²  = 0.17) and CON (P = 0.005, η²  = 0.12). Specifically, NEM was higher in AUD (P < 0.0001, d = 10.4), CUD (P < 0.0001, d = 8.2) and MUD (P = 0.001, d = 9.2), but not in OB (P > 0.05, d = 2.8) relative to HC. CUD showed lower CON (P = 0.015, d = 5.4) and PEM (P = 0.018, d = 4.8) than HC; however, these differences were not significant in the other groups. NEM and CON were negatively correlated for groups combined (r = -0.26, P < 0.0001), and separately for OB (r = -0.49, P = 0.001) and CUD (r = -0.22, P = 0.03). Cigarette smoking status did not influence group differences in NEM, PEM or CON.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with healthy controls, people with substance use disorders appear to show higher negative emotionality, and people with cocaine use disorders appear to show lower positive emotionality and constraint traits. Similar findings were not found among people with obesity.

Longitudinal gut microbiome changes in alcohol use disorder are influenced by abstinence and drinking quantity

Many patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) consume alcohol chronically and in large amounts that alter intestinal microbiota, damage the gastrointestinal tract, and thereby injure other organs via malabsorption and intestinal inflammation. We hypothesized that alcohol consumption and subsequent abstinence would change the gut microbiome in adults admitted to a treatment program. Stool and oral specimens, diet data, gastrointestinal assessment scores, anxiety, depression measures and drinking amounts were collected longitudinally for up to 4 weeks in 22 newly abstinent inpatients with AUD who were dichotomized as less heavy drinkers (LHD, <10 drinks/d) and very heavy drinkers (VHD, 10 or more drinks/d). Next-generation 16 S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to measure the gut and oral microbiome at up to ten time points/subject and LHD and VHD were compared for change in principal components, Shannon diversity index and specific genera. The first three principal components explained 46.7% of the variance in gut microbiome diversity across time and all study subjects, indicating the change in gut microbiome following abstinence. The first time point was an outlier in three-dimensional principal component space versus all other time points. The gut microbiota in LHD and VHD were significantly dissimilar in change from day 1 to day 5 (p = .03) and from day 1 to week 3 (p = .02). The VHD drinking group displayed greater change from baseline. The Shannon diversity index of the gut microbiome changed significantly during abstinence in five participants. In both groups, the Shannon diversity was lower in the oral microbiome than gut. Ten total genera were shared between oral and stool in the AUD participants. These data were compared with healthy controls from the Human Microbiome Project to investigate the concept of a core microbiome. Rapid changes in gut microbiome following abstinence from alcohol suggest resilience of the gut microbiome in AUD and reflects the benefits of refraining from the highest levels of alcohol and potential benefits of abstinence.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Addiction: New Insights for Neuromodulation

OBJECTIVES

Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized by compulsive use of addictive substances with considerable impact on both the medical system and society as a whole. The craving of substances leads to relapse in the majority of patients within one year of traditional treatments. In recent decades, neuromodulation approaches have emerged as potential novel treatments of SUD, but the ideal neural target remains contentious.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this review, we discuss new insights on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as a neuromodulation target for SUD.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

First, we illustrate that the ACC serves as a central "hub" in addiction-related neural networks of cognitive functions, including, but not limited to, decision-making, cognitive inhibition, emotion, and motivation. Then, we summarize the literature targeting the ACC to treat SUDs via available neuromodulation approaches. Finally, we propose potential directions to improve the effect of stimulating the ACC in SUD treatment. We emphasize that the ACC can be divided into at least four sub-regions, which have distinctive functions and connections. Studies focusing on these sub-regions may help to develop more precise and effective ACC stimulation according to patients' symptom profiles and cognitive deficits.

Role of corticotropin-releasing factor in alcohol and nicotine addiction

The two most prevalent substance use disorders involve alcohol and nicotine, which are often co-abused. Robust preclinical and translational evidence indicates that individuals initiate drug use for the acute rewarding effects of the substance. The development of negative emotional states is key for the transition from recreational use to substance use disorders as subjects seek the substance to obtain relief from the negative emotional states of acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major regulator of the brain stress system and key in the development of negative affective states. The present review examines the role of CRF in preclinical models of alcohol and nicotine abuse and explores links between CRF and anxiety-like, dysphoria-like, and other negative affective states. Finally, the present review discusses preclinical models of nicotine and alcohol use with regard to the CRF system, advances in molecular and genetic manipulations of CRF, and the importance of examining both males and females in this field of research.

Corticosterone in the ventral hippocampus differentially alters accumbal dopamine output in drug-naïve and amphetamine-withdrawn rats

Dysregulation in glucocorticoid stress and accumbal dopamine reward systems can alter reward salience to increase motivational drive in control conditions while contributing to relapse during drug withdrawal. Amphetamine withdrawal is associated with dysphoria and stress hypersensitivity that may be mediated, in part, by enhanced stress-induced corticosterone observed in the ventral hippocampus. Electrical stimulation of the ventral hippocampus enhances accumbal shell dopamine release, establishing a functional connection between these two regions. However, the effects of ventral hippocampal corticosterone on this system are unknown. To address this, a stress-relevant concentration of corticosterone (0.24ng/0.5 μL) or vehicle were infused into the ventral hippocampus of urethane-anesthetized adult male rats in control and amphetamine withdrawn conditions. Accumbal dopamine output was assessed with in vivo chronoamperometry. Corticosterone infused into the ventral hippocampus rapidly enhanced accumbal dopamine output in control conditions, but produced a biphasic reduction of accumbal dopamine output in amphetamine withdrawal. Selectively blocking glucocorticoid-, mineralocorticoid-, or cytosolic receptors prevented the effects of corticosterone. Overall, these results suggest that the ability of corticosterone to alter accumbal dopamine output requires cooperative activation of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in the cytosol, which is dysregulated during amphetamine withdrawal. These findings implicate ventral hippocampal corticosterone in playing an important role in driving neural systems involved in positive stress coping mechanisms in healthy conditions, whereas dysregulation of this system may contribute to relapse during withdrawal.

Tapering with Pharmaceutical GHB or Benzodiazepines for Detoxification in GHB-Dependent Patients: A Matched-Subject Observational Study of Treatment-as-Usual in Belgium and The Netherlands

BACKGROUND

The gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) withdrawal syndrome often has a fulminant course, with a rapid onset and swift progression of severe complications. In clinical practice, two pharmacological regimens are commonly used to counteract withdrawal symptoms during GHB detoxification: tapering with benzodiazepines (BZDs) or tapering with pharmaceutical GHB. In Belgium, standard treatment is tapering with BZDs, while in the Netherlands, pharmaceutical GHB is the preferred treatment method. Though BZDs are cheaper and readily available, case studies suggest GHB tapering results in less severe withdrawal and fewer complications.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare two treatments-as-usual in tapering methods on withdrawal, craving and adverse events during detoxification in GHB-dependent patients.

METHODS

In this multicentre non-randomised indirect comparison of two treatments-as-usual, patients with GHB dependence received BZD tapering (Belgian sample: n = 42) or GHB tapering (Dutch sample: n = 42, matched historical sample). Withdrawal was assessed using the Subjective and Objective Withdrawal Scales, craving was assessed with a Visual Analogue Scale and adverse events were systematically recorded. Differences in withdrawal and craving were analysed using a linear mixed-model analysis, with 'days in admission' and 'detoxification method' as fixed factors. Differences in adverse events were analysed using a Chi-square analysis.

RESULTS

Withdrawal decreased over time in both groups. Withdrawal severity was higher in patients receiving BZD tapering (subjective mean = 36.50, standard deviation = 21.08; objective mean = 8.05, standard deviation = 4.68) than in patients receiving pharmaceutical GHB tapering (subjective mean = 15.90; standard deviation = 13.83; objective mean = 3.72; standard deviation = 2.56). No differences in craving were found. Adverse events were more common in the BZD than the GHB group, especially delirium (20 vs 2.5%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

These results support earlier work that BZD tapering might not always sufficiently dampen withdrawal in GHB-dependent patients. However, it needs to be taken into account that both treatments were assessed in separate countries. Based on the current findings, tapering with pharmaceutical GHB could be considered for patients with GHB dependence during detoxification, as it has potentially less severe withdrawal and fewer complications than BZD tapering.

Transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation (tES and TMS) for addiction medicine: A consensus paper on the present state of the science and the road ahead

There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a novel treatment option for substance-use disorders (SUDs). Recent momentum stems from a foundation of preclinical neuroscience demonstrating links between neural circuits and drug consuming behavior, as well as recent FDA-approval of NIBS treatments for mental health disorders that share overlapping pathology with SUDs. As with any emerging field, enthusiasm must be tempered by reason; lessons learned from the past should be prudently applied to future therapies. Here, an international ensemble of experts provides an overview of the state of transcranial-electrical (tES) and transcranial-magnetic (TMS) stimulation applied in SUDs. This consensus paper provides a systematic literature review on published data - emphasizing the heterogeneity of methods and outcome measures while suggesting strategies to help bridge knowledge gaps. The goal of this effort is to provide the community with guidelines for best practices in tES/TMS SUD research. We hope this will accelerate the speed at which the community translates basic neuroscience into advanced neuromodulation tools for clinical practice in addiction medicine.

Alcohol use disorder relapse factors: A systematic review

A relapsing-remitting course is very common in patients with an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Understanding the determinants associated with alcohol resumption remains a formidable task. This paper examines relapse determinants based on a systematic review of recent alcohol literature (2000-2019). Relevant databases were consulted for articles that contained information about specific relapse determinants and reported statistical significance of each relapse determinant in predicting relapse. Relapse was broadly defined based on the characterization in the included articles. From the initial identified 4613 papers, a total of 321 articles were included. Results encompass multiple relapse determinants, which were ordered according to biopsychosocial and spiritual categories, and presented, using a descriptive methodology. Psychiatric co-morbidity, AUD severity, craving, use of other substances, health and social factors were consistently significantly associated with AUD relapse. Conversely, supportive social network factors, self efficacy, and factors related to purpose and meaning in life, were protective against AUD relapse. Despite heterogeneity in different methods, measures, and sample characteristics, these findings may contribute to a better therapeutic understanding in which specific factors are associated with relapse and those that prevent relapse. Such factors may have a role in a personalized medicine framework to improve patient outcomes.

Sex differences in stress-related alcohol use

Rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have increased in women by 84% over the past ten years relative to a 35% increase in men. This substantive increase in female drinking is alarming given that women experience greater alcohol-related health consequences compared to men. Stress is strongly associated with all phases of alcohol addiction, including drinking initiation, maintenance, and relapse for both women and men, but plays an especially critical role for women. The purpose of the present narrative review is to highlight what is known about sex differences in the relationship between stress and drinking. The critical role stress reactivity and negative affect play in initiating and maintaining alcohol use in women is addressed, and the available evidence for sex differences in drinking for negative reinforcement as it relates to brain stress systems is presented. This review discusses the critical structures and neurotransmitters that may underlie sex differences in stress-related alcohol use (e.g., prefrontal cortex, amygdala, norepinephrine, corticotropin releasing factor, and dynorphin), the involvement of sex and stress in alcohol-induced neurodegeneration, and the role of ovarian hormones in stress-related drinking. Finally, the potential avenues for the development of sex-appropriate pharmacological and behavioral treatments for AUD are identified. Overall, women are generally more likely to drink to regulate negative affect and stress reactivity. Sex differences in the onset and maintenance of alcohol use begin to develop during adolescence, coinciding with exposure to early life stress. These factors continue to affect alcohol use into adulthood, when reduced responsivity to stress, increased affect-related psychiatric comorbidities and alcohol-induced neurodegeneration contribute to chronic and problematic alcohol use, particularly for women. However, current research is limited regarding the examination of sex in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use. Probing brain stress systems and associated brain regions is an important future direction for developing sex-appropriate treatments to address the role of stress in AUD.

Positive and negative reinforcement are differentially associated with alcohol consumption as a function of alcohol dependence

A multistage model of drug addiction in which individuals' motivations for use change as they develop problems is widely accepted; however, the evidence for this model comes mostly from animal work and cross-sectional studies. We used longitudinal data to test whether positive and negative reinforcement associated with alcohol consumption differed as a function of alcohol dependence (AD). Specifically, we tested whether (a) positive reinforcement is more strongly associated with alcohol consumption than is negative reinforcement among individuals without AD, (b) negative reinforcement is more strongly associated with AD than is positive reinforcement, and (c) in the presence of AD, the association between positive reinforcement and alcohol consumption becomes weaker, whereas the association with negative reinforcement becomes stronger. We included assessments between Ages 18 and 30 years from participants who indicated they ever had a drink (N = 2,556; 51.6% female) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Prospective Study. Results from generalized estimating equations indicated that positive, but not negative, reinforcement was associated with alcohol consumption among individuals without AD. Both positive and negative reinforcement were associated with AD, but the association was stronger with negative reinforcement. Results from the multilevel growth model indicated that the association between negative reinforcement and alcohol consumption became stronger with the presence of AD, whereas the association between positive reinforcement and alcohol consumption did not differ as a function of AD. We provide empirical evidence that positive and negative reinforcement are differentially associated with alcohol consumption as a function of AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of stress in drug addiction. An integrative review

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence and burden to society of drug abuse and addiction is undisputed. However, its conceptualisation as a brain disease is controversial, and available interventions insufficient. Research on the role of stress in drug addiction may bridge positions and develop more effective interventions.

AIM

The aim of this paper is to integrate the most influential literature to date on the role of stress in drug addiction.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted of the core collections of Web of Science and Semantic Scholar on the topic of stress and addiction from a neurobiological perspective in humans. The most frequently cited articles and related references published in the last decade were finally redrafted into a narrative review based on 130 full-text articles.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

First, a brief overview of the neurobiology of stress and drug addiction is provided. Then, the role of stress in drug addiction is described. Stress is conceptualised as a major source of allostatic load, which result in progressive long-term changes in the brain, leading to a drug-prone state characterized by craving and increased risk of relapse. The effects of stress on drug addiction are mainly mediated by the action of corticotropin-releasing factor and other stress hormones, which weaken the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex and strengthen the amygdala, leading to a negative emotional state, craving and lack of executive control, increasing the risk of relapse. Both, drugs and stress result in an allostatic overload responsible for neuroadaptations involved in most of the key features of addiction: reward anticipation/craving, negative affect, and impaired executive functions, involved in three stages of addiction and relapse.

CONCLUSION

This review elucidates the crucial role of stress in drug addiction and highlights the need to incorporate the social context where brain-behaviour relationships unfold into the current model of addition.

Forging Neuroimaging Targets for Recovery in Opioid Use Disorder

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and lacks a range of successful interventions to reduce this public health burden. Many individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) consume drugs to relieve physical and/or emotional pain, a pattern that may increasingly result in death. The field of addiction research lacks a comprehensive understanding of physiological and neural mechanisms instantiating this cycle of Negative Reinforcement in OUD, resulting in limited interventions that successfully promote abstinence and recovery. Given the urgency of the opioid crisis, the present review highlights faulty brain circuitry and processes associated with OUD within the context of the Three-Stage Model of Addiction (1). This model underscores Negative Reinforcement processes as crucial to the maintenance and exacerbation of chronic substance use together with Binge/Intoxication and Preoccupation/Anticipation processes. This review focuses on cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies of relapse and treatment outcome that employ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), brain stimulation methods, and/or electroencephalography (EEG) explored in frequency and time domains (the latter measured by event-related potentials, or ERPs). We discuss strengths and limitations of this neuroimaging work with respect to study design and individual differences that may influence interpretation of findings (e.g., opioid use chronicity/recency, comorbid symptoms, and biological sex). Lastly, we translate gaps in the OUD literature, particularly with respect to Negative Reinforcement processes, into future research directions involving operant and classical conditioning involving aversion/stress. Overall, opioid-related stimuli may lessen their hold on frontocingulate mechanisms implicated in Preoccupation/Anticipation as a function of prolonged abstinence and that degree of frontocingulate impairment may predict treatment outcome. In addition, longitudinal studies suggest that brain stimulation/drug treatments and prolonged abstinence can change brain responses during Negative Reinforcement and Preoccupation/Anticipation to reduce salience of drug cues, which may attenuate further craving and relapse. Incorporating this neuroscience-derived knowledge with the Three-Stage Model of Addiction may offer a useful plan for delineating specific neurobiological targets for OUD treatment.

Elevated allostatic load in individuals presenting at psychiatric emergency services

OBJECTIVE

Individuals requiring psychiatric emergency services are often highly distressed and intoxicated. To provide an objective and comprehensive measure of their stress-related physiological dysregulations, we indexed allostatic load with 14 biomarkers collected within 24 h of patients' admission to the largest psychiatric hospital in the Canadian province of Quebec.

METHODS

This study (N = 278) combines data for emergency patients (n = 76; 65.8% women; M age = 44.97, SE = 1.6) and hospital workers who served as sex- and age-matched controls (n = 202; 70.8% women; M age = 40.10, SE = 0.83). Sex-specific allostatic load indices summarized neuroendocrine (cortisol), immune (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, c-reactive protein), metabolic (insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, body mass index), and cardiovascular (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) functioning. Well-validated questionnaires assessed substance (ab)use.

RESULTS

Individuals presenting at psychiatric emergency showed elevated allostatic load, drug abuse, and tobacco use compared to controls. Elevated allostatic load in emergency patients was driven by elevated cortisol, interleukin-6, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate; however, allostatic load was not explained by substance (ab)use or demographic variables. Sub-group analyses revealed that emergency patients primarily diagnosed with bipolar, depressive, or anxiety disorders showed higher allostatic load than those diagnosed with personality disorder(s).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that individuals presenting at psychiatric emergency services show physiological dysregulations associated with chronic stress. Future research should explore the clinical utility of allostatic load in predicting comorbidities among psychiatric patients.

Barriers to progressing through a methadone maintenance treatment programme: perspectives of the clients in the Mid-West of Ireland's drug and alcohol services

Background

The ‘perfect’ journey through an Irish Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme (MMTP) would have a client engage appropriately with all relevant services available to them, inclusive of psychiatry, counselling, out-reach support, nursing and psychology. Concurrently, a client would ideally adhere to their prescribed methadone-dosing regimen, until a client is stabilised allowing them to function optimally. At this point, a client should transfer to the GP community setting. Unfortunately, this fails to occur. To date, very few studies have specifically investigated the reasons why a cohort of clients remain ‘trapped’ in the high risk, specialist clinical setting.

Methods

Qualitative detailed semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 17 clients of one of Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) Drug and Alcohol Services, entitled ‘HSE Mid-West Limerick Drug and Alcohol Service’. Each client had a severe Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and clients had spent on average 7.5 years engaging with the MMTP.

Results

Participants’ life journey prior to an OUD included Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and early exposure to illicit drug use. Shared life events resulting in their initiating and sustaining an OUD involved continuous hardship into adulthood, mental illness and concurrent benzodiazepine use disorder, often resulting in harrowing accounts of participants’ loneliness and lack of life purpose. Their living environments, an erroneous understanding of their illness and poor communication with allied health professionals further perpetuated their OUD. Positive factors influencing periods of abstinence were familial incentives and a belief in the efficacy of methadone. Clients own suggestions for improving their journeys included employing a multi-sectorial approach to managing OUD and educating themselves and others on opioid agonist treatments. If clients were not progressing appropriately, they themselves suggested enforcing a ‘time-limit’ on clients to engage with the programme or indeed for their treatment to be postponed.

Conclusions

To optimise the functioning of the MMTP, three tasks need to be fulfilled: 1) Reduce the incidences of ACEs, 2) Diagnose and treat clients with a dual diagnosis 3) Educate clients, their families, the public and allied health care professionals on all aspects of OUD. A cross- departmental, inter-governmental approach is needed to address opioid misuse as a societal issue as a whole.

The neurobiology of depression, ketamine and rapid-acting antidepressants: Is it glutamate inhibition or activation?

The discovery of the antidepressant effects of ketamine has opened a breakthrough opportunity to develop a truly novel class of safe, effective, and rapid-acting antidepressants (RAADs). In addition, the rapid and robust biological and behavioral effects of ketamine offered a unique opportunity to utilize the drug as a tool to thoroughly investigate the neurobiology of stress and depression in animals, and to develop sensitive and reproducible biomarkers in humans. The ketamine literature over the past two decades has considerably enriched our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic stress, depression, and RAADs. However, considering the complexity of the pharmacokinetics and in vivo pharmacodynamics of ketamine, several questions remain unanswered and, at times, even answered questions continue to be considered controversial or at least not fully understood. The current perspective paper summarizes our understanding of the neurobiology of depression, and the mechanisms of action of ketamine and other RAADs. The review focuses on the role of glutamate neurotransmission - reviewing the history of the "glutamate inhibition" and "glutamate activation" hypotheses, proposing a synaptic connectivity model of chronic stress pathology, and describing the mechanism of action of ketamine. It will also summarize the clinical efficacy findings of putative RAADs, present relevant human biomarker findings, and discuss current challenges and future directions.

Dehydroepiandrosterone and Addiction

Drug addiction has a great negative influence on society, both social and economic burden. It was widely thought that addicts could choose to stop using drugs if only they had some self-control and principles. Nowadays, science has changed this view, defining drug addiction as a complex brain disease that affects behavior in many ways, both biological and psychological. Currently there is no ground-breaking reliable treatment for drug addiction. For more than a decade we are researching an alternative approach for intervention with drug craving and relapse to its usage, using DHEA, a well-being and antiaging food supplement. In this chapter we navigate through the significant therapeutic effect of DHEA on the brain circuits that control addiction and on behavioral performance both in animal models and addicts. We suggest that an integrative program of add-on DHEA treatment may further enable to dynamically evaluate the progress of rehabilitation of an individual patient, in a comprehensive assessment. Such a program may boost and support the detoxification and rehabilitation process, and help patients regain a normal life in a shorter amount of time.