OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion robot for improving the depressive state of methamphetamine addicts during withdrawal period. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with methamphetamine addiction accompanied with depressive state were randomly divided into an observation group (40 cases, 4 cases dropped out) and a control group (20 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received routine health education and addiction treatment in compulsory isolation drug rehabilitation center. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, in the observation group, the heat-sensitive moxibustion robot was used to locate sensitive points at the Shenque (CV8) and Danzhong (CV17), and dual-point sparrow-pecking moxibustion was delivered for 60 min per session. The moxibustion therapy was performed 4 times in the 1st week, 3 times in the 2nd and 3rd weeks respectively, and 2 times in the 4th week, for 12 times totally. The scores of Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), self-rating depression scale (SDS), visual analogue scale (VAS) for drug craving, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were observed before treatment, at the end of the 2nd and 4th weeks of treatment, and 4 weeks after the treatment completion (follow-up) in the two groups. RESULTS: At each time point after treatment, in the observation group, the HAMD, VAS, HAMA and PSQI scores were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.001); at the end of the 4th week of treatment and in follow-up, the SDS and SAS scores were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.001, P<0.01). Compared before treatment, there were no significant differences in the above scores at each time point after treatment in the control group (P>0.05). In the observation group, at each time point after treatment, the HAMD and VAS scores were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.001, P<0.05); at the end of the 4th week of treatment and in follow-up, the SDS and HAMA scores were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.001); at the end of the 4th week of treatment, the PSQI score was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Heat-sensitive moxibustion robot effectively improves depression, anxiety and sleep quality, and reduces drug craving in methamphetamine addicts during withdrawal period.
Humans ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Methamphetamine/adverse effects* ; Depression/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Robotics ; Young Adult ; Amphetamine-Related Disorders/psychology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/psychology*

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of diphenoxylate abuse and related factors of forced drug abstainer in Gansu province. Methods: By using a self-designed questionnaire, an epidemiologic investigation was carried out among 2 108 forced drug abstainer selected from the compulsory isolation detoxification center of Gansu province. A case-control study was conducted to analyze the factors related with diphenoxylate abuse. Results: The diphenoxylate abuse rate among forced drug abstainer in Gansu was 19.8% (406/2 046), ranking first in medical drug abuse. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that factors as relieving withdrawal symptoms (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.01- 4.32), ways to obtain diphenoxylate (other ways: OR=1.00; regular clinic: OR=27.67, 95%CI: 2.64-289.82; friend: OR=0.01, 95%CI: 0.01-0.03), degree of euphoria (high: OR=1.00; medium: OR =3.36, 95%CI: 1.18-9.55; low: OR=26.16, 95%CI: 10.30-66.42), years of drug abuse (<5 years: OR=1.00; 10-15 years: OR=2.48, 95%CI: 1.02-6.04), abuse at home or in friend's house (OR=3.04, 95%CI: 1.08-8.68), abuse in car (OR=0.05, 95%CI: 0.00-0.68) and detoxification for the first time (OR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.43-0.86) were the possible influencing factors for diphenoxylate abuse. Conclusions: The prevalence of diphenoxylate abuse in forced drug abstainer in Gansu was relatively high. Reasons of abusing, the way to obtain diphenoxylate, whether using drug together with friends, degree of euphoria, years of abuse, abuse place and times for detoxification were related factors influencing the abuse of diphenoxylate.
Analgesics, Opioid/supply & distribution* ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Diphenoxylate/supply & distribution* ; Humans ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Substance-Related Disorders/psychology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences of the suicidal behavior, stress, internet gaming disorder-related symptoms and personality profiles between online game overusers and general users. METHODS: A total of 460 adult online game users (40 overusers, 420 general users) participated in this study and were asked to complete several self-report measures. Questionnaires included demographic information, suicidal behavior, stress, internet gaming disorder-related symptoms, and big five inventory-10. RESULTS: Compared to the general user group, the overuser group showed statistically significant higher suicide idea, suicidal plan, stress, internet game withdrawal symptoms, online game-related daily life problems and lower extraversion, conscientiousness. Online game overusers showed lower extraversion, decreased conscientiousness, and higher neuroticism compared to the psychiatrically undiagnosed group. CONCLUSION: The current results indicate the possibility that online game overuse may be related to suicidal behavior, stress, and the personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
Adult ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Internet* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Suicide

Opioids are widely used as painkillers and anesthetics. Though we use opioids to relieve pain, these drugs can induce mood elevation, dependency, and withdrawal symptoms. This is why opioids are controlled-substances. Most physicians think that some substances should be controlled if they have opioid-like pharmacological properties, especially a long duration, preservation of respiration, and dependency. It is noteworthy that short-acting substances, such as midazolam and thiopental, are included in controlled substances. Their abuse is very dangerous because they frequently induce severe respiratory depression due to a narrow therapeutic window. Teaching point of this article is that designation of a new drug as a controlled substance requires scientific evidence of its link to dependency and/or withdrawal symptoms. However, this does not require abusers' convenience (long duration) or safety (maintenance of respiration). The authors present the addiction and abuse patterns of propofol as an reasons for the Korean Food and Drug Administration to designate propofol as a controlled substance. As a future study, an animal and/or a clinical model for dependency is needed to identify addictive substances. Though several neurotransmitters and their loci in the central nervous system have been studied, the precise mechanism for addiction is unknown. Also, it should be recognized that the potential for drug addiction and abuse could be masked in the early marketing period of a new drug. Physicians should monitor patients' responses carefully when they deal with the drug.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Anesthetics ; Animals ; Carbonates ; Central Nervous System ; Controlled Substances ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Drug and Narcotic Control ; Marketing ; Masks ; Midazolam ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Propofol ; Respiration ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Thiopental ; United States Food and Drug Administration

OBJECTIVE: To explore the change and impact factors of craving for heroin in patients after 6 month methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). METHODS: The questionnaire of craving for heroin was used to measure the level of craving for heroin when patients just entered the study and were treated for 6 months. The influence of MMT on craving in patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The total score and score for other factors decreased except the factor "self-control" after MMT. The craving for high dose patients decreased significantly after 6 month treatment (P<0.05). The degree of craving for heroin in males and females all decreased after MMT, but no significant difference was shown (P>0.05). The craving degree for heroin in patients with long drug use was higher than that of patients with short drug use. After the treatment, the improvement of craving was more significant for the long drug users. CONCLUSION MMT can decline the craving for heroin in drug users. Dosage for methadone and gender may be the risk factors of craving change.
Adult ; China ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; drug therapy ; psychology ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; therapeutic use ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Drug addiction is considered as a chronic, recurrent brain disease characterized by relapse. Repeated exposure to certain drugs, such as morphine, can produce deleterious sequelae, such as drug dependence, tolerance and compulsive drug seeking. In the present study, we investigated the dependence and psychological craving for morphine in rats using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. On the other hand, to study the effect of morphine on hippocampal sensory gating (N40), double click auditory-evoked potential was recorded during the chronic morphine administration, withdrawal and re-exposure to morphine in rats. The rats in morphine group received a course of morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) injection for 12 d, followed by 12 d of withdrawal, 1 d of re-exposure to morphine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and 2 d of the second withdrawal. The rats in the control group were treated in the same way except that saline was applied instead of morphine. CPP test demonstrated that the method of drug administration in the present study induced dependence and psychological craving for morphine in rats. The results in the double click auditory-evoked potential experiment showed that during the chronic morphine administration, hippocampal N40 gating was damaged. In the initial 2 d of the first withdrawal hippocampal N40 gating in morphine group was reduced compared with that in the control group and it was significantly greater on the 3rd day, and then recovered gradually to the normal level from day 4 to day 12. After re-exposure to morphine, hippocampal N40 gating in morphine group was significantly reduced compared with that in the control group, and it remained at a lower level during the following 2 d, suggesting that hippocampal N40 gating in rats was more sensitive to morphine during re-exposure. Our results suggest that long-term repeated morphine administration and re-exposure to morphine disrupt hippocampal N40 gating, and that the effect of morphine addiction on the brain is possibly long-term.
Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; drug effects ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; physiopathology ; Male ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Morphine Dependence ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; physiopathology

Craving of drug addicts for drugs is the most important factor that causes relapse. On-line, objective and quantificational measurement of craving is of certain value in predicting relapse and drug-seeking behavior of addicts. Some common methods used to measure craving are reviewed and their shortcomings are analyzed. Aiming at characteristics, analysis methods, typical application of electroencephalography (EEG) and characteristics of craving, we have a discussion about the possibility of using EEG to measure craving. In addition, some related problems and difficulties are probed. These analyses are helpful to the study of craving.
Behavior, Addictive ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Self Disclosure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; diagnosis

In this paper, one method was introduced, which was a combination of the cue-related morphine addiction model and a technique for obtaining chronic extracellular recordings of single unit in freely moving rats. With the combination and improvement of this technique, we have successfully applied this new method to study the neuronal activity of the hippocampus CA1 region in morphine withdrawal rats. In all, we found some more accurate and objective cellular characteristics of hippocampal neurons, and considered these characteristics as one of electrophysiological indexes of morphine addiction rats.
Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Electrophysiology ; instrumentation ; Hippocampus ; physiopathology ; Morphine Dependence ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Neurons ; physiology ; Rats ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; physiopathology ; psychology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the personality and mental health of the objects of substance (caffeine, cocaine, hallucinogens and so on) abstinence who got labor education and rehabilitation. METHODS: 258 male objects and 250 female objects of substance abstinence selected randomly from institutions of labor education and rehabilitation were assessed with MMPI and SCL-90. RESULTS: MMPI tests indicated the personality abnormality in the objects. SCL-90 tests manifested the mental health abnormality of them compared with Chinese models, especially in the female objects. CONCLUSION More attention should be paid on the mental health of the objects of substance abstinence.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis/psychology* ; MMPI ; Male ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Paranoid Behavior/psychology* ; Personality Disorders/psychology* ; Personality Tests ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: There is a controversy on the mechanism of nicotine dependence. Some suggest that the negative reinforcement such as withdrawal symptoms plays an important role, but others suggest that the positive reinforcement through the opioid-dopamine system plays an important role. Under the assumptions that the positive reinforcement and the opioid-dopamine interaction to have an important role in nicotine dependence, this study examined the effects of chronic naltrexone treatment on smoking behaviors, smoking urges to smoking cues and neuroendocrine responses to smoking. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo-control, double-blind design, voluntarily admitted regular smokers who wanted to quit smoking received naltrexone (13 persons) or placebo (12 persons) treatment for 2 weeks. Each week, naltrexone side effects, discomforts after the reduction of cigarette smoking, smoking urges to smoking cues, daily cigarette smoking amount, and expiratory carbon monooxide levels were checked. Also blood beta-endorphin, dynorphin, prolactin, ACTH, and cortisol levels were measured before and after smoking. RESULTS: Naltrexone treatment group showed significantly reduced smoking urges to smoking cues (p=0.036 at 2nd week), daily cigarette smoking amount (p=0.027 at 1st week), and expiratory CO levels (p=0.002 at 1st week, p=0.039 at 2nd week). Naltrexone treatment group also showed significantly increase cortisol level after smoking during the 1st week (p=0.048), and ACTH and prolactin level during the 2nd week (respectively p=0.010, p=0.009). But, the levels of beta-endorphin and dynorphin A were not different between the two groups. Discomfort profiles after the reduction of cigarette smoking, systolic and diastolic BP, and pulse rates were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Longterm naltrexone treatment could be an effective tool used for the cessdtion of smoking. It was suggested that naltrexone blocks the positive reinforcement effects of smoking rather than the negative reinforcement effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone* ; Analgesics, Opioid* ; beta-Endorphin ; Carbon ; Cues ; Dynorphins ; Heart Rate ; Hydrocortisone* ; Naltrexone* ; Nicotine* ; Prolactin* ; Reinforcement (Psychology) ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Tobacco Use Disorder