Clinical and preclinical studies provide convincing evidence for persistent neurological/psychiatric impairments and possible neuronal degeneration associated with chronic cocaine/stimulant abuse. These impairments include multifocal and global cerebral ischemia, cerebral hemorrhages, infarctions, optic neuropathy, cerebral atrophy, cognitive impairments, and mood and movement disorders. These ...

aim and background: personality traits are among the factors affecting the tendency to substance abuse. personality evaluations have shown sensation seeking to be a particularly strong predictor of initial substance abuse across a variety of drug use categories. the aim of this study was to determine levels of sensation seeking in addicted and normal subjects while considering gender. methods a...

Conflicting results, both decreased and increased, have been reported concerning the function of T-lymphocytes in heroin addicts. We investigated the alterations of T-lymphocyte proliferative responses and immunophenotypic markers on lymphoid cells in heroin addicts and during different periods of heroin withdrawal in addicted subjects. This study has demonstrated a decrease in the response of ...

In this paper we develop and analyse a model for the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst a population of injecting drug users. We start o€ with a brief literature survey and review; this is followed by the derivation of a model which allows addicts to progress through three distinct stages of variable infectivity prior to the onset of full blown AIDS and where the class of infectious needles is split in...

Aims of the present investigation were: (i) to assess the prevalence of current smokers and relative smoking status among a large number of heroin addicts attending opioid-substitution therapy prevalence; (ii) to evaluate the relationship between the type (methadone, buprenorphine) and dosage of opioid substitution therapy and nicotine dependence. Three hundred and five (305) heroin addicts und...

CONTEXT Fecal elastase is a noninvasive test for pancreatic insufficiency diagnosis. OBJECTIVES Evaluate the usefulness of fecal elastase 1 for the indication of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency among former alcohol addicts and patients with chronic pancreatitis. METHODS Forty-three patients with chronic pancreatitis and thirty-three asymptomatic former alcohol addicts entered the study. T...

Doubtlessly one of the major problems in Iran is drug abuse or substance abuse. The transmission of HIV/AIDS has made the problem so complicated that has created an urgent need for a campaign against this awful phenomenon. The objective of this study-that was carried out through the cross-sectional method- is considering the situation of the addict death and the related factors. The target popu...