The opioid systems play an important role in mediating both physical pain and negative affects (eg, the pain of social isolation). From an evolutionary perspective, it is not surprising that the neurocircuitry and neurochemistry of physical pain would overlap with that involved in complex social emotions. Exposure to trauma as well as a range of gene variants in the opioid system may be associa...

BACKGROUND The heritability of opioid use disorder has been widely investigated; however, the influence of specific genes on methadone treatment outcomes is not well understood. The association between response to methadone treatment and genes that are involved in substance use behaviors and reward mechanisms is poorly understood, despite evidence suggesting their contribution to opioid use dis...

This publication presents an overview of the practices and the context of pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence in selected countries of the South East Asia and Western Pacific regions of the World Health Organisation. Based on reports provided by professionals involved in treatment of opioid dependence in these regions, the document describes the current situation with opioid use and its health...

BACKGROUND In general, parental substance abuse is associated with children's emotional and behavioral problems. This study only investigated the internalizing problems (depression, anxiety and physical complains) in children of opioid or heroin-dependent parents in comparison with non-opioid dependent parents in order to determine the effects of drug dependency after excluding the confounding ...

Increasing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to opioids may affect brain development, but limited data exist on the effects of opioid-exposure preschool language development. Our study aimed characterize nature and prevalence problems in children prenatally exposed opioids, factors support or hinder acquisition. A sample 100 born pregnant women methadone maintenance treatment 110 randoml...

BACKGROUND Substance use in patients with psychiatric disorder is an every-day seen. Detection of this comorbidity can significantly affect the treatment of these disorders, as well as substance use. OBJECTIVES This study has been conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of substance use in hospitalized psychiatric patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 210 h...

Substance abuse is a healthcare epidemic with substantial costs to society, both financial and quality of life. Effective pharmacotherapy options for treating substance abuse are critical, and approaches employing precision/personalized medicine hold promise for optimization, not only for improving drugand dose-selection strategies, but also for addressing reversible, substance abuse-environmen...

BACKGROUND Naltrexone is a competitive opioid antagonist and is often used to maintain abstinence in detoxified opioid dependent patients. However, it can precipitate an accelerated withdrawal when ingested by an individual with concurrent opioid use. METHODS We report the case of a 28 year old male with opioid dependence syndrome presenting with chaotic symptoms following ingestion of naltre...

In inflammation, leucocytes containing opioid peptides migrate into the tissue. Opioid peptides can be released and bind to opioid receptors on peripheral nerve terminals, which counteracts inflammatory pain. Migration of opioid peptide-containing leucocytes is controlled by chemokines and adhesion molecules. Neurokinins, such as, substance P also contribute to the recruitment of these cells. O...

PAIN is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” In settings where pain is poorly controlled, patients suffer needlessly and may develop untoward emotional and cognitive responses that negatively affect behavior, rehabilitation, and quality of life. Providing rapid and effective relief of pain remai...