This Week in Addiction Medicine from ASAM

Lead: Social Vulnerability and Prevalence and Treatment for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Social Vulnerability and Prevalence and Treatment for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
JAMA Psychiatry
This is a survey study of 4,674 participants from US households that examined the association between social vulnerability and mental health and substance use disorders and related treatment in the US noninstitutionalized population of adults aged 18 years and older. Large increases in several mental health and substance use disorders and corresponding decreases in treatment were found in the most socially vulnerable communities. The findings suggest that routine measurement of social vulnerability might assist in developing more comprehensive care models that integrate medical and social care for mental health and substance use disorders.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain

Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain 
Nature
To assess how human brain network changes relate to the subjective and lasting effects of psychedelics, this study tracked individual-specific brain changes with longitudinal precision functional mapping (roughly 18 magnetic resonance imaging visits per participant). Psilocybin massively disrupted functional connectivity (FC) in the cortex and subcortex, acutely causing more than threefold greater change than methylphenidate. These FC changes were driven by brain desynchronization across spatial scales (areal, global), which dissolved network distinctions by reducing correlations within and anticorrelations between networks. Persistent reduction of hippocampal-default mode network connectivity may represent a neuroanatomical and correlate of the proplasticity and therapeutic effects of psychedelics.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Secondhand Nicotine Absorption From E-Cigarette Vapor vs Tobacco Smoke in Children

Secondhand Nicotine Absorption From E-Cigarette Vapor vs Tobacco Smoke in Children 
JAMA Network Open
This cross-sectional study of 1,777 US children aged 3 to 11 years examined how children’s nicotine absorption, as indexed by serum cotinine level, differ among those exposed to (1) secondhand tobacco smoke only, (2) secondhand e-cigarette vapor only, or (3) neither. Compared with children exposed to secondhand smoke only, nicotine absorption was 83.6% lower in those exposed to secondhand vapor only and 96.7% lower in those exposed to neither. These findings suggest that children absorb much more nicotine from secondhand smoke than from secondhand vapor; switching from smoking to vaping indoors may substantially reduce children’s secondhand exposure to nicotine and other noxious substances, but both smoke and vapor increase children’s absorption vs no exposure.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM
 

Lead: Benzodiazepine use in relation to long-term dementia risk and imaging markers of neurodegeneration: a population-based study

Benzodiazepine use in relation to long-term dementia risk and imaging markers of neurodegeneration: a population-based study 🔓
BMC Medicine
This study examined the relationship between benzodiazepine (BZD) use and dementia, using data from the population-based Rotterdam (Netherlands) study started in 1990. For 5,443 participants, BZD use during the 15 years from 1990 to 2005 was compared to dementia screens performed through 2020. Half of the participants had used BZD at some time during the 15-year baseline, and 13% developed dementia. Overall, there was no association between BZD use and dementia risk. However, the use of BZD as an anxiolytic in higher doses was associated with dementia risk (HR=1.3). The authors note that BZD with longer half-life are used as anxiolytics, whereas short half-life BZD are used as sedative-hypnotics. A reduction in hippocampal volume on MRI was also associated with BZD use. Overall, there was no association of BZD use with dementia risk, however, some associations were observed that deserve further study.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial

Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled phase 2 trial 
Nature Medicine
The safety and tolerability of racemic ketamine may be improved if given orally, as an extended-release tablet (R-107), compared with other routes of administration. In this phase 2 multicenter clinical trial, male and female adult patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD) and Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores ≥20 received open-label R-107 tablets 120 mg per day for 5 days and were assessed on day 8 (enrichment phase). On day 8, responders (MADRS scores ≤12 and reduction ≥50%) were randomized to receive double-blind R-107 doses of 30, 60, 120, or 180 mg, or placebo, twice weekly for 12 weeks. Nonresponders on day 8 exited the study. Tolerability was excellent, with no changes in blood pressure, minimal reports of sedation, and minimal dissociation. The most common adverse events were headache, dizziness, and anxiety. R-107 tablets were effective, safe, and well tolerated in patients with TRD, enriched for initial response to R-107 tablets.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders

Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders
World Health Organization
This report utilizes data from the WHO member states to summarize alcohol consumption, its health consequences, and alcohol policies around the world. Overall, there was a decrease in alcohol consumption between 2010 and 2019, but alcohol-related deaths still accounted for 4.7% of all deaths in 2019. Despite the burden, there are still significant gaps in access to and types of treatment available worldwide, with the percentage of patients with substance use disorder receiving care ranging from 1% to 30% in countries that gather that data. The report makes several recommendations to address the concern, including a global advocacy campaign, increased training for health professionals at all levels, international knowledge transfers, and resource mobilization. 
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Trial to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths

Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Trial to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths
The New England Journal of Medicine 
HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative) Communities Study (HCS) investigators examined the potential of the community-engaged, data-driven Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention to reduce the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in highly affected communities. Intervention communities implemented hundreds of strategies to expand opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution, the use of medications for opioid use disorder, and safety measures for prescription opioid use, as well as communication campaigns to support these efforts. Although there were no significant between-group differences in the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths, the trial showed that the CTH community-engaged intervention, with its leveraging of community coalitions and a data-driven approach, can bring about meaningful progress in implementing evidence-based practices.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Piloting a Hospital-Based Rapid Methadone Initiation Protocol for Fentanyl

Piloting a Hospital-Based Rapid Methadone Initiation Protocol for Fentanyl 
Journal of Addiction Medicine
The epidemic of fentanyl has led to increased opioid tolerance and made traditional dosing for methadone initiation insufficient. In this study, the authors examine an inpatient rapid titration of methadone initiation among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The protocol recommended dosing of 60 mg on day 1, 70 mg day 2, 80 mg day 3 and 100 mg day 4-7. After patients with significant underlying medical conditions, benzodiazepine or alcohol use and age >65 were excluded, 25 patients underwent the rapid initiation. No patients in the study experienced an adverse event and while additional research is needed, the study demonstrated the feasibility of rapid initiation of methadone for OUD in select patients in an inpatient setting. 
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Associations of semaglutide with incidence and recurrence of alcohol use disorder in real-world population

Associations of semaglutide with incidence and recurrence of alcohol use disorder in real-world population
Nature Communications
In this retrospective cohort study of patients receiving medication for treatment of obesity, the authors evaluated the association of semaglutide with incidence of and recurrence of alcohol use disorder (AUD). In the cohort patients received semaglutide or non-GLP1RA medications, including naltrexone and topiramate. In matched cohort analysis, patients who received semaglutide had much lower rates of incident AUD (HR=0.5) compared to those receiving non-GLP1RA medications and in sub-analysis comparing semaglutide to naltrexone/topiramate the also had lower incident AUD (HR=0.44). Among those with a history of AUD, semaglutide was also associated with lower recurrence of AUD (HR=0.44) overall and in sub-analysis (HR=0.25). These findings support potential benefit of semaglutide for AUD in a real-world population and need for randomized clinical trials.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM

Lead: Innovation and adaptation: The rise of a fentanyl smoking culture in San Francisco

Innovation and adaptation: The rise of a fentanyl smoking culture in San Francisco
Plos One
This is a qualitative study describing the growing practice in the San Francisco area of smoking rather than injecting fentanyl. Fentanyl salts are stable up to 350°C making heating and inhalation more effective than for heroin. Some of the increase in smoking is driven by users’ difficulty finding accessible veins. There is also the perception that smoking presents less of a risk of overdose compared to injection. It is unclear if smoking is safer and overdose deaths continue to rise in San Francisco. Over time a brown residue accumulates that contains a high concentration of drug. The smoking equipment is often used for both methamphetamine and fentanyl so this residue contains an unknown mixture of the history of the drugs consumed. The residue is valued for potency but presents a new overdose risk due to the unknown amounts of drugs it contains.
 
Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly
Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly
Visit ASAM