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Dietary n-3 PUFA are precursors for lipid metabolites that reduce inflammation. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that enriching the sow diet in n-3 PUFA during late gestation and throughout lactation reduces stress and inflammation, and promotes growth in weaned pigs. A protected fish oil product (PFO; Gromega™) was used to enrich the diet in n-3 PUFA. Experiment 1, time-bred gilts (n = 14) were fed a gestation and lactation diet supplemented with 0 (control; n = 5), 0.25 (n = 4), 0.5 (n = 4) or 1% (n = 5) PFO from 101 ± 2 d of gestation to d 16 of lactation. Adding 1% PFO to the diet increased the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in colostrum and milk compared to controls (P = 0.05). A subsequent experiment was performed to determine if supplementing the sows' diet with 1% PFO improved growth and reduced circulating markers of acute inflammation and stress in their offspring. Plasma was harvested from piglets (16 /treatment group) on d 0 (d of weaning) and d 1 and 3 postweaning. Pigs from the 1% PFO treatment group weighed more (P = 0.03) on d 3 postweaning and had a greater (P < 0.01) n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in plasma on each day sampled compared to 0% PFO controls. There was an overall treatment effect (P = 0.02) on plasma total cortisol, with lesser concentrations in pigs on the 1% PFO diet. Plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations were not different between treatment groups but were lesser (P < 0.001) on d 1 and 3 when compared to d 0. The resultant free cortisol index [FCI (cortisol/ CBG)] was lesser (P = 0.02) on d 1 and 3 for pigs from the 1% treatment group compared to the controls. An ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge of whole blood collected on d 0 and 1 was used to determine if 1% PFO attenuated release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Pigs from the 1% PFO treatment group tended (P = 0.098) to have a lesser mean concentrations of TNF-α in response to LPS compared to controls. These results suggest that providing a PFO supplement as 1% of the diet to sows beginning in late gestation and during lactation can increase the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in their offspring, which may improve growth and reduce the acute physiological stress response in the pigs postweaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use has decreased in recent decades, particularly among emerging adults who show the highest prevalence of use. Cannabis-related protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are associated with lower cannabis use and fewer consequences; however, individuals who perceive using cannabis as low risk may use cannabis PBS less often. Therefore, using cross-sectional data, we examined the associations between perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use, cannabis PBS, and cannabis use frequency., Method: Participants were 146 emerging adults between the ages of 18-25 (56.2% female) who reported consuming cannabis at least 3 times/week and completed measures of past-month cannabis use, past three-month use of cannabis PBS, and perceived risk of harm associated with cannabis use. Path analyses examined direct and indirect effects of perceived risk of cannabis-related harm on cannabis frequency through cannabis PBS., Results: Most (66.4%) participants reported no perceived risk of harm associated with occasional cannabis use, whereas 30.1% reported no perceived risk of harm associated with regular cannabis use. Findings indicated a significant indirect effect between perceived risk of harm and cannabis use frequency through cannabis PBS, b = -10.23, SE = 3.80, 95% CI [-17.67, -2.80], p = .007., Conclusions: Among emerging adults who consume cannabis regularly, findings suggest that a greater perceived risk of cannabis-related harm is associated with decreased cannabis use frequency via increased use of cannabis PBS. Although future analyses evaluating causal mechanisms are needed, these findings have clinical implications for harm reduction interventions focused on cannabis use., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest. The authors do not have any personal financial interests related to this manuscript, with the following exceptions: MW is a minor shareholder in Facebook and has a conflict-of-interest plan approved by the University of Michigan. SY is an advisor to Grassp and Radicle Sciences, start-up companies conducting research in the cannabis space and has received an unrestricted gift from Facebook, on file with the University of California, Irvine.

Introduction: Interventions addressing cannabis use among emerging adults (ages 18-25) are currently needed to prevent negative outcomes. Emergency Department (ED) visits provide an opportunity to initiate interventions. In this pilot study, we created a brief intervention (BI), extended with private social media messaging for emerging adult ED patients who use cannabis regularly. Study aims were to examine intervention feasibility, acceptability, and descriptive outcomes., Methods: We recruited and randomized N = 58 emerging adults (M age 21.5 years, 65.5% female) who used cannabis from an ED in-person and remotely after their ED visit (given COVID-19 restrictions). Participants randomized to the intervention (N = 30) received a Motivational Interviewing-based BI and 4 weeks of health coaching via private social media; control participants received a resource brochure and entertaining social media messaging. Follow-ups occurred at 1-month and 3-months., Results: Most intervention participants liked the BI (95.8%), found it helpful to discuss cannabis use in the BI (91.7%), and liked interacting with coaches on social media (86.3%). Social media content (e.g., video clips, images/still pictures/memes) were highly rated. Descriptively, the intervention group showed theory-consistent changes in importance of and intentions to change cannabis (increases vs. decrease/stability in control group), whereas findings for cannabis consumption/consequences were mixed., Conclusions: This BI paired with social media messaging was acceptable in a sample of emerging adults from an ED who used cannabis regularly. Despite feasibility challenges due to COVID-19, this intervention warrants future investigation with a larger sample and longer follow-up period, with attention to the changing cannabis landscape when measuring outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Evidence-based treatments for chronic low back pain (cLBP) typically work well in only a fraction of patients, and at present there is little guidance regarding what treatment should be used in which patients. Our central hypothesis is that an interventional response phenotyping study can identify individuals with different underlying mechanisms for their pain who thus respond differentially to evidence-based treatments for cLBP. Thus, we will conduct a randomized controlled Sequential, Multiple Assessment, Randomized Trial (SMART) design study in cLBP with the following three aims. Aim 1: Perform an interventional response phenotyping study in a cohort of cLBP patients (n = 400), who will receive a sequence of interventions known to be effective in cLBP. For 4 weeks, all cLBP participants will receive a web-based pain self-management program as part of a run-in period, then individuals who report no or minimal improvement will be randomized to: a) mindfulness-based stress reduction, b) physical therapy and exercise, c) acupressure self-management, and d) duloxetine. After 8 weeks, individuals who remain symptomatic will be re-randomized to a different treatment for an additional 8 weeks. Using those data, we will identify the subsets of participants that respond to each treatment. In Aim 2, we will show that currently available, clinically derived measures, can predict differential responsiveness to the treatments. In Aim 3, a subset of participants will receive deeper phenotyping (n = 160), to identify new experimental measures that predict differential responsiveness to the treatments, as well as to infer mechanisms of action. Deep phenotyping will include functional neuroimaging, quantitative sensory testing, measures of inflammation, and measures of autonomic tone., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.)

Purpose: Cannabis use is common among emerging adults (ages 18-25), yet few prevention interventions have targeted this unique developmental period. Physical activity (PA) is an under-utilized intervention target for cannabis use, despite research showing its potential utility. Based on prior promising social media-delivered interventions targeting cannabis and PA separately, we developed and piloted, in a randomized controlled feasibility trial (NCT04901910), interventions for emerging adults who use cannabis that focused on PA., Procedures: Using social media, we recruited 60 emerging adults (Mean age=21.7 years; 63.3% female sex) who used cannabis (>=3 times/week for the past month) and could engage in PA. We randomized participants into one of 3 conditions (PA-Only; PA+Cannabis, Attention-Control) that each lasted 8 weeks and were delivered in secret Facebook groups by health coaches. We collected follow-up data at 3- and 6-months post-group start. Outcomes are presented descriptively given the pilot nature and limited sample size., Results: The interventions were rated favorably, with ratings of the content in each condition averaging around 3 on a 5-point scale. Both intervention groups demonstrated larger reductions in cannabis consequences and cannabis-impaired driving over time than the control condition. Findings were mixed regarding patterns of change in cannabis use in the intervention conditions. Proportions of group members reporting increased PA ranged from 38.9% to 80.0% across time., Conclusions: Interventions targeting PA and delivered via social media to emerging adults who regularly use cannabis offer a novel intervention target. These interventions warrant future investigation in larger trials over a longer follow-up period., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors do not have any personal financial interests related to this manuscript, with 1 exception. MW is a minor shareholder in Facebook and has a conflict of interest plan approved by the University of Michigan., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a difficult to treat chronic pain condition for which there is strong interest in alternative treatments. There is growing interest in the potential of psychedelic substances (e.g., psilocybin) in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat chronic pain. Via a cross-sectional, anonymous, online survey, we aimed to characterize knowledge, perceptions, and past use of serotonergic ("classic") and non-serotonergic psychedelics among a population of individuals with FM, and to investigate interest in psychedelic-based FM treatments. Among a North American population of 354 participants with FM, 29.9% reported past use of a psychedelic, with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin mushrooms being most commonly used. Perceptions of benefit from psychedelic use were generally neutral (59.4%) or positive (36.8%), with <3% reporting negative impacts on overall health or pain symptoms. Among 12 participants who used psychedelics with intentions of treating chronic pain, 11 reported improved symptoms. Regardless of past use, the majority of participants believed that psychedelics have potential for chronic pain treatments and would be willing to participate in a psychedelic-based clinical trial for their pain. These findings support the need for additional studies to understand the potential and effectiveness of psychedelic substances in managing FM symptoms.

Higher perceived social support has been shown to buffer the impact of negative stressful events like childhood abuse on health outcomes. Yet, the role of perceived social support as a mediator of the association between childhood abuse and pain-related characteristics is not well understood. The present study explored this premise. Patients ( n  = 1,542) presenting to a tertiary-care, outpatient pain clinic completed a cross-sectional survey consisting of regularly collected clinical data and validated measures. Path analysis suggested that the impact of childhood abuse on sensory and affective pain-related characteristics was partially explained by perceived emotional support. Survivors of childhood abuse display a more complex clinical pain phenotype and this extends to more negative perceptions of social support. Our findings may reflect processes whereby childhood abuse negatively impacts social relationships across the lifespan, and these negative social perceptions and relationships influence sensory and affective components of pain., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2022 Pierce, Presto, Hinckley, Hassett, Dickens, Schneiderhan, Grace and McAfee.)