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Background: One of the major health issues facing the world today is addiction. It is a rapidly developing health issue in Saudi Arabia. Given how intensely addictive methamphetamine is and how strongly its usage is linked to violent crimes and extremely aggressive conduct, methamphetamine addiction is one of the most hazardous health problems. There has been a concerning rise in the usage of crystal methamphetamine, often known as "Shabu," in the Saudi market in recent years. The aim of this work was to identify the type of aggressive behaviors and psychotic symptoms in patients' methamphetamine abuse and patients with polysubstance abuse without methamphetamine abuse in Emergency Department, Riyadh Hospitals. Methods: The study was conducted upon 100 drug abuse participants who attended Riyadh Saudi Arabia Emergency Department seeking for treatment of drug dependence. All patients were subjected to drug screening and assessment of delusions, mood disorders and Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Results: Verbal aggression, self-aggression and aggression against others were significantly higher in methamphetamine abusers' group than other polysubstance abusers group (p<0.05). Methamphetamine addicts exhibited higher rates of restlessness, the need for physical restraint, spouse betrayal of delusion, disorientation, and self-harm than other groups of polysubstance abusers (p<0.05). Conclusion: Methamphetamine abusers displayed significantly higher rates of aggressive behaviors and specific psychotic symptoms compared to other polysubstance abusers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of methamphetamine is a significant threat to cardiovascular health and has detrimental effects on the myocardium. The present study aims to explore potential interventions that can mitigate myocardial pyroptosis in rats following methamphetamine withdrawal. A total of 104 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups. The rats underwent a methamphetamine administration protocol, receiving intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg during the 1st week, followed by a weekly dose escalation of 1 mg/kg from the second to the 6th week and two times per day. Concurrently, the rats engaged in 6 weeks of moderate-intensity treadmill aerobic training, lasting 60 min per day, 5 days a week. Simultaneously, the Nutrition bio-shield Superfood (NBS) supplement was administered at a dosage of 25 g/kg daily for 6 weeks. The study assessed the expression levels of Caspase-1, Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and Interleukin-18 (IL-18) genes in myocardial tissue. Data analysis utilized a one-way analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05). The findings revealed that methamphetamine usage significantly elevated the expression of Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 genes (p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, methamphetamine withdrawal led to a notable reduction in the expression of these genes (p ≤ 0.05). Noteworthy reductions in Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 expression were observed following aerobic training, supplementation, and the combined approach (p ≤ 0.05). The chronic use of methamphetamine was associated with cardiac tissue damage. This study highlights the potential of aerobic training and NBS Superfood supplementation in mitigating the harmful effects of methamphetamine-induced myocardial pyroptosis. The observed reductions in gene expression levels indicate promising interventions to address the cardiovascular consequences of methamphetamine abuse. The findings of this study suggest that a combination of aerobic exercise and NBS Superfood supplementation can provide a promising approach to mitigate the deleterious effects of methamphetamine on the heart. These findings can be useful for healthcare professionals and policymakers to design effective interventions to prevent and manage the adverse effects of methamphetamine abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Abuse of methamphetamine has aroused concern worldwide. Stimulant use and sexual behaviours have been linked in behavioural and epidemiological studies. Although methamphetamine‐related neurofunctional differences are reported in previous studies, only few studies have examined neurofunctional changes related to methamphetamine and sexual cues in methamphetamine dependence from short‐ to long‐term abstinence. Methods: Neurofunctional changes were measured using a cue‐reactivity task involving methamphetamine, sexual, and neutral cues in 20 methamphetamine abusers who were evaluated after a short‐ (1 week to 3 months) and long‐term (10–15 months) abstinence. Results: Five brain regions mainly involved in the occipital lobe and the parietal lobe were found with the group‐by‐condition interaction. Region‐of‐interest analyses found higher sexual‐cue‐related activation than other two activations in all five brain regions in the long‐term methamphetamine abstinence group while no group differences were found. Negative relationships between motor impulsivity and methamphetamine‐ or sexual‐cue‐related activations in the left middle occipital gyrus, the superior parietal gyrus and the right angular gyrus were found. Conclusions: The findings suggested that methamphetamine abstinence may change the neural response of methamphetamine abusers to methamphetamine and sexual cues, and the neurofunction of the five brain regions reported in this study may partly recover with long‐term methamphetamine abstinence. Given the use and relapse of methamphetamine for sexual purposes, the findings of this study may have particular clinical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here a case of fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a patient with a 7-year history of daily inhaled crystal methamphetamine abuse. The patient's history of chronic exertional dyspnea attributable to progressive methamphetamine abuse, family history and autoimmune features pointed to methamphetamine as the initiator of fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. After excluding other causes, the patient's clinical, laboratory, radiological and histopathological findings indicated that the fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis had been induced by methamphetamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on opioid addiction as public nuisance. Topics discussed are common law origins of public nuisance in England, the United States and California, history of opioid epidemic and litigation, opioid epidemic in San Francisco, California, opioid addiction in interference with public rights, public space and public morals such as in the case of homelessness and methamphetamine use, proximate cause objection and role of public policy in addressing public nuisance counterarguments.

Internationally, HIV-related stigma and crystal methamphetamine (meth) use have been described as barriers to treatment adherence among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Crystal meth use has been increasing among gbMSM in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City (MAMC). Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between HIV-related stigma and HIV treatment adherence among gbMSM who use crystal meth in the MAMC. This study was undertaken as part of an exploratory study of crystal meth use in the MAMC. The data were collected from September to December 2021 through an encrypted online survey. Participants (n = 89) were gbMSM adults living with HIV who reported crystal meth use in the past month that were recruited through an online snowball sampling. The online survey included questions about HIV treatment adherence, sexual behaviors, the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involved Screening Test, and the HIV-Related Stigma Mechanisms Scale. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association between HIV-related stigma and HIV treatment adherence. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that, controlling for health insurance [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.13; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.02–0.59] and educational level (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI = 0.02–0.88), non-adherence to HIV treatment was independently associated with higher HIV-related stigma (AOR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.01–1.12). Public health policies must include HIV-related stigma and substance use in treating gbMSM with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated abuse of methamphetamine (METH) can cause dependence, repeated relapse of psychotic symptoms, compulsive drug‐seeking behaviour, and various neurological symptoms. These long‐term biological changes may be associated with epigenetic mechanisms; however, the association between METH use and epigenetic mechanisms has been poorly investigated. Thus, we performed an epigenome‐wide association study of METH dependence using genomic DNA extracted from the blood samples of 24 patients with METH dependence and 24 normal controls. All participants were of Japanese descent. We tested the association between METH dependence and DNA methylation using linear regression analysis. We found epigenome‐wide significant associations at four CpG sites, one of which occurred in the CNOT1 gene and another in the PUM1 gene. We especially noted the CNOT1 and PUM1 genes as well as several other genes that indicated some degree of association with METH dependence. Among the relatively enriched Gene Ontology terms, we were interested in terms of mRNA metabolism, respirasome, and excitatory extracellular ligand‐gated ion channel activity. Among the relatively enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathways, we noted pathways of several neurological diseases. Our results indicate that genetic changes akin to those in other psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders may also occur via epigenetic mechanisms in patients with METH dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal genetic polymorphism of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) rs8192620 site has been confirmed to induce methamphetamine (MA) use and drug craving. However, the genetic susceptibility difference between MA addicts and heroin addicts is unknown. This study evaluated genetic heterogeneity of TAAR1 rs8192620 between MA and heroin addicts and elucidated whether rs8192620 genotypes associated with discrepancy in emotional impulsivity, which would help to instruct individualized treatment in addiction via acting on TAAR1 and evaluate risk of varied drug addiction. Participants consisting of gender-matched 63 MA and 71 heroin abusers were enrolled in the study. Due to mixed drug usage in some MA addicts, MA users were further subdivided into 41 only-MA (only MA taking) and 22 mixed-drug (Magu composed of about 20% MA and 70% caffeine) abusers. Via inter-individual single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and two-sample t tests, respectively, the genotypic and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) scores differences between groups were completed. With following genotypic stratification, the differences in BIS-11 scores between groups were analyzed through two-sample t test. Individual SNP analysis showed significant differences in alleles distribution of rs8192620 between MA and heroin subjects (p = 0.019), even after Bonferroni correction. The TT homozygotes of rs8192620 dominated in MA participants, while C-containing genotypes in heroin (p = 0.026). There was no association of genotypes of TAAR1 rs8192620 with addicts' impulsivity. Our research indicates that the TAAR1 gene polymorphism might mediate the susceptibility discrepancy between MA and heroin abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to conduct an assessment of parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward methamphetamine "shabu" abuse among youth and its risk factors. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a sample of 1179 parents. Parents were assured that questionnaire content would stay classified and was given anonymously. It had 20 demographic, drug use, and addiction treatment questions. Statistical Package for Social Sciences v. 24 and Chi-Square test were used to examine the data after evaluating and coding it. Results: Out of a total of 1179 participants, only 11% had not heard about shabu, about 38% did not know the main symptoms of crystal addiction, and 46% did not know the long side effects of crystal addiction. The majority of participants mentioned that shabu is available in powder format (57%) or liquid (13%), while 27% did not know its form. Most of the participants (97%) think that the drug of shabu or crystal or ice is dangerous; about 60% of participants mentioned that there is an addict in the family. Conclusion: Parents have good knowledge levels regarding different aspects of methamphetamine or shabu abuse, symptoms, and its risk factors. Further in-depth studies are needed at whole Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many studies have confirmed the effects of different forms of aerobic exercise on the withdrawal syndrome of people with drug use disorders, but few studies report the health promotion benefits of high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise on people with methamphetamine use disorders. In a randomized controlled trial, 54 MA dependencies were randomly assigned to the control group and aerobic exercise group. The aerobic exercise group received high-intensity intermittent aerobic calisthenics intervention (75% to 85% HR max) 40 min/time three times a week, while the control group only performed routine forced withdrawal life. The blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory function of people with methamphetamine use disorder were tested at baseline, 8th week, and 12th week. 1) Throughout the intervention process, the exercise group's SBP and DBP were not significantly different from those of the control group, but in the 12th week, the exercise group's SBP and DBP were significantly lower than the values at the 8th week. 2) The exercise group's SDNN and RMSSD were significantly higher than those of the control group at the 8th week and the 12th week, and the exercise group's SDNN and RMSSD at the 8th week were significantly higher than their respective baseline levels. 3) The exercise group's LFn continued to decline during the intervention and was significantly lower than the control group at the 12th week, while the HFn continued to rise during the intervention and was significantly higher than the control group at the 12th week. 4) After exercise intervention, the exercise group's VO 2max , VO 2/ HR peak , and AT were significantly higher than those of the control group, but there was no significant difference between maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and the control group. A 12-week high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise could effectively improve the physical function of people with methamphetamine use disorder and has strong health promotion benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aim: Methamphetamine-use disorder is a pressing global public health issue. In Sudan, the escalating methamphetamine (METH) consumption has become a significant social and health problem. This study aims to evaluate liver and kidney biomarkers in methamphetamine addicts in Khartoum state Material and methods: The study was an analytical prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study. One hundred participants were enrolled in this study, fifty were cases (methamphetamine addicts), and others were healthy non-METH users as a comparative group. Results: METH users had a mean age of (27±7) years and had been using METH for an average of (14±9) months. Urea and creatinine levels were also significantly elevated in METH users compared to non-users, with p<0.001 and p=0.044, respectively. Their aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were significantly higher compared to non-users, with p<0.001. Concusion: There was significant increases in creatinine, urea, and aminotransferases levels in the case group. ALT showed a moderate positive correlation with abuse duration, while AST showed no significant correlation. Urea and creatinine levels had strong and moderate positive correlations with abuse duration, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathology Background: There has been an increase in the use of inhalation methods to abuse drugs, including freebasing crack cocaine (alkaloid) and inhaling methamphetamine vapor. This report is of a 25-year-old man with a history of substance abuse presenting with pneumomediastinum due to methamphetamine vapor inhalation. Acute pneumomediastinum is an extremely rare complication of methamphetamine use. Case Report: A 25-year-old man was treated for polysubstance abuse following 9 days of methamphetamine abuse. EKG did not show any ST &T change. D-dimer was normal, at 0.4 mg/L, so we did not do further work-up for pulmonary embolism. His chest pain worsened in the Emergency Department (ED), and a physical exam demonstrated crepitation of the posterior neck, trapezius, and right scapula. A portable chest X-ray revealed subcutaneous air over the right scapular region, in addition to pneumomediastinum. The urine drug screen test was positive for methamphetamine. A chest CT was ordered, which showed a moderate-volume pneumomediastinum with soft-tissue air tracking into the lower neck and along the right chest wall. The patient underwent an esophagogram, which showed no air leak, and Boerhaave's syndrome was ruled out. His symptoms improved and he did not require any surgical intervention. Conclusions: Considering the higher rates of illicit substance use, especially methamphetamine, it is important to pay attention to the associated pathologies and to keep spontaneous pneumomediastinum on the list of differentials for patients using methamphetamine, particularly those who inhale it, which can cause pneumomediastinum, even without Boerhaave's syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug addiction and its effect on the behavior and development of children has become a serious problem in our society. Methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most abused psychostimulants in the Czech Republic, and its abuse is rising worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated the adverse long-term effects of maternal drug abuse on rat offspring. However, the father's contribution as a parent and donor of half of the genetic information is unclear. Previous studies of other psychostimulant drugs indicate that long-term application of MA to adult male rats may induce changes in their reproductive system and lead to changes in rat pup functional and behavioral development. Therefore, the present review aimed to investigate the effect of MA administration on reproductive toxicity and sexual behavior of adult male rats, as well as the impact of paternal MA exposure on behavioral development and locomotor activity in rat offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic methamphetamine use, a widespread drug epidemic, has been associated with cardiac morphological and electrical remodeling, leading to the development of numerous cardiovascular diseases. While methamphetamine has been documented to induce arrhythmia, most results originate from clinical trials from users who experienced different durations of methamphetamine abuse, providing no documentation on the use of methamphetamine in standardized settings. Additionally, the underlying molecular mechanism on how methamphetamine affects the cardiovascular system remains elusive. A relationship was sought between cardiotoxicity and arrhythmia with associated methamphetamine abuse in zebrafish to identify and to understand the adverse cardiac symptoms associated with methamphetamine. Zebrafish were first treated with methamphetamine 3 times a week over a 2-week duration. Immediately after treatment, zebrafish underwent electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement using an in-house developed acquisition system for electrophysiological analysis. Subsequent analyses of cAMP expression and Ca2+ regulation in zebrafish cardiomyocytes were conducted. cAMP is vital to development of myocardial fibrosis and arrhythmia, prominent symptoms in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Ca2+ dysregulation is also a factor in inducing arrhythmias. During the first week of treatment, zebrafish that were administered with methamphetamine displayed a decrease in heart rate, which persisted throughout the second week and remained significantly lower than the heart rate of untreated fish. Results also indicate an increased heart rate variability during the early stage of treatment followed by a decrease in the late stage for methamphetamine-treated fish over the duration of the experiment, suggesting a biphasic response to methamphetamine exposure. Methamphetamine-treated fish also exhibited reduced QTc intervals throughout the experiment. Results from the cAMP and Ca2+ assays demonstrate that cAMP was upregulated and Ca2+ was dysregulated in response to methamphetamine treatment. Collagenic assays indicated significant fibrotic response to methamphetamine treatment. These results provide potential insight into the role of methamphetamine in the development of fibrosis and arrhythmia due to downstream effectors of cAMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methamphetamine (MA)‐induced psychosis (MIP) is associated with increased oxidative toxicity (especially lipid peroxidation) and lowered antioxidant defences. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) cause oxidative stress upon ligand binding to AGE receptors (RAGEs). There is no data on whether MA use may cause AGE–RAGE stress or whether the latter is associated with MIP. This case–control study recruited 60 patients with MA use disorder and 30 normal controls and measured serum levels of oxidative stress toxicity (OSTOX, lipid peroxidation), antioxidant defences (ANTIOX), magnesium, copper, atherogenicity, AGE and soluble RAGE (sRAGE) and computed a composite reflecting AGE–RAGE axis activity. MA dependence and use were associated with elevated levels of AGE, sRAGE, OSTOX/ANTIOX, Castelli Risk Index 1 and atherogenic index of plasma. Increased sRAGE concentrations were strongly correlated with dependence severity and MA dose. Increased AGE–RAGE stress was correlated with OSTOX, OSTOX/ANTIOX and MA‐induced intoxication symptoms, psychosis, hostility, excitement and formal thought disorders. The regression on AGE–RAGE, the OSTOX/ANTIOX ratio, decreased magnesium and increased copper explained 54.8% of the variance in MIP symptoms, and these biomarkers mediated the effects of increasing MA concentrations on MIP symptoms. OSTOX/ANTIOX, AGE–RAGE and insufficient magnesium were found to explain 36.0% of the variance in the atherogenicity indices. MA causes intertwined increases in AGE–RAGE axis stress and oxidative damage, which together predict the severity of MIP symptoms and increased atherogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Professional neglect is a civil responsibility for any specialist or individual with a specific skill, including therapists, and is not limited to any particular profession. Case Presentation: A man 41-year-old drug abuser was diagnosed with a heart problem due to methamphetamine abuse. Despite his drug history, he was once admitted to the emergency room for chest pain, where acetaminophen and diazepam were prescribed. For the second time, he went to another medical center due to continued chest pain, and due to the suspicion of contracting COVID-19, a CT scan of the chest was performed, yielding negative results, and then he was discharged. The patient was found deceased in his bed the following day. An autopsy revealed a thinned heart wall, subendocardial hemorrhages, and severe atherosclerosis. Methamphetamine, amphetamine, and acetaminophen were detected in urine samples, and ethanol was detected in blood and vitreous humor samples. Conclusion: The case highlights the importance of medical negligence in treating patients with drug abuse.

The M'Naghten Rules formulated in 1843 have provided the basis for the insanity defence in many Western countries, including New Zealand. Although many candidates for the insanity defence experience psychosis, the principal determining factor is whether they knew their criminal act was morally wrong, a difficult metaethical judgement. In New Zealand the advent of methamphetamine abuse has created a significant challenge for forensic assessors in differentiating between mental disease and chronic intoxication, raising the question of whether the insanity defence as currently formulated is fit for purpose in assessing criminal culpability in such cases. The article explores this problem through an examination of a number of leading cases, noting the variable character of expert testimony on insanity where methamphetamine is involved. The article then examines the question of whether evidence of mental states falling short of insanity may be utilised to support a palliative claim reducing murder to manslaughter. A tentative new approach invites consideration of allowing investigation of insanity in cases involving meth-induced paranoia, whether or not the threshold of disease of the mind is met. In the concluding sections the article examines the impact of developments in cognitive neuroscience and asks whether neuroscience can help in determining criminal responsibility and whether it supports a "control limb" in a reformulated insanity defence. The article concludes with a brief discussion of mental disorder and impulsive aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]