Does perception of drug related harm change with age? A cross-sectional on-line survey of young and older people

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how young and older people perceive the harms associated with legal and illegal drugs. DESIGN: Cross sectional study; adults aged 18-24yr olds vs 45+ completed an online survey ranking the perceived harms associated with 11 drugs on 16 drug related harm criteria. SETTING: On-line survey. PARTICIPANTS: 184 18-24yr olds (113 Female: mean age 21: SD 1.3) and 91 participants aged 45+ (51 Female: mean age 60: SD 8.5). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ‘Perception of drug related harms’. This was measured using a rating scale ranging from 1 (no risk of harm) to 4 (high risk of harm). Participants were also asked about sources which informed their perception on drug related harms as well as their own personal self-reported drug experiences. RESULTS: Of the illegal drugs, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine were rated as the most harmful and cannabis was rated as the least harmful. Alcohol and tobacco were also rated as less harmful. The results showed that perceptions of drug related harms were inconsistent with current knowledge from research on drugs. Furthermore, perceptions on drug harms were more conservative in the 45+ group for a number of illegal drugs and tobacco. However, the 45+ age group did not perceive alcohol as any more harmful than the younger group. CONCLUSIONS: This survey demonstrates that the biggest misperception was in relation to alcohol related harms which did not change with age. In order to minimise harms, this misperception needs to be addressed through education and policies that legislate drug use.Brunel University Londo

Neuroticism related differences in working memory tasks.

Two influential theories relating to personality traits, i.e. arousal-based theory (ABT) and attentional control theory (ACT), made predictions on how neuroticism may affect task performance. ABT suggested that high neurotics perform worse than low neurotics in all difficult tasks, whereas they perform similar in easy tasks. On the other hand, ACT suggested that high neurotics perform worse than low neurotics only if the task relies on central executive functions of working memory (WM), such as switching or inhibition. However, currently it is still unclear whether neuroticism affects all difficult tasks, as proposed by ABT, or whether it is specific to certain tasks, as proposed by ACT. To test this, we used the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tasks Automated Battery (CANTAB) as our test tool and we selected three working memory tasks which tested the effect of neuroticism on both the central executive system (CES) and the WM storage system (i.e. visuospatial sketchpad) in 21 low and 24 high neurotics. Results showed that high neurotics, as compared to low neurotics, exhibited lower performance only when the working memory task is specifically associated with switching and/or inhibition, but not in a task which is associated with the visuospatial sketchpad. We conclude that the results support the ACT rather than the ABT, because high levels of neuroticism impaired behavioural performance specifically in demanding tasks associated with switching and inhibition, but not in tasks associated with the visuospatial sketchpad

Can sleep and resting behaviours be used as indicators of welfare in shelter dogs (Canis lupusfamiliaris)?

Previous research on humans and animals suggests that the analysis of sleep patterns may reliably inform us about welfare status, but little research of this kind has been carried out for non-human animals in an applied context. This study explored the use of sleep and resting behaviour as indicators of welfare by describing the activity patterns of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) housed in rescue shelters, and comparing their sleep patterns to other behavioural and cognitive measures of welfare. Sleep and activity patterns were observed over five non-consecutive days in a population of 15 dogs. Subsequently, the characteristics of sleep and resting behaviour were described and the impact of activity on patterns of sleep and resting behaviour analysed. Shelter dogs slept for 2.8% of the day, 14.3% less than previously reported and experienced less sleep fragmentation at night (32 sleep bouts). There were no statistically significant relationships between behaviours exhibited during the day and sleep behaviour. A higher proportion of daytime resting behaviour was significantly associated with a positive judgement bias, less repetitive behaviour and increased time spent coded as ‘relaxed’ across days by shelter staff. These results suggest that, in the context of a busy shelter environment, the ability to rest more during the day could be a sign of improved welfare. Considering the non-linear relationship between sleep and welfare in humans, the relationship between sleep and behavioural indicators of welfare, including judgement bias, in shelter dogs may be more complex than this study could detect

The empirical status of implicit emotion regulation in mood and anxiety disorders: A meta-analytic review

Supplementary data are available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032725004665?via%3Dihub#s0115 .This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.Strategies to successfully regulate negative emotions may be hindered by maladaptive implicit emotion processing tendencies, and while implicit emotion regulation is known to be impaired in many psychiatric disorders, contradictory findings exist within the empirical literature. Therefore, a meta-analysis of implicit emotion regulation in mood and anxiety disorders (major depressive disorder [MDD], bipolar disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) was performed. Systematic literature searches were conducted in Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and BrainMap for articles published between 2011 and 2024, and inclusion criteria included internationally recognised diagnostic measures (i.e., DSM-5). A total of 23 clinical studies were identified and using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, 21 studies were of excellent quality. Small to medium effect sizes were reported in patients across measures of accuracy (patients [n = 428] vs. controls [n = 412], standardised mean difference [SMD] -0.39, 95 % CI [−0.57 to −0.21], p < .0001) and response latency (patients [n = 477] vs. controls [n = 428], SMD 0.38, 95 % CI [0.22 to 0.54], p < .0001). The pooled effects of reduced accuracy and longer reaction times in patients were confirmed by separate sub-group analyses for mood and anxiety disorders, with MDD and PTSD reporting the largest effects. Regarding publication bias, Egger's regression test did not indicate funnel plot asymmetry. Recommendations for future research include investigation of dysfunctional implicit emotion regulation as a transdiagnostic characteristic of psychiatric disorders within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework.This research was done as part of a PhD thesis and did not receive any specific funding from agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Stefan Daniel Paul Dalton is supported by the Brunel University London, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences Doctoral Research Fund and no other financial support was received during the research and/or the preparation of the manuscript

Nesfatin-1/NUCB2 as a Potential New Element of Sleep Regulation in Rats.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Millions suffer from sleep disorders that often accompany severe illnesses such as major depression; a leading psychiatric disorder characterized by appetite and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) abnormalities. Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and nesfatin-1/NUCB2 (nesfatin) are strongly co - expressed in the hypothalamus and are involved both in food intake regulation and depression. Since MCH was recognized earlier as a hypnogenic factor, we analyzed the potential role of nesfatin on vigilance. DESIGN: We subjected rats to a 72 h-long REMS deprivation using the classic flower pot method, followed by a 3 h-long 'rebound sleep'. Nesfatin mRNA and protein expressions as well as neuronal activity (Fos) were measured by quantitative in situ hybridization technique, ELISA and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in 'deprived' and 'rebound' groups, relative to controls sacrificed at the same time. We also analyzed electroencephalogram of rats treated by intracerebroventricularly administered nesfatin-1, or saline. RESULTS: REMS deprivation downregulated the expression of nesfatin (mRNA and protein), however, enhanced REMS during 'rebound' reversed this to control levels. Additionally, increased transcriptional activity (Fos) was demonstrated in nesfatin neurons during 'rebound'. Centrally administered nesfatin-1 at light on reduced REMS and intermediate stage of sleep, while increased passive wake for several hours and also caused a short-term increase in light slow wave sleep. CONCLUSIONS: The data designate nesfatin as a potential new factor in sleep regulation, which fact can also be relevant in the better understanding of the role of nesfatin in the pathomechanism of depression

Trends in Mortality From Novel Psychoactive Substances as "Legal Highs": Gender Differences in Manner of Death and Implications for Risk Differences for Women.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine drug-related deaths in the UK in which novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are an implicated substance, and to focus on female deaths in comparison with male deaths. While male overdoses dominate epidemiological statistics, there is an increase in female drug-related deaths and a narrowing of the gap between gender mortality rates which is to date unexplained. Method: This study analyzed data from the National Programme for Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD) database that records drug-related deaths in the UK from coronial records. A dataset was constructed using parameters to capture all drug-related cases during the period 2007-2017 when NPS were legal and highly available in the UK, in order to capture deaths recorded among both regular and occasional drug users, and to include all cases recorded during that period regardless of NPS status in order to make comparisons. The final dataset comprised 10,159 cases, with 456 NPS-related deaths. Data for NPS and non-NPS were compared, and comparisons were made between cohorts by gender. The dataset also includes coronial narrative notes which allowed a qualitative analysis of NPS female deaths to add contextual explanation. Results: The proportion of male NPS deaths is significantly higher than that for female NPS deaths but does not reflect the generalized difference between male and female drug-related mortality of this period studied. Demographic and outcome data by gender difference were significant for all drug-related deaths, but not for NPS-only deaths, indicating a greater homogeneity among NPS deaths by gender. Older women using NPS were more likely to have methadone or diazepam as another drug implicated and have established histories of drug misuse. Conclusion: Where NPS have been used, differences in drug death profiles are less likely to be accounted for by gender than other demographic or behavioral differences more typically found in opiate deaths. The social and health problems of older women may be key characteristics that differentiate female deaths from male deaths. These findings also support evidence of increasing uptake of NPS among older established drug users that adds further risk to polydrug use

Trends in Mortality From Novel Psychoactive Substances as “Legal Highs”: Gender Differences in Manner of Death and Implications for Risk Differences for Women

Data availability statement: The data analyzed in this study is subject to the following licenses/restrictions: Privately owned data. Requests to access these datasets should be directed to [email protected] © 2022 Webb, Shi, Goodair and Cheeta. Introduction: This study aimed to examine drug-related deaths in the UK in which novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are an implicated substance, and to focus on female deaths in comparison with male deaths. While male overdoses dominate epidemiological statistics, there is an increase in female drug-related deaths and a narrowing of the gap between gender mortality rates which is to date unexplained. Method: This study analyzed data from the National Programme for Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD) database that records drug-related deaths in the UK from coronial records. A dataset was constructed using parameters to capture all drug-related cases during the period 2007–2017 when NPS were legal and highly available in the UK, in order to capture deaths recorded among both regular and occasional drug users, and to include all cases recorded during that period regardless of NPS status in order to make comparisons. The final dataset comprised 10,159 cases, with 456 NPS-related deaths. Data for NPS and non-NPS were compared, and comparisons were made between cohorts by gender. The dataset also includes coronial narrative notes which allowed a qualitative analysis of NPS female deaths to add contextual explanation. Results: The proportion of male NPS deaths is significantly higher than that for female NPS deaths but does not reflect the generalized difference between male and female drug-related mortality of this period studied. Demographic and outcome data by gender difference were significant for all drug-related deaths, but not for NPS-only deaths, indicating a greater homogeneity among NPS deaths by gender. Older women using NPS were more likely to have methadone or diazepam as another drug implicated and have established histories of drug misuse. Conclusion: Where NPS have been used, differences in drug death profiles are less likely to be accounted for by gender than other demographic or behavioral differences more typically found in opiate deaths. The social and health problems of older women may be key characteristics that differentiate female deaths from male deaths. These findings also support evidence of increasing uptake of NPS among older established drug users that adds further risk to polydrug use

Chronic escitalopram treatment attenuated the accelerated rapid eye movement sleep transitions after selective rapid eye movement sleep deprivation: a model-based analysis using Markov chains

BackgroundShortened rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency and increased REM sleep amount are presumed biological markers of depression. These sleep alterations are also observable in several animal models of depression as well as during the rebound sleep after selective REM sleep deprivation (RD). Furthermore, REM sleep fragmentation is typically associated with stress procedures and anxiety. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants reduce REM sleep time and increase REM latency after acute dosing in normal condition and even during REM rebound following RD. However, their therapeutic outcome evolves only after weeks of treatment, and the effects of chronic treatment in REM-deprived animals have not been studied yet.ResultsChronic escitalopram- (10 mg/kg/day, osmotic minipump for 24 days) or vehicle-treated rats were subjected to a 3-day-long RD on day 21 using the flower pot procedure or kept in home cage. On day 24, fronto-parietal electroencephalogram, electromyogram and motility were recorded in the first 2 h of the passive phase. The observed sleep patterns were characterized applying standard sleep metrics, by modelling the transitions between sleep phases using Markov chains and by spectral analysis.Based on Markov chain analysis, chronic escitalopram treatment attenuated the REM sleep fragmentation [accelerated transition rates between REM and non-REM (NREM) stages, decreased REM sleep residence time between two transitions] during the rebound sleep. Additionally, the antidepressant avoided the frequent awakenings during the first 30 min of recovery period. The spectral analysis showed that the SSRI prevented the RD-caused elevation in theta (5 inverted question mark9 Hz) power during slow-wave sleep. Conversely, based on the aggregate sleep metrics, escitalopram had only moderate effects and it did not significantly attenuate the REM rebound after RD.ConclusionIn conclusion, chronic SSRI treatment is capable of reducing several effects on sleep which might be the consequence of the sub-chronic stress caused by the flower pot method. These data might support the antidepressant activity of SSRIs, and may allude that investigating the rebound period following the flower pot protocol could be useful to detect antidepressant drug response. Markov analysis is a suitable method to study the sleep pattern