Russian Speaking Immigrants: Drug Use, Infectious Disease and Related Health Behavior.

Russian Speaking Immigrants: Drug Use, Infectious Disease and Related Health Behavior.

J Immigr Minor Health. 2013 Aug 8;
Isralowitz R, Reznik A

This article focuses on drug use, infectious disease and other factors comparing FSU males who became addicted before and after immigration to Israel. 810 drug users were surveyed in treatment centers from January 2002 to January 2012. The Addiction Severity Index and other data collection instruments were used. Those addicted before immigration have a higher level of infectious disease (i.e., HCV, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis) and opiate use other than heroin. Those addicted after immigration reported higher rates of last 30 days sedative; cocaine and opiates other than heroin use. Injection drug use and ASI domain problem behavior were more prevalent among those addicted before immigration. Results evidence the impact of country of addiction origin on drug use patterns, infectious disease rates as well as other health related factors. Additional research of the relationship between acculturation and drug use is needed. HubMed – addiction

Chemical Stability of Methadone Concentrate and Powder Diluted in Orange-Flavored Drink.

Int J Pharm Compd. 2004 Nov-Dec; 8(6): 489-491
Donnelly R

Methadone, traditionally used in the treatment of heroin addiction, recently has been used to treat severe pain. The chemical stability of methadone has been studied in concentrations up to 1.5 mg/mL only. Commercial methadone concentrate (10mg/mL) and methadone powder was diluted to 5 mg/mL with orange-flavored Tang drink. Sodium benzoate was added to the solutions prepared from powder. Bottles were stored at either room temperature (22 deg C) or under refrigeration (6 deg C) for 91 days. Samples were analyzed in duplicate by a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay, and clarity and pH were also monitored. One additional solution was preprared from powder but no preservative was added; this solution was monitored for presence of bacterial growth at room temperature only. Solutions prepared from the concentrate and powder with preservative showed no signs of change in clarity on storage. The solution made from powder only developed turbidity after 21 days, which suggested bacterial growth. There was no significant change in pH over the course of the study. After 91 days of storage at either room temperature or under refrigeration, there was no change in concentration for solutions prepared from concentrate or powder with preservative. Methadone solutions prepared from the commercial concentrate or powder with sodium benzoate are stable for 91 days at room temperature or under refrigeration. Solutions prepared from the powder but not containing a preservative showed signs of bacterial growth after 21 days at room temperature. HubMed – addiction

Mechanisms of Reward Circuit Dysfunction in Psychiatric Illness: Prefrontal-Striatal Interactions.

Neuroscientist. 2013 Aug 7;
Pujara M, Koenigs M

The brain’s “reward circuit” has been widely implicated in the pathophysiology of mental illness. Although there has been significant progress in identifying the functional characteristics of individual nodes within the circuit and linking dysfunction of these brain areas to various forms of psychopathology, there remains a substantial gap in understanding how the nodes of the circuit interact with one another, and how the growing neurobiological knowledge may be applied to improve psychiatric patient care. In this article, we summarize what is currently known about the functions and interactions of two key nodes of this circuit-the ventral striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal/orbital frontal cortex-in relation to mental illness. HubMed – addiction