Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Bradley D. Stein, Rosanna Smart, Christopher M. Jones, Flora Sheng, David Powell, Mark Sorbero
Summary: This study examined naloxone co-prescribing in long-term opioid therapy episodes and found that the rate of co-prescribing is low overall, with variations based on different individual and community characteristics.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gonzalo R. Quintana, Conall E. Mac Cionnaith, James G. Pfaus
Summary: This article reviews evidence from studies on laboratory species and humans, discussing sexually conditioned preferences in males and females for place, partner, and ejaculatory cues, as well as the underlying neurochemical, molecular, and epigenetic mechanisms. The findings suggest that opioid transmission at mu opioid receptors plays a role in sexual pleasure and reward, leading to activation of dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin systems responsible for attention, arousal, and bonding. First experiences with sexual reward imprint partner- or object-related cues into idiosyncratic types that are found sexually attractive and arousing. These mechanisms link reward and reproduction, maintaining variability within a species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Susan M. M. Cibulsky, Timo Wille, Renee Funk, Danny Sokolowski, Christine Gagnon, Marc Lafontaine, Carol Brevett, Rabih Jabbour, Jessica Cox, David R. R. Russell, David A. A. Jett, Jerry D. D. Thomas, Lewis S. S. Nelson
Summary: The large amounts of opioids and the emergence of increasingly potent illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids are not only causing a public health crisis of overdose deaths, but also raising the risk of deliberate opioid release with the intention to cause mass harm. Awareness of the risk, preparedness to respond, and coordinated planning are required to save lives and reduce illness. Rapid recognition of opioid toxidrome, education on personal protective actions, and training in medical management are key components of preparedness for an opioid mass casualty incident.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Christine Ramdin, Kira Chandran, Lewis Nelson, Maryann Mazer-Amirshahi
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the trend of naloxone prescribing and co-prescription with opioids in the emergency departments. The results showed an increasing rate of naloxone prescribing at discharge, as well as an increase in naloxone and opioid co-prescribing. Further research is needed to confirm these trends, and targeted interventions should be implemented to increase access to this life-saving antidote.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Criminology & Penology
Michael D. White, Dina Perrone, Aili Malm, Seth Watts
Summary: Police play a crucial role in addressing the opioid crisis, with survey results showing strong support for carrying and administering naloxone, as well as increased confidence and competence in responding to overdoses.
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(2021)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Amina Moustaqim-Barrette, Damon Dhillon, Justin Ng, Kristen Sundvick, Farihah Ali, Tara Elton-Marshall, Pamela Leece, Katherine Rittenbach, Max Ferguson, Jane A. Buxton
Summary: Naloxone programs, especially 'take-home naloxone', have emerged as a key intervention in reducing opioid overdose deaths. Existing systematic reviews and best practice guidelines mainly focus on naloxone effectiveness, safety, provision feasibility, dosing and routes of administration, overdose response after naloxone administration, cost-effectiveness, training and education, as well as recommendations for policy, practice, and knowledge gaps.
Article
Neurosciences
Allison E. Carney, Caitlin Clarke, Wayne E. Pratt
Summary: Previous research has shown that both dopamine and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) play a role in motivated behavior, potentially through interaction within the neural circuitry related to motivation. This study aimed to further understand the relationship between NAc NPY and dopamine and their effects on motivated behavior. The findings suggest that NPY in the NAc shell can improve motivational impairments caused by dopamine antagonism, and these effects are specific to the site of injection. These results imply that increasing NPY expression in neurodegenerative diseases may help alleviate early motivational deficits caused by dopamine depletion.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Christopher Dunphy, Kun Zhang, Gery P. Guy, Christopher M. Jones
Summary: The rate of commercially insured individuals being co-dispensed naloxone increased between 2015 and 2018 across all population subgroups. Despite increases in naloxone dispensing from 2015 to 2018, the provision of naloxone to the commercially insured population remains low. Opportunities remain to increase the supply of naloxone to at-risk populations.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
M. Cristina Beneitez Garcia, Rocio Giron Moreno, Ines Colmena Crespo, Rosalia M. Diez-Orejas, M. Isabel Martin Fontelles, Carlos Goicoechea Garcia, Eva M. Sanchez-Robles, M. Esther Gil-Alegre
Summary: The misuse of opioids not only poses a public health emergency but also has significant social and economic implications. The main therapy involves the use of opioid antagonists. This study evaluates the anti-opioid properties of naloxone loaded-poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid microparticles (NX-MP) both in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrate the efficacy of NX-MP in antagonizing morphine effects and suggest its potential as a non-addictive alternative to naltrexone.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Kristin E. Schneider, Glenna J. Urquhart, Saba Rouhani, Ju Nyeong Park, Miles Morris, Sean T. Allen, Susan G. Sherman
Summary: Despite some opioid users having access to naloxone, a significant proportion still perceive difficulty in obtaining it in the community. Many participants were not aware of multiple locations where they could obtain naloxone, with the health department being the most commonly identified source. Identifying multiple sources of naloxone was associated with easier access perception.
HARM REDUCTION JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Substance Abuse
Rosanna Smart, Bryce Pardo, Corey S. Davis
Summary: The existing literature on naloxone access laws in the United States supports beneficial effects for increased naloxone distribution, but provides inconclusive evidence for reduced fatal opioid overdose. Mixed findings may reflect variation in the laws' design and implementation, confounding effects of concurrent policy adoption, or differential effectiveness in light of changing opioid environments.
Article
Substance Abuse
Bradley D. Stein, Christopher M. Jones, Rosanna Smart, Flora Sheng, Mark Sorbero
Summary: Prescribing naloxone to patients receiving buprenorphine treatment is a tangible clinical action to prevent opioid overdose deaths, but rates of filling naloxone prescriptions remain low in this high-risk group. Medicaid and Medicare payment episodes have higher odds of filled naloxone prescriptions compared to commercial insurance episodes. Strategies should be implemented to facilitate increased co-prescribing of naloxone to at-risk individuals by states, insurers, and health systems.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Lauren Lipira, Gillian Leichtling, Ryan R. Cook, Judith M. Leahy, E. Roberto Orellana, P. Todd Korthuis, Timothy W. Menza
Summary: The study found insufficient and highly variable rates of naloxone ownership among two samples of people who inject drugs in Portland and rural Western Oregon. Factors influencing naloxone ownership were different between the urban and rural samples.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Luca Berardi, Sandra Bucerius, Kevin D. Haggerty, Harvey Krahn
Summary: The study investigated the factors influencing the incorporation of Narcan into police practice through semi-structured interviews and web surveys, focusing on personal knowledge and attitudes, as well as the inner setting of the police organization. Findings suggest that whether officers administered Narcan depended on their knowledge and concern about the fentanyl situation, training on Narcan, availability of the medication, and willingness to use it on citizens.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ingrid A. Binswanger, Deborah Rinehart, Shane R. Mueller, Komal J. Narwaney, Melanie Stowell, Nicole Wagner, Stan Xu, Rebecca Hanratty, Josh Blum, Kevin McVaney, Jason M. Glanz
Summary: Co-dispensing naloxone with opioids effectively increased naloxone receipt and knowledge but did not increase self-reported risk behavior.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
James G. Pfaus, Amama Sadiq, Carl Spana, Anita H. Clayton
Summary: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a common female sexual dysfunction associated with an imbalance of hormone and neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Current treatments include psychotherapy and medications that act by activating presynaptic MC4Rs to increase release of the excitatory neurotransmitter DA, affecting female sexual desire.
Article
Neurosciences
Marcos Garcia-Juarez, Ailyn Luna-Hernandez, Sandra Tapia-Hernandez, Omar Montes-Narvaez, Raymundo Dominguez-Ordonez, Miriam B. Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran, James G. Pfaus, Oscar Gonzalez-Flores
Summary: This study investigated the effect of apelin-13 on different brain areas at varying doses, and found that it can induce lordosis behavior, with a more pronounced effect in the VMH of EB-primed rats, and only the 0.75 μg infusion of apelin in the POA induced significant lordosis at 120 and 240 min.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
James G. Pfaus, Karolin Tsarski
Summary: This case report describes a woman who, after tantric training, developed the ability to achieve and control the duration of a subjective orgasmic state without genital stimulation. The study found that prolactin levels increased after non-genitally stimulated orgasms, similar to genitally stimulated orgasms. These findings suggest that non-genital stimulation can induce the same physiological changes as genital stimulation.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Oscar Gonzalez-Flores, James G. Pfaus, Ailyn Luna-Hernandez, Omar Montes-Narvaez, Raymundo Dominguez-Ordonez, Miriam B. Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran, Marcos Garcia-Juarez
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that the Kiss and MCH pathways regulate female sexual behavior induced by steroid hormones. The results showed that the administration of Kiss inhibitor and MCH significantly reduced lordosis behavior induced by hormonal stimulation, supporting the hypothesis.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy J. Wells, Lucie Krejcova, Jakub Binter, James G. Pfaus, Rachel R. Horsley
Summary: Reward based learning is considered to be fundamental in the development and maintenance of addictive behavior. This study aims to investigate the impact of conditioned Pavlovian stimulus on sexual compulsivity. The results showed that individuals with high online sexual behavior (OSB) had stronger responses to reward stimuli, but the difference compared to low OSB individuals was not significant. High OSB was negatively correlated with inhibitory control and reward sensitivity. Further research should explore the effects of aversive conditioning on high OSB individuals.
Article
Immunology
Nour Yahfoufi, Anthony K. Kadamani, Sarah Aly, Sara Al Sharani, Jacky Liang, James Butcher, Alain Stintzi, Chantal Matar, Nafissa Ismail
Summary: Puberty is a critical period of development characterized by brain remodeling and vulnerability to immune challenges. Probiotic treatment during puberty can alleviate inflammation and gut dysbiosis, protecting against enduring behavioral disorders, with sex-specific effects.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Shann Menard, Helene Gelez, Genaro A. Coria-Avila, James G. Pfaus
Summary: Oxytocin and vasopressin are principal neurochemical substrates of bonding in monogamous species. Conditioning of sexual partner preference activates oxytocin and vasopressin neurons in the hypothalamus, and alters receptor densities. Sexual experience alone increases oxytocin receptor densities in certain brain regions, suggesting its role in the processing of sex-related cues.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Vasilios Pallikaras, Conall E. Mac E. Cionnaith, Vanessa C. Fernandez Rosales, Andreas Arvanitogiannis, James G. Pfaus
Summary: The study found that exposure to rewards can alter behavioral reactivity to them, and rewards can cross-sensitize each other. In adult male rats, single and repeated pre-exposure to methylphenidate (MPH) or sex had different effects on locomotor activation and sexual performance. Pre-exposure to MPH increased the amount of sexual stimulation needed to achieve ejaculation.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
James G. Pfaus
Summary: This article examines the spread of cancel culture related to sex and gender controversies in North America, which is seen as a part of a larger movement to politicize sex research findings and narratives. It discusses how this binary perspective is used by academic administrators and empowered individuals or groups to reward or punish scholars for their viewpoints, leading to potential damage to their careers. The article highlights the fear among academic administrators of harming the university's brand reputation.
ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Emma Murray, James Butcher, Madeleine May Kearns, Sanjeevani Lamba, Jacky Liang, Alain Stintzi, Nafissa Ismail
Summary: Puberty is a critical period of development marked by the maturation of stress and immune systems. Age and sex differences in immune responses are potentially mediated by gut microbial composition. Cohousing adult and pubertal mice mitigated age-dependent immune responses and eliminated age differences in gut bacterial diversity, suggesting microbial composition as a potential therapeutic target.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Kevin B. Smith, Michael Murack, Nafissa Ismail
Summary: Illness can be predicted before symptoms appear. Exposure to stress during critical periods of development, such as puberty, can lead to physical and mental illnesses. Puberty is an important period for the development of neuroendocrine systems, and stress during this time can have long-term effects on brain functioning and behavior. There are sex differences in stress responsivity during puberty, partly due to differences in sex hormones. The effects of stress on health during puberty need more research. This review summarizes recent findings on HPA axis, HPG axis, and immune system development, and discusses the role of these systems in disease. It also explores the contributions of neuroimmunity, sex differences, and the gut microbiome on stress and health outcomes. Understanding the long-term consequences of stress during puberty on physical and mental health can improve early intervention and prevention of stress-related diseases.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kevin B. Smith, Jasmine Zhong, Sarah K. Gostlin, Jacky Liang, Nafissa Ismail
Summary: Pubertal stress leads to enduring sexual behavior dysfunction, possibly due to the pubertal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This study reveals that lipopolysaccharide treatment decreases hypothalamic Kiss1 and Kiss1r expression in both pubertal and adult mice within 8 hours, with the decreased Kiss1 expression persisting 4 weeks later only in pubertal mice. These findings highlight the age-dependent vulnerability of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to immune stress and have implications for sexual and fertility-related dysfunctions.
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Urology & Nephrology
James G. Pfaus, Adam Safron, Ellen Zakreski
Summary: Synchronous behaviors between individuals are nonverbal signs of closeness and common purpose. They are mediated by neural systems for sexual motivation and recognition of common movements. Behavioral synchrony is vital to relationship formation and satisfaction, while asynchrony can lead to discontent and jealousy. Observing patterns of nonverbal sexual and romantic synchrony can offer insights into the potential quality of relationships.
SEXUAL MEDICINE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
James G. Pfaus, Radu A. Antonie, Peter I. Dosa, Suck Won Kim
Summary: This study examined the effects of Cabergoline (CAB) and its derivative Dimethylcabergoline (DMC) on the sexual behaviors of male rats. Both CAB and DMC were found to facilitate ejaculations, with CAB also promoting anticipatory sexual motivation and intromissions.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
James G. Pfaus
Summary: This article reviews the history of pharmacotherapy for sexual desire disorders, highlighting the political debate between clinical psychologists, sexologists, sociologists, and sexual medicine and uro-gyn communities. It also discusses the current climate for further development of pharmacotherapies and their promise as adjuncts to sex therapy for HSDD.
CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS
(2022)
