Addiction Medicine and Addiction Psychiatry Updates

A thoughtful article by Molly McGrath of ASAM about much-needed expansion of methadone access into skilled nursing facilities.    https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/reach-growing-population-older-adults-opioid-use-disorder-expand-access-methadone

  AAAP Travel Award Applications are Open! Apply for one of these prestigious Awards for AAAP’s 33rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium (December 8 – 11, 2022 in Naples, FL). All winners receive at least one year free AAAP membership and one year free registration to the meeting. See who  won last year . Note: Those who have previously been awarded a AAAP travel award of any kind are not eligible to receive a travel award.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) strives to increase opportunities for residents to learn about the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders; and, to encourage young investigators in the fields of addiction research and practice.  And we would like to extend an invitation to you to apply for the   Ruth Fox Scholarship   and the   National Institute on Drug Abuse - Young Investigator Travel Award . Applications opened July 1, 2022, and close August 15, 2022   For more information, please visit our website  https://www.asam.org/ membership/asam-award-programs .    Questions? Contact ASAM Scholarships at  scholarships@asam.org .

Author summary Why was this study done There is growing evidence that even moderate alcohol consumption negatively impacts the brain, but the mechanisms underlying this are unclear. One possibility is that accumulation of iron in the brain could contribute, as higher brain iron has been described in numerous neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies investigating if brain iron levels differ by level of alcohol consumption. What did the researchers do and find In 20,965 participants in a United Kingdom cohort study, we explored relationships between self-reported alcohol consumption and brain iron levels, measured using magnetic resonance imaging. We assessed the association of alcohol intake with blood and liver iron and cognitive measures associated with higher brain iron. Alcohol consumption above 7 units (56 g) weekly was associated with markers of higher iron in the basal ganglia, which in tu

Methadone is a Food and Drug Administration- (FDA-) approved medication for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), a chronic brain disease that affects more than 2.7 million people in the United States aged 12 and older. Despite its effectiveness in saving lives, many barriers impede access to, initiation of, and retention in methadone treatment for OUD. To address these barriers, on March 3 and 4, 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop on "Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Examining Federal Regulations and Laws," at the request of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

By Margaret M. Linnehan, M.S.  July 2022. https://drugfree.org/parent-blog/the-grief-of-an-overdose-death-and-how-you-can-support-someone-grieving-a-substance-use-loss/

Opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after surgical discharge: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials Findings from this meta-analysis support that opioid prescribing at surgical discharge does not reduce pain intensity but does increase adverse events. Evidence relied on trials focused on  elective surgeries  of minor and moderate extent, suggesting that clinicians can consider prescribing opioid-free analgesia in these surgical settings. Data were largely derived from low-quality trials, and none involved patients having major or major-complex procedures. Given these limitations, there is a great need to advance the quality and scope of research in this field. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00582-7/fulltext Editorial Comment:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673622007772

Save the Date for ARC 2022! August 20, 6-10pm | Sugar Space Arts Warehouse ARC: Art for the Recovery Community is an annual art festival sponsored by the Utah Society of Addiction Medicine to showcase and celebrate local artists in recovery. The festival welcomes artists of all disciplines ranging from poetry, photography, and visual art to music, dance, spoken word, and beyond. We come together in order to share our work, celebrate the process of recovery, and utilize art’s unique power to open, expand, and deepen channels of communication and understanding within our local community.

NIDA. 2022, July 6. Time To Start Talking about Pre-Addiction. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2022/07/time-to-start-talking-about-pre-addiction on 2022, July 6 " In a  commentary published today in  JAMA Psychiatry , Tom McLellan of the Treatment Research Institute, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Director George Koob, and I [Nora Volkow] raise the possibility of moving toward a plan for better detection and support of those in the early stages of substance use disorder that, if untreated, may lead them to develop a severe health condition – addiction."

Access digital versions of the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Practice Guideline from ASAM here, including the updated patient guide: Opioid Addiction Treatment Patient Guide A Guide for Patients, Families and Friends   Last updated May 24, 2022 ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder 2020 Focused Update