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Latent class analysis of substance use among men who have sex with men in Malaysia: Findings from the Asian Internet MSM Sex Survey

Lim SH, Cheung DH, Guadamuz TE, Wei C, Koe S, Altice FL

Drug Alcohol Depend, 2015 Jun 1;151:31-7.
PMID: 25865907 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.02.040

BACKGROUND: High prevalence of substance use among men who have sex with men (MSM) may drive the HIV epidemic in Malaysia but patterns of substance use among Malaysian MSM have not been examined. Our study investigated specific Malaysian MSM risk groups to determine the association between their substance use and sexual risk behaviors.
METHODS: Data from Malaysian respondents (n=1235) in a large, multinational online survey of Asian MSM in 2010 were used to identify latent classes of substance use. Subsequent covariates were included in a joint model to predict class membership.
RESULTS: The 3-class model was identified as the best fitting model, which included: (1) 'negligible substance use' for those reporting none or using any substance sparingly; (2) 'soft substance use' for those using poppers, ecstasy and drinking before sex; and (3) 'amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use' for those using stimulants (methamphetamine, ecstasy), erectile dysfunction drugs and recreational drug use before sex. Men in the 'ATS use' category were significantly less likely to not know their HIV status (AOR: 0.30, 95%CI: 0.14,0.66), more likely to have had more than 6 male sex partners (AOR: 4.83, 95% CI: 1.92-12.2), to have group sex (AOR:4.07, 95% CI: 2.31-7.15), to report inconsistent condom use (AOR:2.01, 95% CI: 1.12-3.60), to be HIV-infected (AOR:3.92, 95% CI: 1.63-8.42) and to have had any sexually transmitted infections (AOR:3.92, 95% CI:1.70, 9.08), compared to men in the 'negligible substance use' category.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified subgroups of Malaysian MSM with distinct substance use patterns and HIV-related risk profiles, which provides implication for targeting HIV prevention in this subpopulation.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine-Related Disorders/epidemiology
Treatment Barriers Associated with Amphetamine-Type Stimulant (ATS) Use in Malaysia

Singh D, Narayanan S, Shanmugam T, Vicknasingam B

J Psychoactive Drugs, 2021 Mar 22.
PMID: 33749541 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2021.1900627

People who use amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) are known to face barriers in seeking treatment. We sought to identify these barriers and gender differences in barriers (if any) faced by them. A convenience sample of 386 respondents who use ATS was recruited from five formal drug rehabilitation centers for this cross-sectional study. The majority were male (83%), with 17% being female. The barriers most frequently cited by both men and women were: the perception that ATS use needed no treatment, fears of community discrimination, peer influence, and long waiting time to get into a treatment programme. One-third of the sample held that the mandated treatment programmes were ineffective, based on past experience. In terms of male-female differences, long waiting time discouraged significantly more women than men, whereas more men than women asserted that formal treatment programmes were ineffective. We also found no significant differences in barriers faced by ATS users and those using ATS with other illicit substances. Outreach initiatives to minimize the impact of treatment barriers, coupled with offering separate treatment protocols and facilities, will encourage people who use ATS to seek treatment voluntarily.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine
Fulltext Striatum Hyperactivity Triggers Relapse to Morphine and Methamphetamine (Polydrug) Dependence in Mice

Wasli NS, Ridzwan IE, Azzubaidi MS, Kasmuri AR, Ahmed QU, Ming LC, et al.

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 Nov;12(Suppl 2):S826-S830.
PMID: 33828384 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_379_19

Introduction: κ-opioid receptor (KOPr) system has been linked to relapse to many substances, especially opioids. Positive responses were recently reported in morphine and methamphetamine (polydrug)-dependent mice treated with buprenorphine and naltrexone, a functional κ antagonist.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the specific brain region that is responsive to KOPr treatment following polydrug dependence.
Materials and Methods: The polydrug-dependent mice model was developed using conditioned place preference (CPP) method. Following successful withdrawal phase, the mice were treated with 0.3 mg/kg buprenorphine and 1.0 mg/kg naltrexone. Four brain regions (hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and striatum) were investigated using immunohistochemistry technique. This is to quantify the changes in KOPr expression in each major brain region that was primarily involved in addiction neurocircuits of many substances. Unpaired Student's t test was used to analyze all results, where P < 0.05 is considered significant.
Results: The results showed that treatment with buprenorphine and naltrexone successfully attenuated relapse in 60% of mice (n = 14). A significant upregulation of KOPr was detected in striatum at the end of post-withdrawal phase (P < 0.01, n = 12). This treatment successfully suppressed KOPr in striatum (P < 0.001, n = 12), which supports the positive results seen in the CPP setting. No significant changes were observed in other brain regions studied.
Conclusion: The hyperactivity of striatum suggests that the affected brain region following KOPr antagonist treatment is the region that primarily controls the drug rewarding activity, in which nucleus accumbens is located. This indicates that manipulation of KOPr system is one of the potential targets to treat morphine- or methamphetamine-dependence problem.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine-Related Disorders
Fulltext Schizophrenia, substance use and aggressions: what are the relationships?

Rusdi Abd. Rashid, Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman, Nor Zuraida Zainal, Noorzurani Robson, Mas Ayu Said, Mohammad Hussain Habil, et al.

ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2010;11(1):72-78.
MyJurnal

Objectives: The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of substance abuse for alcohol, cannabis, opiates, stimulants, solvent and other substances among patients with schizophrenia in Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK), Perak , Central Peninsular of Malaysia. This study also aims to determine the association of substance abuse with aggression, the demographic characteristics and total duration of hospitalization.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study whereby the first 194 subjects diagnosed to have schizophrenia based on International Classification of Disease, 10th edition (ICD-10) criteria were taken from data registry of patients admitted to HBUK from January until February 2004. The subjects’ medical files were examined for documentation of substances abuse, aggression and accumulative duration of hospitalization.
Results: The results showed the prevalence of substances misuse among patients with schizophrenia in general (including alcohol) was 24.7%. Cannabis 16.7%, alcohol 13.4%, opiates(heroin) 6.7%, Amphetamine type stimulants (amphetamine, metamphetamine, ecstacy) 5.7%, and other substances (benzodiazepine, solvents) 1.5%.
Conclusion: There is higher prevalence of substance misuse in patients with schizophrenia as compared to general population. Male patients with history of substance misuse are more likely to have aggression than female. This group needs special precaution and probably in need of specialist help.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine; Methamphetamine
Fulltext Pharmacotherapy for comorbid adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and stimulant dependence: a systematic review

Woon, L.S., Hazli Z., Gan, L.L.Y.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(2):149-161.
MyJurnal

Comorbid adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and stimulant dependence is widely recognized, but efficacy of pharmacotherapy in this patient population is not well established. We aimed to review whether pharmacotherapy is efficacious in reducing ADHD symptoms and stimulant use in comorbid adult ADHD and stimulant use disorder. English articles until June 2017 were systematically searched in electronic databases (MEDLINE and PsycINFO), an online clinical trials register (ClinicalTrial.gov), and through hand-search of article references. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that studied efficacy of pharmacotherapy in adults with comorbid ADHD and stimulant dependence were included. Two reviewers assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data; disagreements were resolved by consensus. Study outcomes included were changes in ADHD symptom severity, substance abstinence, treatment retention rates and safety. From the 1394 records identified, five trials (n=358) were included. Four studies involved methylphenidate; in another study extended-release mixed amphetamine were used. The comorbid stimulant was cocaine in three studies, and amphetamines in the rest. All were short-term studies involving predominantly young male adults conducted in outpatient settings. There is early promising but mixed evidence for therapeutic efficacy in improving ADHD symptoms. Stimulant medications did not worsen stimulant dependence or adverse effects of stimulant medications. Side effects were mild and tolerable. High attrition rates and small sample size limited the generalizability of findings. Current limited evidence suggests that stimulant treatment for comorbid adult ADHD and stimulant dependence is feasible. Welldesigned trials with adequate power are needed for more robust evidence on ADHD and stimulant use outcomes.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine
Fulltext Substance abuse and the HIV situation in Malaysia

Singh D, Chawarski MC, Schottenfeld R, Vicknasingam B

J Food Drug Anal, 2013 Dec;21(4):S46-S51.
PMID: 25278737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2013.09.033

Heroin continues to be the main drug used in Malaysia, while amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) have been recently identified as a growing problem. A cumulative total of 300,241 drug users were detected between 1988 and 2006. It is also estimated that Malaysia has 170,000 injecting drug users. HIV prevalence among drug users in the country ranges from 25% to 45%. Currently, there are approximately 380 general medical practice offices that offer agonist maintenance treatments for approximately 10,000 patients. There are 27,756 active patients in 333 general medical practice offices and government-run methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) centers. The Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP) reached out to 34,244 injection drug users (IDUs) in 2011. In the last 2 years (2011 and 2012) the number of detected drug addicts decreased from 11,194 to 9015. The arrests made by the police related to opiate and cannabis use increased from 41,363 to 63,466 between the years 2008 and 2010, but decreased since 2010. An almost four-fold increase in the number of ATS and ketamine users was detected from 2006 (21,653 users) 2012 (76,812). Between 2004 and 2010, the yearly seizures for heroin ranged between 156 to 270 kg. However, in 2010 and 2011, heroin seizures showed a significant increase of 445kg and 410.02 kg, respectively. There has been a seizure of between 600 to 1000kg of syabu yearly from 2009 to 2012. Similar to heroin, increased seizures for Yaba have also been observed over the last 2 years. A significant increase has also been recorded for the seizures of ecstasy pills from 2011 (47,761 pills) to 2012 (634,573 pills). The cumulative number of reported HIV infections since 1986 is 94,841. In 2011, sexual activity superseded injection drug use as the main transmission factor for the epidemic. HIV in the country mainly involves males, as they constitute 90% of cumulative HIV cases and a majority of those individuals are IDUs. However, HIV infection trends are shifting from males to females. There are 37,306 people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are eligible for treatment, and 14,002 PLHIV were receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) in 2011. The decreasing trend of heroin users who have been detected and arrested could be due to the introduction of medical treatments and harm reduction approaches for drug users, resulting in fewer drug users being arrested. However, we are unable to say with certainty why there has been an increase in heroin seizures in the country. There has been an increasing trend in both ATS users and seizures. A new trend of co-occurring opiate dependence and ATS underscores the need to develop and implement effective treatments for ATS, co-occurring opiate and ATS, and polysubstance abuse disorders. The low numbers of NSEP clients being tested for HIV underscores our caution in interpreting the decline of HIV infections among drug users and the importance of focusing on providing education, prevention, treatment, and outreach to those who are not in treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Amphetamine