Establishment of a biomarker of peripheral stress in opioid addicts based on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-The improvement effect of exercise

Neuroendocrine Effects of Short-Bout Aerobic Exercises in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background Half of the chronic alcoholic population usually relapses after extensive treatment in de-addiction centers. This craving is due to the reduced release of hormones in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal, and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axes. Exercise has a positive influence on some of these neuroendocrine axes, releasing corticotrophin, cortisol, oxytocin, and vasopressin. Thus, there is a need to study the additional benefits of exercises during de-addiction programs on craving and anxiety in acute alcohol-de-addicted individuals. This study aims to compare blood levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and vasopressin and relate these factors' influence on craving and anxiety in individuals performing short-bout aerobics regularly and those not performing any type of exercise in an alcohol de-addiction center. Methodology In this quasi-experimental study, 76 individuals from an alcohol de-addiction center were selected and divided into two equal groups using systematic random sampling after obtaining ethical clearance from the institutional ethical committee. The experimental group was treated with two sessions of aerobic exercises each day for five days a week. One session consisted of five repetitions of cycling, and the other session consisted of five repetitions of fast walking on a computerized treadmill. In both sessions, two minutes of workout were followed by three minutes of rest. The control group was not given any exercise protocol but was treated with de-addiction medications and advised regular counseling with a psychiatrist similar to the experimental group. The treatment was given for one month. Blood levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and vasopressin were collected before and after intervention in both groups. Anxiety levels and alcohol cravings were measured in both groups using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Penn Alcohol Craving Scale, respectively, before starting the treatment and after one month of treatment. Based on the normality test status, non-parametric statistical tests were used for analyzing data related to oxytocin, cortisol, and vasopressin levels. Anxiety and craving levels were analyzed using parametric statistical tests. Results An extremely significant difference was noted (p < 0.001) before and after treatment in both groups. Individuals in the experimental group treated with short-bout exercises significantly improved their blood levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and vasopressin when compared to the control group. The same levels of improvement were observed for craving and anxiety when compared to the control group. Conclusions Short-bout aerobic exercises showed better results in treating alcohol craving and anxiety in individuals with alcohol use disorder admitted to a de-addiction center. These positive effects may be related to the influence of short-bout aerobic exercises on neuroendocrine effects, which regulate the blood levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and vasopressin.

Systematic review: pain, cognition, and cardioprotection-unpacking oxytocin's contributions in a sport context

Introduction

This systematic review investigates the interplay between oxytocin and exercise; in terms of analgesic, anti-inflammatory, pro-regenerative, and cardioprotective effects. Furthermore, by analyzing measurement methods, we aim to improve measurement validity and reliability.

Methods

Utilizing PRISMA, GRADE, and MECIR protocols, we examined five databases with a modified SPIDER search. Including studies on healthy participants, published within the last 20 years, based on keywords "oxytocin," "exercise" and "measurement," 690 studies were retrieved initially (455 unique records). After excluding studies of clinically identifiable diseases, and unpublished and reproduction-focused studies, 175 studies qualified for the narrative cross-thematic and structural analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in five categories showing the reciprocal impact of oxytocin and exercise: Exercise (50), Physiology (63), Environment (27), Social Context (65), and Stress (49). Exercise-induced oxytocin could promote tissue regeneration, with 32 studies showing its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, while 14 studies discussed memory and cognition. Furthermore, empathy-associated OXTR rs53576 polymorphism might influence team sports performance. Since dietary habits and substance abuse can impact oxytocin secretion too, combining self-report tests and repeated salivary measurements may help achieve precision.

Discussion

Oxytocin's effect on fear extinction and social cognition might generate strategies for mental training, and technical, and tactical development in sports. Exercise-induced oxytocin can affect the amount of stress experienced by athletes, and their response to it. However, oxytocin levels could depend on the type of sport in means of contact level, exercise intensity, and duration. The influence of oxytocin on athletes' performance and recovery could have been exploited due to its short half-life. Examining oxytocin's complex interactions with exercise paves the way for future research and application in sports science, psychology, and medical disciplines.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=512184, identifier CRD42024512184.

Analysis of physical activity and prescription opioid use among US adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Opioid crisis has become a global concern, but whether physical activity (PA) can effectively reduce prescription opioid use remains unclear. The study aimed to examine the relationship of different domains of PA (e.g., occupation-related PA [OPA], transportation-related PA [TPA], leisure-time PA [LTPA]) with prescription opioid use and duration of prescription opioid use.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 27,943 participants aged ≥ 18 years from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2007- March 2020). We examined the relationship of different domains of PA with prescription opioid use and duration of prescription opioid use using multivariable logistic regression. Stratified analysis and a series of sensitivity analysis were used to elevate robustness. All analyses were conducted using appropriate sampling weights.

RESULTS

Of the 27,943 participants, the mean age was 45.10 years, with 14,018 [weighted, 50.0%] females and 11,045 [weighted, 66.0%] non-Hispanic White. After multivariable adjustment, inverse associations between PA and prescription opioid use were observed for sufficient (≥ 150 min/week) total PA (OR,0.68 95%CI [0.56-0.81]), TPA (OR,0.73 95%CI [0.58-0.92]), and LTPA (OR,0.60 95%CI [0.48-0.75]) compared with insufficient PA(< 150 min/week), but not for sufficient OPA (OR,0.93 95%CI [0.79-1.10]). In addition, the associations were dose-responsive, participants had 22-40%, 27-36%, and 26-47% lower odds of using prescription opioids depending on the duration of total PA, TPA, and LTPA, respectively. Nevertheless, the impact of PA on prescription opioid use varied by duration of opioid use. Sufficient total PA was associated with elevated odds of short-term use of prescription opioids (< 90 days). Comparatively, sufficient total PA, TPA, and LTPA had different beneficial effects on reducing long-term use of prescription opioids (≥ 90 days) depending on the strength of opioids.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated sufficient total PA, TPA, and LTPA were inversely associated with prescription opioid use and varied depending on the duration and strength of prescription opioid use. These findings highlight PA can provide policy guidance to address opioid crisis.