Influence of Betaxolol on the Methamphetamine Dependence in Mice

OBJECTIVE: The noradrenaline system is involved in the reward effects of various kinds of abused drugs. Betaxolol (BTX) is a highly selective β1-antagonist. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of BTX on methamphetamine (MAP)-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and hyperactivity in mice. METHODS: The mice (n=72) were treated with MAP or saline every other day for a total of 6 days (from day 3 to day 8; 3-times MAP and 3-times saline). Each mouse was given saline (1 mL/kg) or MAP (1 mg/kg, s.c.) or BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or MAP with BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to the administration of MAP (1 mg/kg, s.c.) every other day and paired with for 1 h (three-drug and three-saline sessions). We then compared the CPP score between the two groups. After the extinction of CPP, the mice were given BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (1 mL/kg) 24 h prior to a priming injection of MAP, and were then immediately tested to see whether the place preference was reinstated. RESULTS: The repeated administration of BTX 30 min prior to the exposure to MAP significantly reduced the development of MAP-induced CPP. When BTX was administered 24 h prior to the CPP-testing session on day 9, it also significantly attenuated the CPP, but did not result in any change of locomotor activity. In the drug-priming reinstatement study, the extinguished CPP was reinstated by a MAP (0.125 mg/kg, s.c.) injection and this was significantly attenuated by BTX. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that BTX has a therapeutic and preventive effect on the development, expression, and drug-priming reinstatement of MAP-induced CPP.

Psychosomatic Symptoms of Rotating Shift and Daytime Working Nurses in a General Hospital / 정신신체의학

OBJECTIVES: Shift work disorder occurs when you have difficulties adjusting to a work schedule that takes place during a time which most people sleep. Some people may have diverse psychosomatic symptoms, such as sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and headaches even after the shift work schedule ends. The aims of this study are to compare difference of psychosomatic symptoms between rotating shift and daytime working nurse groups. METHODS: Volunteer nurses working in a general hospital were recruited in a general hospital. We collected sociodemographic data. We used questionnaires for headache type, headache frequency, and VAS(Visual Analog Scale) for headache intensity, BDI(Beck depression Inventory) and GSAQ(Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire). We used Mann-Whitney test and Chi-square test for hypothesis testing. RESULTS: Data collected from 84 women nurses. Rotating shift(N=37) working nurses showed younger, more unmarried, and shorter work periods than daytime working nurses (N=47). Also rotating shift group showed more problems of headache, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression and anxiety than daytime group. The above results were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The rotating shift work women nurses produced more headache, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, and anxiety than daytime working ones.

A Study of Personality Disorders in Alcoholics / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of personality disorders among non-alcoholics and hospitalized alcoholics and the extent and nature of the overlap between different axis II disorders. METHODS: Subjects were 87 non-alcoholics in the general population group and 94 alcoholics admitted to psychiatric hospital. Alcohol dependence was diagnosed according to DSM-IV by the MAST, and general group and patients were assessed with the PDQ-4+. RESULTS: In the general population group, 52.3% of non-alcoholics had at least one personality disorder and the average number of personality disorders was 1.23 per person. In the alcohol group, 88.3% of the patients had at least one personality disorder and the average number of personality disorders was 4.26 per patient. CONCLUSION: In our study, there is no single "alcoholic personality" emerged.