Should the French approval of baclofen for alcohol dependence be extended to abstinence maintenance?

Ever since 2018 France has been the only country to approve the gamma aminobutyric acid type B (GABA-B) receptor agonist baclofen for alcohol dependence. This authorization follows a ten-year period of intensive off-label use during which baclofen was used in doses of up to 300 and even 400mg per day to support the gradual reduction of alcohol consumption in patients suffering from alcohol dependence. However, in international clinical trials, baclofen has mainly been studied to support the maintenance of abstinence.

Low-dose ketamine infusion to facilitate opioid tapering in chronic non-cancer pain with opioid-use disorder: a historical cohort study.

Background: Long-term opioid use is associated with pharmacological tolerance, a risk of misuse and hyperalgesia in patients with chronic pain (CP). Tapering is challenging in this context, particularly with comorbid opioid-use disorder (OUD). The antihyperalgesic effect of ketamine, through N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonism, could be useful.

The consumption of psychoactive substances among French physicians: how do they perceive the creation of a dedicated healthcare system?

Introduction: Substance use among physicians can have negative impacts on their health, quality of life, and patient care. While Physician Health Programs (PHPs) have proven effective, many physicians with substance use disorders (SUDs) still face obstacles in seeking help. Our study explores the expectations, attitudes, and experiences of French physicians regarding the implementation of a specialized healthcare system (SHS) for addiction, and their opinions on the factors that could improve the effectiveness of such a service, with a focus on substance use disorders (SUDs).

Self-poisoning by E-cigarette and E-liquids: National Reports to French Poison Control Centers from July 2019 to December 2020: VIGIlance and VAPE: The VIGIVAPE Study.

Introduction: Exposure to e-cigarette liquids, whether intentional or accidental, might lead to adverse events. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and characteristics of exposures to e-liquids reported to French Poison Control Centers.

Methods: All e-liquids exposure cases reported to French Poison Control Centers from July 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020, were reviewed.

What can we learn from PWS and SNORD116 genes about the pathophysiology of addictive disorders?

Addictive disorders have been much investigated and many studies have underlined the role of environmental factors such as social interaction in the vulnerability to and maintenance of addictive behaviors. Research on addiction pathophysiology now suggests that certain behavioral disorders are addictive, one example being food addiction. Yet, despite the growing body of knowledge on addiction, it is still unknown why only some of the individuals exposed to a drug become addicted to it.

[Cannabis use and somatic consequences].

Cannabis use and somatic consequences. Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit psychoactive substance in the world. It is perceived as a low-risk drug, as it is a plant, although many warnings in the medical literature underlined increased complications of cannabis use.

The RDoC approach for translational psychiatry: Could a genetic disorder with psychiatric symptoms help fill the matrix? the example of Prader-Willi syndrome.

The Research Domain Criteria project (RDoc) proposes a new classification system based on information from several fields in order to encourage translational perspectives. Nevertheless, integrating genetic markers into this classification has remained difficult because of the lack of powerful associations between targeted genes and RDoC domains. We hypothesized that genetic diseases with psychiatric manifestations would be good models for RDoC gene investigations and would thereby extend the translational approach to involve targeted gene pathways.

[Substance use disorder in the elderly and specified DSM-5 criteria].

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is commonly thought to be less frequent among the elderly than among younger adults. However, this disorder could be insufficiently screened in this population. And the diagnosis could be difficult to make especially because of specificities of this population.

Teaching Basic Knowledge on Substance Use Disorders: The Impact of e-Learning on Health Professionals.

Purpose: Recent evolution toward a medical perspective on patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) has led to a lack of medical training in substance abuse. To increase this knowledge, a distance learning course ("e-learning") was implemented to teach the general concepts of SUDs to medical residents and health professionals before delivering on-campus courses. The purpose was to evaluate the impact on participants' basic knowledge.

Barriers to seeking help for physicians with substance use disorder: A review.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) might concern as many as 8-15% of physicians. Previous studies suggest that self-diagnosis and self-medication are common practices among physicians. The aim of this review was to identify if barriers to seeking help and medical care for impaired physicians exist.

The Use of Baclofen as a Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Clinical Practice Perspective.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a brain disorder associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Baclofen, a selective gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABA-B) receptor agonist, has emerged as a promising drug for AUD. The use of this drug remains controversial, in part due to uncertainty regarding dosing and efficacy, alongside concerns about safety.