• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.349-351
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• 2023

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.91-95
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• 2013

It is important to check the types of drugs when treating acute drug intoxication. This study researches the clinical characteristics and types of patients hospitalized in emergency medical center for drug addiction in 2009 and 2010. By applying a drug addiction selecting kit, it studied the flexibility and clinical efficiency during diagnosis and treatment. The study result shows, among the drugs causing addiction, Sedative accounts for 34.4%, Herdicide 23.5%, Analgesic 17.2%, Insectide 7.8% and else 17.2%. Sedative showed the highest proportion both in 2009 and 2010. Among the drug addicted patients, 39 cases did not know that the drugs are poisonous and among them, the drug addiction selecting kit was positive in 32 cases (82.0%). In 42 cases where addiction was suspicious, 25 cases (59.5%) were positive in the drug addiction selecting kit. In 57 cases of using drug addiction selecting kits, the cases in which benzodiazepine was positive, were 30 and the most frequently cases were as follows; Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA) 13 cases, Amphetamines 3 cases, barbiturate 3 cases, and piate 3 cases. In the district using drug addiction kit meaningfully had Flumazenil injection much greater impact than the one not using the kit. This proves the efficiency of the kit (p<0.05). The uses of drug addiction selecting kits are for acute drug intoxicated patients and for providing objective and scientific information when emergency medical doctor are checking unchecked poisoning drugs. It is considered that drug addiction selecting kits would give help when treating the early stage of drug addicted patients in emergency medical treatment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.379-385
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• 2017

Drug addiction is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by the compulsive pursuit of drugs of abuse despite potential adverse consequences. Although several decades of studies have revealed that psychostimulant use can result in extensive alterations of neural circuits and physiology, no effective therapeutic strategies or medicines for drug addiction currently exist. Changes in neuronal connectivity and regulation occurring after repeated drug exposure contribute to addiction-like behaviors in animal models. Among the involved brain areas, including those of the reward system, the striatum is the major area of convergence for glutamate, GABA, and dopamine transmission, and this brain region potentially determines stereotyped behaviors. Although the physiological consequences of striatal neurons after drug exposure have been relatively well documented, it remains to be clarified how changes in striatal connectivity underlie and modulate the expression of addiction-like behaviors. Understanding how striatal circuits contribute to addiction-like behaviors may lead to the development of strategies that successfully attenuate drug-induced behavioral changes. In this review, we summarize the results of recent studies that have examined striatal circuitry and pathway-specific alterations leading to addiction-like behaviors to provide an updated framework for future investigations.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.426-434
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• 2022

Aim: This study investigates the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 (GsRb1) on methamphetamine (METH)-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and METH-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. It also examines whether GsRb1 can regulate these effects through the NR2B/ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling pathways. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with GsRb1 (20 mM and 40 mM) for 1 h, followed by METH treatment (2 mM) for 24 h. Rats were treated with METH (2 mg/kg) or saline on alternating days for 10 days to allow CPP to be examined. GsRb1 (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 1 h before METH or saline. Western blot was used to examine the protein expression of NR2B, ERK, P-ERK, CREB, P-CREB, and BDNF in the SH-SY5Y cells and the rats' hippocampus, nucleus accumbens (NAc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Results: METH dose-dependently reduced the viability of SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment of cells with 40 µM of GsRb1 increased cell viability and reduced the expression of METH-induced NR2B, p-ERK, p-CREB and BDNF. GsRb1 also attenuated the expression of METH CPP in a dose-dependent manner in rats. Further, GsRb1 dose-dependently reduced the expression of METH-induced NR2B, p-ERK, p-CREB, and BDNF in the PFC, hippocampus, and NAc of rats. Conclusion: GsRb1 regulated METH-induced neurotoxicity in vitro and METH-induced CPP through the NR2B/ERK/CREB/BDNF regulatory pathway. GsRb1 could be a therapeutic target for treating METH-induced neurotoxicity or METH addiction.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.712-726
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to find out what discourse the newspaper's articles produce and distribute about 'drug addiction' and to reveal the topography and meaning of the discourse. Data were collected by searching 'drug' 'drug addiction' as keywords for news articles in four daily newspapers in Korea. As a result of analyzing using Norman Fairclough's critical discourse analysis, first, the 'crime-punishment' discourse was dominant in textual analysis. Drug addiction is a social evil and a serious crime such as sex crimes, child crimes, and violence, so it should be strictly punished. Second, in the discourse practice analysis, drug addiction is a mental disease that needs treatment, so systematic management by the state is required. Third, in the socio-cultural practice analysis, drug addiction is a means of making money for economic benefit, is related to corruption of political power, and is an object that should be strongly controlled to prevent drug crimes from threatening the foundation of the state. Culturally, drug addiction stems from the motivation of pleasure seeking, and is the result of moral degradation. Through this analysis, the conversion to the 'disease-treatment' discourse and drug policies centered on treatment and rehabilitation were suggested as alternatives.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.688-696
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide implications for Korea's addiction measures by comparing the service delivery system for drug addiction in Korea and Japan. The method of research in this study is literature research. The collected data were analyzed using the Inter-Country Difference Act. According to the study, South Korea and Japan were supporting addicts and their families with a seemingly similar system for dealing with drug addiction. But the difference was also found. The difference between Korea and Japan on coping with drug addiction is, first, that Korea does not have an organization that only supports drug addiction. Second, continuous aid was insufficient even though it was an easy addiction to recur. As a suggestion to solve these problems, first, countermeasures for drug addiction alone are needed. Second, close and complementary links are needed within an integrated service delivery system. Third, persistence and appropriateness for treatment and rehabilitation are needed. Fourth, it suggested the need for preventive education contents.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.519-526
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• 2013

Dopamine (DA) regulates emotional and motivational behavior through the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. Changes in DA signaling in mesolimbic neurotransmission are widely believed to modify reward-related behaviors and are therefore closely associated with drug addiction. Recent evidence now suggests that as with drug addiction, obesity with compulsive eating behaviors involves reward circuitry of the brain, particularly the circuitry involving dopaminergic neural substrates. Increasing amounts of data from human imaging studies, together with genetic analysis, have demonstrated that obese people and drug addicts tend to show altered expression of DA D2 receptors in specific brain areas, and that similar brain areas are activated by food-related and drug-related cues. This review focuses on the functions of the DA system, with specific focus on the physiological interpretation and the role of DA D2 receptor signaling in food addiction.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze addiction prevention related content shown in middle school text books. Methods: Using a combination of the terms "addiction", "drug", "medicine", "personal preference", "smoking", "drinking", "sex", "misuse" or "abuse" as key words, the researchers screened the table of contents of 23 randomly selected middle school textbooks from the 2009 curriculum. Finally 13 textbooks (physical education=10, health=3) were selected for this study, and analyzed using Krippendorff's contents analysis. Results: Through indepth discussion and investigation of the relevant textbooks, content related to addiction prevention included material addiction (77.8%) and behavioral addiction (22.2%). The construction of addiction prevention in middle school textbooks included understanding addiction, rejection of peer temptation, and empowerment of self-control. Conclusion: When developing an intervention for addiction prevention that targets middle school students, education with accurate addiction information must be considered so that the students have the correct knowledge about addiction and addiction prevention. Additionally, the ability to reject peer temptation when invited to act upon related addiction behaviors should be treated seriously. The empowerment of self-control is also important, and can be promoted through strengthening self-regulation competence.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2006

Addiction to illicit drugs is one of today's most important social issues. Most addictive drugs lead to irreversible parenchymal changes in the human brain. Neuroimaging data bring to light the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the abused drugs, and demonstrate that addiction is a disease of the brain. Continuous researches better illustrate the neurochemical alterations in brain function, and attempt to discover the links to consequent behavioral changes. Newer hypotheses and theories follow the numerous results, and more rational methods of approaching therapy are being developed. Substance abuse is on the rise in Korea, and social interest in the matter as well. On the other hand, diagnosis and treatment of drug addiction is still very difficult, because how the abused substance acts in the brain, or how it leads to behavioral problems is not widely known. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of drug addiction can improve the process of diagnosing addict patients, planning therapy, and predicting the prognosis. Neuroimaging approaches by nuclear medicine methods are expected to objectively judge behavioral and neurochemical changes, and response to treatment. In audition, as genes associated with addictive behavior are discovered, functional nuclear medicine images will aid in the assessment of individuals. Reviewing published literature on neuroimaging regarding nuclear medicine is expected to be of assistance to the management of drug addict patients. What's more, means of applying nuclear medicine to the care of drug addict patients should be investigated further.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.65-69
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• 2004

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment for many functional disorders, such as substances abuse and mental dysfunction. In general, acupuncture is known to be simple, economic; painless, non-traumatic, and without untoward reaction, being able to inhibit the abstinence syndrome. Although a number of studies on acupuncture have been reported, a few studies described acupuncture effect on drug addiction. Evidences suggest that substances abuses including nicotine, cocaine and alcohol are in part related to its effects on dopamine neurons in the reward pathways of the brain. The effects of acupuncture on drug addiction may be mediated through the neuronal cells within the limbic structures, which are known to be involved in rewarding properties of drug abuse. This essay reviews clinical and experimental evidences for its effectiveness on the drug addiction, and discusses a plausible explanation for the mechanism of acupuncture on substances abuse.