The issue of dual diagnoses has resonated across many fields for several decades. It has also been proved that the number of methamphetamine users grows dramatically, so does the number of patients hospitalized for "toxic psychosis" or other psychotic disorders. Schizophrenia and related diseases then form the third largest group of psychiatric patients in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research part was to analyze data of patients sample from Havlíčkův Brod Psychiatric Hospital (PNHB), with concurrent diagnoses F20-F25 and F15.x or F19.x and to describe associations between methamphetamine use and outbreak of schizophrenic mental illness. The research sample was obtained by combining method of selection according to criteria, method of intentional selection through institutions and method of total selection. Havlíčkův Brod Psychiatric Hospital provided anonymized data of 108 patients meeting the required criteria. The data were categorized within the content analysis of the medical documentation text, coded in a simple form and recorded in Excel spreadsheet. In the last phase, the data were analyzed by combining the first, the second and the third degree in contingency tables. The number of hospitalized men was more than double compered with women in the observed period. The average age using...

The empirical literature and government reports alike indicate methamphetamine poses a great threat to the United States in areas such as crime. However, the current scholarship on drug crime has limited information on issues related to methamphetamine crime. To date, previous works on drug crime have yet to systemically examine the impacts of drug seizure amounts related to drug enforcement actions on methamphetamine crime. Further, we do not know whether the findings of earlier works extend and apply to methamphetamine crime. The present study, built on these earlier studies, proposes to examine the impacts of two different types of methamphetamine seizure incidents, small-scale seizures, which are most likely associated with street-level methamphetamine enforcement actions (i.e., arrests and citations), and large-scale seizure incidents, which are most likely associated with high-level methamphetamine enforcement actions (i.e., preplanned enforcement actions such as raids and long-term narcotics investigations), in and around target locations on later street-level methamphetamine crime incidents in the target location. In other words, the main objective of this study is to measure the spatiotemporal spillover impacts of large-scale and small-scale methamphetamine seizure incidents. Methamphetamine crime incident and seizure data, covering January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2020, was obtained from the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS), a division of the San Diego Association of Governments. A two-way fixed-effects (2WFE) spatial lag of X (SLX) model was used to test the aforementioned research questions. Nearby areas based on the target location were defined using first- and second-order queen contiguity method. Larger size nearby target locations were defined by combining areas generated by these two queen contiguity methods. The theories of deterrence, spatial diffusion of benefits, and spatial displacement were applied to explain the spatiotemporal dynamics connecting methamphetamine seizure amounts to later street-level methamphetamine crime incidents. Broadly, the results of regression analysis found possible spatial displacement of methamphetamine crime associated with small-scale seizure incidents while spatial diffusion of benefits was associated with large-scale seizure incidents. The impact sizes and statistical significance of these methamphetamine seizure incidents were dependent on space-time combination. The findings have theoretical, practical, and policy implications for both drug crime researchers and policing practitioners concerned with understanding and suppressing methamphetamine crime. / Criminal Justice

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Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / This study presents a discursive journey with regard to the risk and protective factors confronting individuals who engage in methamphetamine use within the Manenberg area. Given that this journey requires a cautious and sensitive approach to the meaning making of the lived experiences of the six (6) individual users (the informant base); the study adopted an analysis process that would allow for a guided “tour” of these experiences. In doing so, the study made use of the grounded theory method that allowed for this guided “tour” to be fully anchored in the collected data. External to this data, and once the data emerged as engageable themes, the study introduced, relevantly so, Bronfenbrenner's social-ecological model of human development, so to multiply and deepen the meanings embedded within the data. The merging of this external frame, provided by Bronfenbrenner's model, and the rich data provided by the six (6) informants, uncovered critical themes in understanding the risk and protective factors at play within Manenberg. These themes relate to the historical identity of Manenberg, given the history of Apartheid, the role of the local community and its perceived tolerance of the practice of drug use, which is further echoed in the identity of the family and its limited ability to support drug users in the face of ever-growing poverty. The themes also uncovered the bipolarity in the practice of drug trade and gangsterism as serving a subsistence function, at one level, and an exploitative function at another. Furthermore, the study solidified traditional views that the peer collective is, indeed, a critical actor on the stage of drug use and that the individual (as an actor) continues to be confronted by a script of poverty and disillusionment. This script, as will be illustrated, is also active in preconceived notions of gender stratification. / South Africa

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Motivated by the observation that children living in the Western Cape face challenges relating to methamphetamine (tik) abuse, this research attempts to develop and propose a strategy that can be used in preventing mid-adolescents from engaging in tik use. To develop this strategy, a contextual analysis and hermeneutical process of the life of mid- adolescents and the environment in which tik abuse is occurring was initially undertaken. Through a contextual analysis of children living in Lavender Hill and surrounding areas, it was discovered that most children were attracted to tik due to the influence of modern technology, rampant poverty, the cheap cost of the drug, dysfunctionality of families, influence of gangs and lack of recreation facilities. Acknowledging that adolescence is an important stage in the formation of the character of any individual, this research attests that adolescents who use and abuse tik are those who do not have an enabling family and societal environment. It is suggested in this research that the Church can play a pivotal role in creating a socio-spiritual environment that would enable adolescents to develop themselves in such a manner that they do not need to use tik, or any other drug for that matter. This research thus develops a prevention strategy for dealing with tik abuse during mid- adolescence. This preventive strategy centres on the Church being of service to others. Based on a literature research conducted on the Lavender Hill community of the Cape Flats, this research proposes practical recommendations that could help different Christian churches in the fight against methamphetamine use by mid-adolescents. These recommendations attempt to involve different members of the community in the spirit that John Mbiti encapsulates in the proverb ―We are therefore I am‖. In this all- inclusive endeavour, this research supposes that if a community is properly functioning, it is possible for it to weed out unwanted elements in a manner that protects all its members, particularly the young. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie fokus op die vraagstuk van Metamfetamien-verslawing onder jeuggroepe binne die konteks van die Kaapse Vlakte met ‘n besondere fokus op die Lavender Hill- area. Daar is besluit om op middel-adolessensie te fokus omdat dit die fase is waarin jongmense uiters broos is en veral vatbaar is vir buite-invloede. Dit is ook die fase waarin vaste gedragspatrone binne identiteitsvorming vasgelê word. Die oogmerk was om veral op voorkomingstrategieë binne gemeentelike verband te fokus ten einde die pastorale bediening van die problematiek bewus te maak. Omdat verslawing ingebed is binne plaaslike kultuurkontekste, is besluit om aan te sluit by ‘n sosiaal-kontekstuele analise. Metamfetamien (of tik) raak betekenisraamwerke asook die mens se soeke na erkenning en aanvaarding. Vandaar die keuse vir ‘n kwalitatiewe benadering in aansuiting by ‘n pastoraal-hermeneutiese metodologie. Die sosiaal-kontekstuele analise in die Lavender Hill-area het aangetoon dat veral die sopsiale media en tegnologie ‘n groot rol speel in die gebruik van tik onder kinders. Binne ‘n armoedekultuur en die impak van gesinsverbrokkeling op jongmense se identiteitsontwikkeling, veral binne die bruingemeenskap, word ‘n teelaarde vir dwelmisbruik geskep. Tik is bekostigbaar en die situasie word deur bendes (gangsters) uitgebuit. Daar is ook bevind dat omgewingsfaktore ‘n bydraende rol speel, veral die gebrek aan doeltreffende ontspanningsgeriewe. As gevolg van die gebrek aan voldoende sosiale en familiale ondersteuningstrukture, word persoonslikheidsontwikkeling en karaktervorming hierdeur nadelig beïnvloed. Teen hierdie agtergrond stel die studie voor dat die kerk binne gemeenteverband as ‘n soort ‘familie‘ gestruktureer moet word. Die kerk is die skakel tussen die sosiale dimensie en spirituele raamwerke. Die gemeentelike bediening moet derhalwe by identiteitsontwikkeling betrokke wees ten einde voorkomend op te tree. Kerklike voorkomingstrategieë moet gekoppel wees aan die ekklesiale modus van diakonale uitreik ondanks religieuse and kulturele grense. In dié verband moet verskillende denomenasies hande vat en ook intensief saaamwerk met plaaslike gemeenskapsleiers. Dit is hier waar die Afrika-spiritualiteit , soos onder andere deur John Mbiti geformuleer, ‘n deurslaggewende rol kan speel, naamlik: ons bestaan vir mekaar, daarom leef ek as individu en bestaan ek as mens. Hierdeur word ‘n inklusiewe benadering geprofileer wat die gemeenskap inskakel ten einde die euwel van tik doeltreffend te bestry.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been a dramatic increase in the use of the drug methamphetamine, also known locally as tik, in the Western Cape, specifically in Cape Town. This trend impacts the availability and the quality of labour as well as the productivity of current employees. The presence of tik abuse in the workplace represents both legal and ethical challenges to employers. The Labour Relations Act of 1995 states that employers must ensure a safe working environment for their employees. The actions of tik users tend to increase the risk of injuries at work and the occurrences of workrelated accidents that may harm others. Social responsibility requires employers to operate their business in an honourable manner, to provide good working conditions and to work actively to better the quality of life of the local communities where it operates. This responsibility translates into helping the tik users that they employ. The current relationship between employer and employee regarding tik is marred by conflict and misunderstanding. Employers seem unsure what to do and are unaware of how far-reaching tik abuse is. Tik abuse causes many problems for employees and also for their family and friends. By gathering information in a structured way the study aims to improve the understanding of employers so that they can help and prevent tik-related problems in the future. The study utilized descriptive qualitative research in the form of a questionnaire given to recovering tik users at two treatment centres in Cape Town, SANCA and De Novo. The research ran for about a month and gathered 82 usable questionnaires. Results, along with a literature study, were used to create a framework to guide employers on identifying tik users and on how to deal with them. The framework, the Tik Identification and Intervention Protocol (TIIP), contains criteria to help identify employees that may be using tik. The study showed that many international trends are evident in Cape Town. Approximately 40% of participants indicated that they were absent from work more often than prescribed by labour legislation; 70% of participants experienced that tik affected their ability to perform their duties; 32% of participants admitted that they stole to obtain funding for their drug habit. Some new findings became evident, such as the impact of the family on the participant's decision to go for treatment. The Western Cape's treatment centres are severely hampered by a lack of resources and are incapable at present of dealing with the current flood of patients. While plans are in place to rectify this, it is clear that in the short term at least, employers will have to take up more of the slack. The recovery process for a drug addict takes a long time; experts suggest it may take up to two years. Therefore employers need to be involved and create support programs at work to assist employees in their recovery. Employees can be cured from their dependency on tik, so that they can become healthy and contribute to the community and to their employer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is 'n dramatiese toename in die voorkoms en gebruik van metaphetamien (plaaslik bekend as tik) in die Wes-Kaap, spesifiek in Kaapstad. Die tendens het 'n impak op die verskaffing en die kwaliteit van beskikbare arbeid, sowel as die produktiwiteit van huidige werknemers. Die voorkoms en gebruik van tik in die werksplek het beide wetlike en etiese uitdagings vir werkgewers. Die Arbeidswet van 1995 verklaar dat die werkgewer daarvoor verantwoordelik is om te verseker dat hul werksplek veilig is vir hul werknemers. Tik gebruikers verhoog die risiko en die voorkoms van werksbeserings en werksongelukke wat ander werknemers ook mag beinvloed. Sosiale verantwoordelikheid vereis van werkgewers om hul besighede op 'n eerbare wyse te bestuur, om goeie werksomstandighede te verseker en 'n aktiewe bedrae te lewer in die plaaslike gemeenskap waar hulle hul ook mag bevind. Die verantwoordelikheid sluit tik gebruikers in. Die huidige verhouding tussen werkgewers en werknemers in verband met die misbruik van tik word gekenmerk deur konflik. Werkgewers blyk onseker te wees ten opsigte van wat hul te doen staan en hoe verreikend die impak van die misbruik van tik mag wees. Die misbruik van tik veroorsaak 'n menigte probleme vir werknemers, sowel as vir hul vriende en families. Hierdie studie poog am deur 'n gestruktureerde wyse informasie te versamel met die doel om die begrip van werkgewers te verbeter, sodat hul tik gebruikers kan help en tik-verwante probleme in die toekoms kan voorkom. Die studie is beskrywend kwalitatief van aard en gebruik 'n vraelys om informasie te versamel by twee behandelingsentrums in Kaapstad, SANCA en De Novo. Die navorsing het vir omtrent 'n maand geduur waarna 82 bruikbare vraelyste ingewin is. Die resultate, sowel as die literatuurstudie wat gedoen is, is gebruik om 'n raamwerk op te stel wat werkgewers kan help om tik gebruikers te identifiseer, sowel as hoe om hulle te ondersteun. Die eerste gedeelte van die raamwerk, die Tik Identifikasie en Ingrypings Protokol (TIIP), bestaan uit kriteria wat gebruik kan word om werknemers te identifiseer wat tik gebruik. Hierdie studie het gewys dat verskeie internasionale tendense sigbaar is in Kaapstad. Ongeveer 40% van die deelnemers het aangewys dat hulle meer as die wetlike hoeveelheid dae afwesig was van die werk, 70% van die deelnemers het erken dat tik hulle vermoe am hul werk behoorlik te kan doen beinvloed het en 32% van die deelnemers het erken dat hulle gesteel het om geld te verkry am tik te koop. Die studie het daarop gedui dat die familie 'n integrale rol gespeel het in die deelnemers se besluit om vir behandeling te gaan. Dit blyk dat die Wes-Kaapse behandelings-hulpbronne ver te kort skiet om die saak te hanteer. Daar is tans planne in plek am die probleem die hoof te bied, maar dit is duidelik dat in die korttermyn, werkgewers 'n groter rol sal moet speel. Die herstelproses is van lange duur, en kenners meen dat dit tot twee jaar mag neem voor tik gebruikers volkome herstel het. Die werkemers het ondersteuning nodig gedurende hierdie moeilike proses. Die studie het bevind dat werknemers herstel en gesond kan word om weer 'n bydrae te kan lewer vir beide die werkgewer en die bree samelewing.

The dorsal dentate gyrus (DDG) of the hippocampus plays a role in the expression of different forms of flexible behaviour mainly due to its ability to sustain neurogenesis throughout life. In the present thesis, we examined the role that the DDG and its adjacent areas, both collectively referred to as dorsal medial hippocampus (DMH), play in flexible, adaptive behaviour and cognitive processing. We used the neurotoxin, colchicine, to induce lesions of the DDG, which were found to affect neighbouring areas. Thus these lesions will be referred to as lesions of the DMH. In the first experiment, rats were tested for (1) perseverative behaviour before and after receiving chronic methamphetamine (METH) treatment, (2) METH-induced locomotor activity and stereotypy in an open field, and (3) working memory in a T-maze. The results showed that rats with lesions of the DMH exhibited perseveration and supersensitivity to the locomotor- and stereotypy-inducing effects of METH (0, 0.1, 0.3, 1 mg/kg i.p.) as well as increased long-term METH sensitization. Rats with DMH lesions also showed significant working memory deficits. Taken together, these results reveal specific forms of behavioural inflexibility in rats with lesions of the DMH that are mainly associated with perseveration, drug-related behaviours, including stimulant motor supersensitivity and drug sensitization, and impaired working memory functions.

Methamphetamine abuse is a serious public health concern affecting millions of people worldwide, and there are currently no viable pharmacotherapies to treat methamphetamine abuse. Methamphetamine increases extracellular dopamine (DA) concentrations through an interaction with the DA transporter (DAT) and the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2), leading to reward and abuse. While numerous studies have focused on DAT as a target for the discovery of pharmacotherapies to treat psychostimulant abuse, these efforts have been met with limited success. Taking into account the fact that methamphetamine interacts with VMAT2 to increase DA extracellular concentrations; the focus of the current work was to develop novel compounds that interact with VMAT2 to inhibit the effects of methamphetamine. Lobeline, the principal alkaloid found in Lobelia inflata, inhibits VMAT2 binding and function. Inhibition of VMAT2 was hypothesized to be responsible for the observed lobeline-induced inhibition of methamphetamine-evoked DA release in striatal slices and decrease in methamphetamine self-administration in rats. Lobeline has recently completed Phase Ib clinical trials demonstrating safety in methamphetamine abusers. Lobeline is also a potent inhibitor of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), limiting selectivity for VMAT2. Chemical defunctionalization of the lobeline molecule afforded analogs, meso-transdiene (MTD) and lobelane, which exhibited decreased affinity for nAChRs. MTD, an unsaturated analog of lobeline, exhibited similar affinity for VMAT2 and increased affinity for DAT compared to lobeline. Conformationally-restricted MTD analogs exhibited decreased affinity for DAT compared to MTD, while retaining affinity at VMAT2. One analog, UKMH-106 exhibited high affinity and selectivity for VMAT2 and inhibited METH-evoked DA release from striatal slices. Unfortunately, the MTD analogs exhibited poor water solubility which limited further investigation of these promising analogs. Importantly lobelane, a saturated analog of lobeline, exhibited increased affinity and selectivity for VMAT2 compared to lobeline. To improve water solubility, a N-1,2-dihydroxypropyl (diol) moiety was incorporated into the lobelane molecule. GZ-793A, an N-1,2-diol analog, potently and competitively inhibited VMAT2 function, exhibiting over 50-fold selectivity for VMAT2 over DAT, serotonin transporters and nAChRs. GZ-793A released DA from preloaded synaptic vesicles, fitting a two-site model with the high-affinity site inhibited by tetrabenazine and reserpine (classical VMAT2 inhibitors), suggesting a VMAT2-mediated mechanism of release. Further, low concentrations of GZ-793A that selectively interact with high-affinity sites on VMAT2 to evoke DA release, inhibit methamphetamine-evoked DA release from synaptic vesicles. Results showed that increasing concentrations of GZ-793A produced a rightward shift in the METH concentration response; however, the Schild regression revealed a slope different from unity, consistent with surmountable allosteric inhibition. In addition, GZ-793A specifically inhibited methamphetamine-evoked DA release in striatal slices and methamphetamine self-administration in rats. To examine the possibility that GZ-793A produced DA depletion, the effect of a behaviorally active dose of GZ-793A on DA content in striatal tissue and striatal vesicles was determined. GZ-793A administration did not alter DA content in striatal tissue or vesicles and pretreatment with GZ-793A prior to methamphetamine administration did not exacerbate the DA depleting effects of methamphetamine. Importantly, GZ-793A was shown to protect against methamphetamine-induced striatal DA depletions. Thus, GZ-793A represents an exciting new lead in the development of pharmacotherapies to treat methamphetamine abuse.

A series of rigid azetidenyl-based methamphetamine analogs were synthesized from commercially available N-Boc-azetidinone. The benzylideneazetidine analogs were prepared via a Wittig olefination via the ylides generated from the corresponding triphenylphosphonium benzylhalide salts. The substituted benzylazetidine analogs were synthesized from the corresponding benzylideneazetidienes via hydrogention over palladium and platinum catalysts. The benzylideneazetidine and benzyliazetidine analogs were evaluated at monoamine transporters as a part of preliminary structure-activity study for the development of novel monoamine transporter ligands. The binding affinities of the azetidine analogs were determined at dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) transporters in rat brain tissue preparations. The preliminary in vitro binding studies revealed that the rigid scaffold of the azetidine ring system was an effective substitution for the 2-aminopropyl group of methamphetamine and led to compounds with nanomolar binding affinity at dopamine and serotonin. In general, the benzylideneazetidine analogs were more potent than the corresponding benzylazetidine analogs. In addition, the azetidine analogs were more selective for the serotonin transporter than the dopamine transporter. The 3-(3,4-dichlorobenzylidene)azetidine (24m) was the most potent analog of the series with Ki values of 139 nM for SERT and 531 nM for DAT (DAT/SERT = 3.8).