Anatomical Organization of the Amygdala: A Brief Visual Review.

The amygdala consists of a collection of nuclei that are deep within the medial temporal lobe. Despite its small size, the amygdala is one of the most densely connected structures in the brain, and it plays a role in many superior neural functions, including neurovegetative control, motor control, memory processing, and neuromodulation. Advances in neuroimaging technology for examining brain activity have opened up new ways of understanding the functional contribution of this structure to emotions, learning, and related memories. Many studies have shown that the amygdala plays a key role in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, aggression, and temporal epilepsy. This article reviews the anatomical structure of the amygdaloid complex and the connectivity among its subdivisions and with other brain structures, which will serve as a basis for understanding the clinical correlations.

Implications of Impulsivity on Criminal Behavior in Individuals With Substance Use Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to analyze the association between criminal behavior and impulsivity in individuals with drug addiction and investigate whether impulsiveness mediates the relationship between drug use severity and legal problems. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 773 men diagnosed with addiction (295 alcohol users and 478 users of crack/polysubstance) while undergoing addiction treatment. The BIS-11 and ASI-6 were applied to assess impulsivity, criminal behavior, and drug use. RESULTS: The prevalence of criminal behavior was 41.7% (n = 123) in alcohol users and 64.9% (n = 310) in users of crack/polysubstance. Earlier use of different substances and higher impulsivity scores were observed in individuals with criminal history. Mediation analyses revealed that impulsiveness acts as a mediator factor between substance use and criminal behavior, enhancing the severity of legal problems. CONCLUSION: Our findings can help in deciding on tailored treatment strategies, focusing not only on substance use, but also on the prevention of social problems, criminality, and impulsivity.

Hematological inflammatory biomarkers in patients with alcohol and cocaine use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelets-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are biomarkers easy-to-obtain and could be used in clinical practice to verify an inflammatory status and are associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cocaine use disorder (CUD). Our aim was to compare NLR, MLR and PLR among men with AUD and CUD and to assess the relationship between these biomarkers and addiction-related outcomes. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study comprising 979 inpatient men diagnosed with substance use disorder (391 with AUD and 588 with CUD) under hospital treatment for drug addiction. RESULTS: Individuals with AUD had higher NLR and MLR (p=0.041, p<0.001 respectively) compared to individuals with CUD. In the AUD group, positive correlations between age and MLR (r=0.111; p=0.029), NLR and liver enzymes ALT and AST (r=0.103, p=0.043; r=0.155, p=0.002; respectively), and MLR and ALT, AST and GGT levels were observed (r=0.173, p=0.001; r=0.242, p<0.001; r=0.167, p=0.001, respectively). Individuals with CUD showed a positive correlation between age and NLR (r=0.113; p=0.006). The presence of clinical comorbidities, HIV, HCV and syphilis were not associated with NLR, MLR, and PLR (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These biomarkers are a rapid and inexpensive way to assess the effects of substance use on the inflammatory profile. Our findings contribute with valuable insights into the distinctive inflammatory profiles associated with AUD and CUD. These insights could guide further research and the development of more studies, which could include control groups, in order to refine the clinical applicability of these biomarkers.