Rebecca McKetin1, Sharon Dawe2, Richard A Burns3, Leanne Hides4, David J Kavanagh4, Maree Teesson5, Ross McD Young4, Alexandra Voce3, John B Saunders6. 1. National Drug Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Electronic address: rebecca.mcketin@curtin.edu.au. 2. School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 3. Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. 4. Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, School of Psychology and Counselling, and Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 5. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 6. Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Disciplines of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine use can produce symptoms almost indistinguishable from schizophrenia. Distinguishing between the two conditions has been hampered by the lack of a validated symptom profile for methamphetamine-induced psychiatric symptoms. We use data from a longitudinal cohort study to examine the profile of psychiatric symptoms that are acutely exacerbated by methamphetamine use. METHODS: 164 methamphetamine users, who did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime primary psychotic disorder, were followed monthly for one year to assess the relationship between days of methamphetamine use and symptom severity on the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms with methamphetamine use was quantified using random coefficient models. The dimensions of symptom exacerbation were examined using principal axis factoring and a latent profile analysis. RESULTS: Symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine loaded on three factors: positive psychotic symptoms (suspiciousness, unusual thought content, hallucinations, bizarre behavior); affective symptoms (depression, suicidality, guilt, hostility, somatic concern, self-neglect); and psychomotor symptoms (tension, excitement, distractibility, motor hyperactivity). Methamphetamine use did not significantly increase negative symptoms. Vulnerability to positive psychotic and affective symptom exacerbation was shared by 28% of participants, and this vulnerability aligned with a past year DSM-IV diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis (38% vs. 22%, χ(2)(df1)=3.66, p=0.056). CONCLUSION: Methamphetamine use produced a symptom profile comprised of positive psychotic and affective symptoms, which aligned with a diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis, with no evidence of a negative syndrome.
BACKGROUND:Methamphetamine use can produce symptoms almost indistinguishable from schizophrenia. Distinguishing between the two conditions has been hampered by the lack of a validated symptom profile for methamphetamine-induced psychiatric symptoms. We use data from a longitudinal cohort study to examine the profile of psychiatric symptoms that are acutely exacerbated by methamphetamine use. METHODS: 164 methamphetamine users, who did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime primary psychotic disorder, were followed monthly for one year to assess the relationship between days of methamphetamine use and symptom severity on the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms with methamphetamine use was quantified using random coefficient models. The dimensions of symptom exacerbation were examined using principal axis factoring and a latent profile analysis. RESULTS: Symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine loaded on three factors: positive psychotic symptoms (suspiciousness, unusual thought content, hallucinations, bizarre behavior); affective symptoms (depression, suicidality, guilt, hostility, somatic concern, self-neglect); and psychomotor symptoms (tension, excitement, distractibility, motor hyperactivity). Methamphetamine use did not significantly increase negative symptoms. Vulnerability to positive psychotic and affective symptom exacerbation was shared by 28% of participants, and this vulnerability aligned with a past year DSM-IV diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis (38% vs. 22%, χ(2)(df1)=3.66, p=0.056). CONCLUSION:Methamphetamine use produced a symptom profile comprised of positive psychotic and affective symptoms, which aligned with a diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis, with no evidence of a negative syndrome.
Authors: Peter D Alexander; Kristina M Gicas; Alex Cheng; Donna J Lang; Ric M Procyshyn; Alexandra T Vertinsky; William J Panenka; Allen E Thornton; Alexander Rauscher; Jamie Y X Wong; Tasha Chan; Andrea A Jones; F Vila-Rodriguez; William G Honer; Alasdair M Barr Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2019-06-22 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Samantha J Brooks; L Wiemerslage; K H Burch; S A Maiorana; E Cocolas; H B Schiöth; K Kamaloodien; D J Stein Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2017-03-21 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Rebecca McKetin; Olivia M Dean; Alyna Turner; Peter J Kelly; Brendan Quinn; Dan I Lubman; Paul Dietze; Gregory Carter; Peter Higgs; Barbara Sinclair; David Reid; Amanda L Baker; Victoria Manning; Nina Te Pas; Tamsin Thomas; Ramez Bathish; Dayle K Raftery; Anna Wrobel; Lucy Saunders; Shalini Arunogiri; Frank Cordaro; Harry Hill; Scott Hall; Philip J Clare; Mohammadreza Mohebbi; Michael Berk Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2021-07-13