Section for Clinical Addiction Reserach - RusForsk

See project pages on OUS-research

LASSO is a low threshold clinic for Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) for individuals dependent on heroin and other opioids who do not engage with the conventional offerings of Medication-Assisted Rehabilitation (MAR).

From 2010 until 2017, only the combination preparation of buprenorphine and naloxone was available as a medication for OAT at LASSO. As of spring 2017, buprenorphine monopreparation (Subutex Ⓡ) became accessible at LASSO, and from 2020, methadone and the long-acting buprenorphine (Buvidal) became available.

We aim to investigate whether a broader array of medications in low-threshold OAT enhances treatment outcomes and leads to an improvement in the well-being of more individuals with opioid dependence.

LASSO is a collaborative effort between the Agency for Welfare and Social Services (Oslo Municipality), and the Department of Addiction and Substance Abuse Treatment (Oslo University Hospital Health Trust).

See more info about the project (in Norwegian)

See project pages on OUS-research

The main aim of the project is to improve the health of people with substance use disorders in prison.

Through analysis of unique register data and collaboration with good research environments and user organizations, the project will map access to adequate substance use treatment in prison, as well as examine the outcome of such treatment. In addition to register data, the project will build on data from a comprehensive survey of drug use and health in prison, the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction study (NorMA).

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This is a longitudinal research initiative that investigates the impact of prolonged anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use on brain health, cognition, cardiovascular function and mental well-being. Our primary goal is to advance our comprehension of the enduring repercussions stemming from extended AAS consumption, while also shedding light on the underlying factors contributing to the development of dependence. The project is highly interdisciplinary, involving various hospital, university and international expertise. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive grasp of the interplay between endocrine, cardiovascular, and neuroimmunological factors and implications for brain health and dependence. ​

See more info about the project (in Norwegian)

See project pages on OUS-research

A high proportion of patients in interdisciplinary specialized drug treatment (TSB) have trauma disorders, but receive little knowledge-based treatment for the trauma disorder. INTACT will investigate a specific treatment method called Eye Movement Desentizitation and Reprocessing, abbreviated EMDR, in the Section of Addiction Outpatient Clinics at Oslo University Hospital. Previous research has shown that EMDR is effective in trauma treatment, but little research has been done on EMDR in people who have concomitant trauma and substance abuse disorders.

See more info about the project (in Norwegian)

See project pages on OUS-research

See more info about the project (in Norwegian)

See project pages on OUS-research

The interplay between substance use, health, and use of health care services in people who use drugs

Background

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a leading cause of premature mortality, and frequently co-occur with other psychiatric and somatic diseases. Multi-morbidity is associated with poorer treatment outcome, and significantly contributes to excess mortality. SUDs are complex disorders with high heritability, yet the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This knowledge gap has impeded the development of targeted and effective treatment options, particularly considering the complexity of identifying and treating patients with multiple diagnoses including SUD. The differences among SUD patients with comorbid diagnoses may reflect differences in the underlying biology. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of the heterogeneity.

Method and design

The GenSUD project will contribute critical insights into the etiology of SUDs, by discerning patterns of disease trajectories using large Norwegian samples with registry data. Furthermore, the project aims to unravel shared genetic risks with mental and somatic diseases to understand underlying molecular pathways. Using data from the Norwegian Patient Registry, we will characterize the SUD patient group and identify clusters of multi-morbidity as well as temporal disease trajectories, taking into account the sequence of diagnoses preceding and following SUD diagnosis. Finally, blood samples from a subpopulation of SUD patients will be used to compute polygenic risk scores to identify genetic overlap psychiatric and somatic diseases and SUD-related phenotypes.

Status

The project received approval from REK on 6 December. We have begun analyzing data from the Norwegian Patient Registry and collecting blood samples from patients at rusakuttmottak.

Information about the project 

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The method aims to reduce the emotional response to alcohol-related triggers. First, situations, feelings, and thoughts that create cravings are identified. Then, the therapist and patient work together to reduce the activation associated with these triggers, one by one. The patient is asked to vividly imagine a trigger while simultaneously following a light or the therapist’s fingers moving rapidly from side to side, a process known as Bilateral Stimulation (BLS). By alternating between focusing on an external stimulus and the mental image of the trigger, the emotional activation is reduced.

Participants are offered rapid access to AF-EMDR. They receive AF-EMDR over a three-week period, with two sessions per week. The goal is to reduce the patient’s cravings for alcohol and decrease alcohol consumption. After the three weeks of intensive work targeting alcohol-related triggers, regular treatment begins as usual.

The information from this pilot project will form the basis for a possible larger study. Eight patients who are eligible for treatment at the Substance Use Outpatient Clinics Section at Oslo University Hospital (OUS) are offered three weeks of AF-EMDR before starting their standard treatment.