The interplay of childhood trauma, oxytocin, and impulsivity in predicting the onset of methamphetamine use

Hu-Ming Chang; Chenyi Chen; Mong-Liang Lu; Susyan Jou; Vitor Hugo Jesus Santos; Kah Kheng Goh

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106579

The interplay of childhood trauma, oxytocin, and impulsivity in predicting the onset of methamphetamine use

Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Jan:147:106579. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106579. Epub 2023 Dec 3.

Authors

Hu-Ming Chang¹, Chenyi Chen², Mong-Liang Lu³, Susyan Jou⁴, Vitor Hugo Jesus Santos⁵, Kah Kheng Goh⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Addiction Sciences, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; The Innovative and Translational Research Center for Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate School of Criminology, National Taipei University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences (FCS-UBI), Cova da Beira University Hospital Center, Covilhã, Portugal.
⁶ Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; The Innovative and Translational Research Center for Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: w100329@tmu.edu.tw.

PMID: 38048654
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106579

Abstract

Background: Childhood trauma is associated with substance use disorders, including methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Oxytocin, involved in social bonding, stress regulation, and reward processing, may influence addiction vulnerability and impulsivity in individuals with a history of childhood trauma.

Objective: To investigate the relationships among childhood trauma, oxytocin levels, impulsivity, and the age of first methamphetamine use in individuals with MUD.

Participants and setting: The study included 298 male participants (148 individuals with MUD and 150 healthy controls) from both probation offices and psychiatric clinics.

Methods: Childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), impulsivity with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and plasma oxytocin levels were obtained.

Results: Individuals with MUD exhibited higher levels of childhood trauma, impulsivity, and lower plasma oxytocin levels compared to healthy controls. Childhood trauma was associated with a younger age of first methamphetamine use, higher impulsivity, and lower oxytocin levels among individuals with MUD. Plasma oxytocin levels partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and both the age of first methamphetamine use and impulsivity. Serial mediation analysis demonstrated that oxytocin levels and impulsivity sequentially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the age of first methamphetamine use.

Conclusions: The findings reveal the complex interplay among childhood trauma, oxytocin, impulsivity, and methamphetamine use, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors in prevention and intervention strategies for MUD. Future research should explore oxytocin and impulsivity-focused interventions to mitigate the effects of childhood trauma and reduce MUD development risk.

Keywords: Addiction; Age of first use; Childhood trauma; Impulsivity; Methamphetamine; Oxytocin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adverse Childhood Experiences*
Amphetamine-Related Disorders* / psychology
Humans
Impulsive Behavior / physiology
Male
Methamphetamine*
Oxytocin
Psychological Tests*
Self Report*

Substances

Methamphetamine
Oxytocin

Supplementary concepts

Childhood Trauma Questionnaire