Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium L. in Crack Users

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Oct 2017

The objective of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic effects of the essential oil (EO) of Citrus aurantium L. in patients experiencing crack withdrawal. This was developed with internal users in therapeutic communities in Paraíba, Brazil. The test population consisted of 51 volunteers, subdivided into three groups. To elicit anxiety, the Simulated Public Speaking (SPS) method was used. Physiological measures were assessed at specific phases during the experiment using appropriate equipment. Psychological measures of anxiety were assessed using the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE) and the Analog Smoke Scale (HAS). EO was administered by nebulization. The experiment was developed in individual sessions and consolidated to four phases. The results demonstrated that the test subjects in the groups that were given the EO maintained controlled anxiety levels during SPS, when compared to the Control Group (no treatment). Subjects who used the EO also maintained levels of “discomfort” and “cognitive impairment” during SPS. It was concluded that individuals who are experiencing internal crack cocaine withdrawal present high anxiety traits and that nebulization of the EO of Citrus aurantium L. provided an acute anxiolytic effect in crack cocaine users exposed to SPS.

A PDF file should load here. If you do not see its contents the file may be temporarily unavailable at the journal website or you do not have a PDF plug-in installed and enabled in your browser.

Alternatively, you can download the file locally and open with any standalone PDF reader:

http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/7217619.pdf

Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium L. in Crack Users

Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium L. in Crack Users Gabriel Chaves Neto,1 João Euclides Fernandes Braga,2 Mateus Feitosa Alves,3 Liana Clébia de Morais Pordeus,1 Sócrates Golzio dos Santos,4 Marcus Tullius Scotti,3 Reinaldo N. Almeida,1 and Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz1 1Postgraduate Program in Neuroscience Cognitive and Behavior, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil 2Department of Nursing and Collective Health, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil 3Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil 4Institute of Research in Drugs and Medicines, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Mateus Feitosa Alves; moc.liamg@sevlafsuetam Received 5 April 2017; Accepted 7 September 2017; Published 18 October 2017 Academic Editor: Heba Abdelhalim Copyright © 2017 Gabriel Chaves Neto et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic effects of the essential oil (EO) of Citrus aurantium L. in patients experiencing crack withdrawal. This was developed with internal users in therapeutic communities in Paraíba, Brazil. The test population consisted of 51 volunteers, subdivided into three groups. To elicit anxiety, the Simulated Public Speaking (SPS) method was used. Physiological measures were assessed at specific phases during the experiment using appropriate equipment. Psychological measures of anxiety were assessed using the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE) and the Analog Smoke Scale (HAS). EO was administered by nebulization. The experiment was developed in individual sessions and consolidated to four phases. The results demonstrated that the test subjects in the groups that were given the EO maintained controlled anxiety levels during SPS, when compared to the Control Group (no treatment). Subjects who used the EO also maintained levels of “discomfort” and “cognitive impairment” during SPS. It was concluded that individuals who are experiencing internal crack cocaine withdrawal present high anxiety traits and that nebulization of the EO of Citrus aurantium L. provided an acute anxiolytic effect in crack cocaine users exposed to SPS. 1. Introduction Chemical dependency is a widely discussed phenomenon, since abusive use of psychoactive substances has become a serious social and public health concern. Throughout the twentieth century, this problem has gained increased relevance in the world and today is characterized as a chronic disease classified among psychiatric disorders [1]. Crack is one of the distinct forms of cocaine, a substance extracted from the leaf of a plant called coca (Erythroxylum coca), which is found in the Andes. When the drug is smoked in crack form, a large amount of cocaine molecules reach the brain almost immediately following use, producing an explosive effect. This speed of action is due to the fact that the smoke begins in the lungs, which are highly vascularized organs, and this quickly transports the drug to the brain. The drug is, subsequently, rapidly eliminated from the body, producing a sudden interruption of the sense of wellbeing, followed immediately by immense displeasure and an overwhelming desire to reuse the drug [2]. The use of crack has increased due to the high potential for addiction, pleasant effects, easy administration, low cost, and not being injected (becoming a safer route to HIV infection), among other reasons. This high dependence potentially triggers the craving (or cracking) effect. In the specific case of crack dependence, craving is an uncontrollable phenomenon by users, leading them to compulsive use with a daily pattern of consumption, which continues for several days in a row. This is only concluded when the physical, psychological, or financial exhaustion is achieved [3]. Crack addicts seeking treatment for drug withdrawal encounter a battle during abstinence, a period that is surrounded by anxiety and an intense craving for drug use. If there is not adequate monitoring, as well as therapeutic management of these manifestations, users eventually return to the use of crack [4]. Anxiety often presents itself as a state of tension, apprehension, and discomfort, involving emotional and physiological factors [5]. Anxiety disorders have been related both to hyperactivity in the amygdala and to a decreased hippocampal response. The pharmacological treatment of anxiety consists of conventional drugs, such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants. Additionally, barbiturates, carbamates, noradrenergics, antihistamines, glutamic acid, and buspirone are other commonly used therapies. Although a number of medications are presented, treatment is still (...truncated)


This is a preview of a remote PDF: http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/7217619.pdf

Gabriel Chaves Neto, João Euclides Fernandes Braga, Mateus Feitosa Alves, Liana Clébia de Morais Pordeus, Sócrates Golzio dos Santos, Marcus Tullius Scotti, Reinaldo N. Almeida, Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz. Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium L. in Crack Users, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017, 2017, DOI: 10.1155/2017/7217619