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<b><i>Background:</i></b> Animal studies have demonstrated that oxytocin can influence addiction behaviors and might interact with the dopaminergic system, which is a key component of addiction behaviors. However, related evidence from clinical studies is scarce. The aim of our study was to explore the relationship between plasma oxytocin level and heroin craving among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment, and to ascertain whether this relationship is moderated by novelty-seeking. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study was conducted in a methadone maintenance therapy clinic of a medical center in Taiwan. Seventy-seven patients with heroin addiction were enrolled. Plasma oxytocin was measured using an ELISA kit. Craving was assessed using an established instrument, the Chinese Craving Scale. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A significant negative association was found between the plasma oxytocin level and craving score, which remained robust after controlling the effects of social support and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. An interaction between oxytocin and novelty-seeking indicated that this relationship was stronger among patients with a lower level of novelty-seeking. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This finding may be taken into account in future studies and may provide a basis for the development of potential treatment for addiction. The effect of oxytocin for the treatment of opioid dependence might be modulated by some psychological factors.

The executive function deficit is greater in depressed patients with cardiovascular disease than in depressed patients without cardiovascular disease. Late-life depression is said to have a vascular etiology and would worsen the executive function. A cross-sectional design was used for this study. The study was done in outpatient clinics of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital and National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan. Three hundred thirty-five older elderly men (>75 years old) were chosen as study participants, some military veterans and some not. The mini-mental state examination was used to exclude those suspected of dementia, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to screen those undergoing a current major depressive episode, and the revised Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form to measure the severity of depression. Specialist physicians obtained past histories of medical illnesses through chart reviews, history taking, and health examinations. Elderly men with major depression comorbid with cardiovascular disease had worse executive functions. Executive function impairment is greater in elderly men diagnosed with major depression comorbid with cardiovascular disease than in those without cardiovascular disease.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Different drug dependencies may have unique genetic vulnerabilities. Changes in serotonin availability and function have been linked to addiction. We investigated whether 2 serotonergic polymorphisms, <i>TPH1 A218C</i> (rs1800532) and <i>5-HTT</i>-linked promoter region <i>(5-HTTLPR)</i> (rs25531), are differently associated with alcohol or opiate dependence. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Alcohol-dependent patients (n = 292), opiate-dependent patients (n = 309), and healthy controls (n = 301) were recruited from the Han Chinese population in Taiwan. Genotypes of <i>TPH1 A218C</i> and <i>5-HTTLPR</i> polymorphisms were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The genotype frequencies of the <i>TPH1 A218C</i> polymorphisms were not significantly different in the 3 groups. The genotype frequencies of the<i> 5-HTTLPR S+</i> (<i>S/S</i>,<i> S/L</i>_<i>G</i>,<i> L</i>_<i>G</i><i>/L</i>_<i>G</i>) polymorphisms were significantly higher in opiate-dependent patients (&#x03C7;² = 8.77, p = 0.01), but not after controlling for the covariates of age, gender, and interaction effect in logistic regression analysis. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between the <i>TPH1 A218C A/C</i> and <i>5-HTTLPR S+</i> gene polymorphisms in opiate-dependent (OR 2.72, p = 0.01), but not in alcohol-dependent patients. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our data suggested that there may be a differential genetic vulnerability in serotonergic genes for alcohol and opiate addiction. However, replications of our findings are still needed.