AUTHOR=Wang Jing Song , Liu Jing Lin , Zhang Jun , Tan Jun , Huang Ting , Lu Chun Xia , Peng Xi Yang , Guo Yin , Zheng Lan 

TITLE=Descended Social Anxiety Disorder and Craving in Women Heroin Dependence Through Exercise Alerts Plasma Oxytocin Levels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.624993

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.624993

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Purpose: This study explored the association between peripheral blood oxytocin (OT) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) and cue-induced cravings in female heroin-addicts. The effect of exercise on alleviation of SAD and OT levels was also explored.
Methods: A total of 72 females with heroin-dependence were assigned to three groups based on SAD severity. The three groups were Non-SAD control, SAD control, and SAD exercise groups. Subjects in SAD exercise group underwent aerobic exercise and resistance training for 8 weeks (60 minutes per day, 5 days per week). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores were used to determine plasma OT concentration and SAD, respectively. Cue-induced craving was assessed using Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ). Mixed-effect analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis were used to explore the effect and correlation between different parameters.
Results: OT levels in the SAD exercise group was significantly high after exercise (p<0.01). LSAS, VAS and DDQ (“Desire and Intention” and “Negative reinforcement”) scores in the SAD exercise group were significantly lower after exercise (p<0.01). Plasma OT level was negatively correlated with LSAS score (r=-0.534, p<0.001), VAS score (r=-0.609, p<0.001), “Desire and Intention” score (r=-0.555, p<0.001), “Negative reinforcement” score (r=-0.332, p<0.01) and positively correlated with the “control” score (r=0.258, p<0.05). LSAS was positively correlated with VAS score (r=0.588, p<0.001) and “Desire and Intention” score (r=0.282, p<0.05).
Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicates that plasma OT is a potential peripheral biomarker for prediction of the severity of social anxiety in female heroin withdrawal patients. Aerobic exercise combined with resistance training plus incremental load for 8 weeks can increase plasma OT levels and significantly reduce severity of SAD and cue-induced cravings in female heroin-addicts.