Covid-19 interface with drug misuse and substance use disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Immunology
• Public Health

Background:

• The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing substance use disorder (SUD) crisis, creating a syndemic.
• Social isolation, economic hardship, mental health distress, and disrupted treatment services disproportionately affected vulnerable populations.
• Biological factors, including immune system overactivity and inflammation due to stress, may impact central nervous system (CNS) function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on SARS-CoV-2 infection in the CNS.
• To explore the interplay between stress, inflammation, and the kynurenine pathway in Covid-19 illness and recovery.
• To understand how Covid-19-related inflammation and neuroimmune signaling contribute to neuropsychiatric symptoms and SUD vulnerability.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on SARS-CoV-2 and the CNS.
• Analysis of the synergistic effects of stress, inflammation, and the kynurenine pathway.
• Examination of neuroimmune signaling in Covid-19.

Main Results:

• SARS-CoV-2 can infiltrate and infect the CNS.
• Stress and inflammation associated with Covid-19 can dysregulate critical CNS pathways.
• Neuroimmune signaling alterations may underlie maladaptive CNS changes.

Conclusions:

• Covid-19-induced inflammation and neuroimmune signaling can disrupt CNS function.
• These disruptions may increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms.
• There is an elevated vulnerability to substance use disorders following Covid-19 infection.