Arpit Parmar

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Verified

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• Doctor of Medicine
• Professor (Associate) at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar

Background Most people who inject drugs (PWID) start their drug use careers by using non-injecting opioid drugs. A variety of interconnected factors may influence the risk of transition from non-injecting to injecting drug use (IDU). However, such factors have not been studied well in India. As almost all non-injecting opioid users (NIOU) are at po...

Aim The purpose of this study, using ¹H‐Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (¹H‐MRS), was to examine the treatment related changes in the neurochemicals in 28 unmedicated obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients Methods We included subjects diagnosed with OCD (n=28) with a total duration of illness <5 years as a study group and matched healthy con...

Introduction and aims: Non-fatal opioid overdose (NFOO) predicts future fatal opioid overdose and is associated with significant morbidity. There is limited literature on the rates and risk factors for NFOO in people who inject drugs (PWID) from India. We aimed to study the rates of NFOO and documented risk factors for NFOO, as well as knowledge-l...

Purpose of the Review Brain stimulation techniques targeting neuronal pathways are evolving as a novel therapeutic option for substance use disorders. This study aims to provide an overview of the current research landscape on brain stimulation in addiction psychiatry by analyzing data from ClinicalTrials.gov. It intends to describe the global tren...

Substance use among children and women in South Asia is a complex and multifaceted issue with significant public health implications. The substances commonly used include tobacco, alcohol, opioids, cannabis, sedatives, solvents, and synthetic drugs. Poverty, lack of education, peer pressure, exposure to domestic violence, and limited access to heal...

Substance use is a major public health issue in the South Asian countries. Apart from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and betel nut, the use of illicit drugs such as cannabis and opioids is also prevalent in this region. Various challenges exist in terms of dealing with substance use issues. The key challenges include the limited availability of evide...

Background Several institutes of national importance (INI) have been established in the last few years to improve the quality of medical education in the country. Most INIs are autonomous and outside the purview of the National Medical Commission (NMC). Little is known about the needs of the psychiatry teachers working in INIs. The current study wa...

India published its first edition of the National Essential Diagnostics List in 2019. The list depicts the list of diagnostic tests that can ensure affordable and quality healthcare delivery by removing barriers toward accessibility and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure. In 2024, the Indian Council of Medical Research has invited suggestions for r...

Background Despite alcohol use being a risk factor for numerous health-related conditions and alcohol use disorder (AUD) recognized as a disease, there was limited research in India until 2010. This narrative review aims to evaluate AUD-related research in India from 2010 to July 2023. Methods A PubMed search used key terms for AUD in India after...

Background The prevalence of Postpartum Depression in India varies from 6.8-21.5%. About 5% women reported persistent PPD symptoms even three years after childbirth. PPD increases the suicide risk among mothers. It not only affects the psychological health but also physical health & quality of life of mother. Maternal PPD affects the mother child b...

India recently published its National Suicide Prevention Strategy aimed at reducing suicide mortality in the country by 10% by the year 2030. This strategy laid out time-bound objectives and action plans, targeting biological, psychosocial, and cultural risk factors for suicide, which are specific to the region. The strategy is to be implemented by...

Sexual minorities, comprising of individuals with non-heterosexual orientation or non-binary gender identities, are being increasingly recognized as populations with distinct needs throughout the world. These communities face several psychological and socio-political challenges, making them vulnerable to mental health conditions, including suicides...

Introduction Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterised by the loss of REM sleep muscle atonia and the enactment of dreams. Acute RBD associated with alcohol withdrawal syndrome is known, but the studies are limited, particularly on its neurobiological underpinnings and management alongside the withdrawal...

Objective: Nonprescribed use of drugs is a clinical and public health challenge fueled by diversion of controlled opioids like buprenorphine. In this study, we report the nonprescription use of buprenorphine and buprenorphine-naloxone for the first time in India. Design: A cross-sectional observational study utilizing semistructured interviews....

Alcohol use is a major public health issue. It is also associated with a range of family, social, and economic problems. This led multiple countries worldwide to adopt national policies for alcohol regulation. Over the years, alcohol use and related problems have increased in India. The existing regulatory framework on alcohol varies greatly across...

The family has an important role to play in the treatment of any health problem, including substance use disorders (SUD). In many of the substance use treatment approaches, family work is a strong and continuing theme. However, it hasn’t been utilized to its greatest capacity in the SUD treatment. Family interventions aim to meet the needs of the e...

Background Drug use is a major public health issue in India. Significant changes in the approach toward drug use have happened in the last few decades. Despite this, no systematic attempt has been made to document the same in the scientific literature. This narrative review attempts to discuss the major drug laws, policies, and national programs of...

Substance use is a public health concern on a global and national levels. There is a scarcity of nationally representative systematic research on the epidemiology of substance use in India. This narrative review aims to discuss the various large epidemiological surveys providing data on substance use in India. Attempts have been made to extract dat...

Chronic alcohol use adversely impacts the gut, including increased intestinal permeability and alteration in gut microbiota. Recent research has pointed to the association between alteration in gut microbiota and the induction of alcohol cravings. The term “psychobiotics” has been coined for microorganisms that, when ingested in sufficient amounts,...

Background: Violence against psychiatry trainees is an important issue to the medical profession. However, this matter has been under researched, especially in Asian countries. Aim: We aimed to explore the rates and factors associated with violence against psychiatric trainees in Asian countries. Methods: An online, 15 item cross sectional pil...

Suicidal deaths among physicians have been on a steady rise in the past few decades, despite being a part of the healthcare system, training for early identification and easy access to treatment services. While there is no doubt that this warrants concern at individual, institutional, and community levels, physician suicide remains an under-researc...

Nomophobia is described as the dread of losing contact with a mobile device It is seen as a modern age phobia that entered our lives as a result of the rising use of mobile phones, particularly smartphones This study is aimed at screening students for the prevalence of Nomophobia

Purpose This study aims to offer an overview of the models of clinical care of the patients with dual disorders in India. Design/methodology/approach All the members of the Dual Diagnosis India Network (DDIN) who shared the clinical care delivery at their center were invited to share the details of their model. In addition, an invite was also sent...

Aim: To analyze national lists of essential medicines (NLEM) of Asia Pacific countries for inclusion of substance use disorder (SUD) medications. Methods: An observational study was conducted using the most recent versions of NLEM of all 55 Asia Pacific countries till April, 2022. SUD medication details were extracted and analyzed. Results: NL...

Opioids are one of the most common illicit substances used globally as well as in India. Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment (OAMT) is the most evidence-based long-term treatment for patients with opioid dependence syndrome. Buprenorphine is the most commonly used opioid medication for OAMT in India, while methadone and slow-release oral morphine...

Prescription zolpidem use is not uncommon in pregnancy, despite limited data on adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, small for gestational age and preterm labour associated with zolpidem use. Zolpidem dependence in pregnancy is rarely reported in existing literature. Also, there is no consensus on the management of zolpidem dependen...

This study explored the profile of HIV positive patients seeking treatment at a tertiary care addiction treatment facility. A retrospective study was done to collet detailed information on clinical characteristics: drug use (type, age of initiation, duration), general medical condition and past treatment history. The study included 138 patients wit...

Mood disorders are amongst the more prevalent psychiatric disorders which contribute significantly to the disability adjusted life years arising from psychiatric disorders. It is imperative to state that prompt and appropriate management of the disorders can be very helpful in assuaging the effects of these disorders. Rating scales should be consid...

Background People who Inject Drugs (PWID) show higher rates of comorbid psychiatric illnesses than the general population. We aimed to assess the rates of different psychiatric disorders and substance dependence among PWID in the state of Delhi, India. Methods We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study interviewing 104 adult male partic...

Sildenafil is a widely used drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in a dosage ranging from 50 to 100 mg per day. Recreational use is reported among youth for its sexual function enhancing effects. To date, however, no study has reported the use of sildenafil for its nonsexual, psychoactive effects. We report a case of a 38-year-old male wi...

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has significantly altered many aspects of our professional lives, including how psychiatry as a medical discipline is taught and learnt. Training in psychiatry relies on developing competencies through observing and interacting with patients, developing empathic consultation skills and seeking feedback from col...

India has a huge burden of substance use disorder (SUD). The national response to the problem of SUD has been to support addiction treatment centers either in government hospitals or in nongovernmental settings. The existing number of addiction treatment facilities is less compared to the burden of substance use in India. The existing models of tre...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare neurological soft signs in patients of cannabis use disorder (CUD) with and without co-occurring psychosis in a treatment-seeking sample. Methods: We included 30 right-handed male subjects aged 18-65 years diagnosed with CUD (as per DSM-5) without any co-occurring psychiatric disorder...

Aim: We aimed to examine and interpret the changes in internet search volumes for keywords representing different drug use-related themes before and after the drug use started being discussed in the Indian news media during recent celebrity drug trials. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted using Google Trends framework in health-related resea...

Background: Cannabis use is highly prevalent globally, yet little is known about primary cannabis use disorder patients, especially in India. The present study’s objective was to assess clinical profile, internalized stigma, and pathways to care among this population in India. Methods: A total of thirty patients with cannabis use disorder were recr...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented impact across the globe. India is the second worst-hit country, with the highest single-day COVID-19 positive case spikes worldwide. A comparative grid of policy measures implemented by countries to contain the spread of novel coronavirus shows that India has the strictest lockdown in the world. The...

Objective and method: Betel (areca) nut has recently received interest from researchers and policy makers for its role as a psychoactive substance. It was historically limited to Asia-pacific region, but with the advent of globalization, it has become an equally challenging public health problem across the globe. Previously published literature can...

Background and aims: Although cannabis is the most common illicit substance of use in India, it is often not the presenting complaint of patients with substance use disorders. The present study aimed to understand the profile of cannabis use disorders among patients at a substance abuse treatment facility in an Indian tertiary care center. Materi...

This article is a summary of perspectives on training curricula from child and adolescent psychiatry trainees globally. We aimed to identify the relative strengths, weaknesses and gaps in learning needs from a trainee's perspective. The 20 early-career child psychiatrists who contributed are from 16 countries and represent all the five continents....

Temporal lobes are one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex and perform a complex array of interrelated functions. They play an important role in various day-to-day functioning. The common pathologies leading to isolated temporal lobe dysfunction are infarction (of the middle cerebral artery), hemorrhage, seizures, tumors, encephalitis, a...

Background: Natural opiate users constitute a large proportion of opioid dependent individuals in India, and enjoy socio-cultural sanction in certain parts of the country. However, no study has assessed the pathways to care among this population in India. Objective: To assess the pathways to care among treatment-seeking natural opiate dependent ind...

Introduction: Well-structured instructions for authors in journals help researchers in reporting unbiased results, which subsequently facilitates the review process. There have been reports of systematic evaluations of instructions for authors from journals in various medical specialties. However, precise information on the nature and extent of th...

Introduction: Substance use among adolescents is on the rise across the globe along with a diminution of gender gap observed earlier posing a huge public health burden. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature on adolescent substance use. The literature is even sparse about substance use among adolescent girls. The current study aims to prov...

There is an exponential growth in the field of biomedical literature over the years. Although numerous articles are published every year, few of them present important conceptual advances in that particular field and are found to be influential in the evolution of the field. The number of citations a publication receives can be used as a proxy mark...

Opium has been used in India since ancient times for social, recreational, religious and medicinal purposes. Opium users seem to constitute a distinct sub-population among opioid users, who have minimal complications, better functioning and socio-cultural acceptance. Prominent levels of stigma have been reported against people who use opioid drugs,...

Objectives. Substance use among adolescent population is increasing across the world. However, there is little data on the substance use among female adolescents, more so from India. Hence, we aimed to assess socio-demographic and clinical profile of adolescent females seeking treatment at our tertiary care drug treatment centre. Methods. Study des...

Introduction: Natural opiates users constitute a large proportion of opioid users in India. Natural opiates (poppy husk and opium) have a socio-cultural sanction in many parts of the country. No study till date has examined the pathways to care among natural opiate users. Objectives: To understand the pathways to care among natural opiates depende...

Comorbidity of personality disorders(PDs) and substance use disorders(SUDs) is common in clinical practice. Borderline PD and antisocial PD are particularly found to be associated with SUDs. Our review suggests that the overall prevalence of PD ranges from 10% to 14.8% in the normal population and from 34.8% to 73.0% in patients treated for addicti...

Opioids are one of the most common illicit psychoactive substances being used in India. In fact, opioid use disorders are the most common disorder presenting to the substance use disorder treatment centers across the country. Effective and evidence-based interventions are available for management of opioid use disorders. However, the treatment for...

Objective: To explore the role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation in the treatment of panic disorder with comorbid depression. Methods: The present study reports findings from retrospective analysis of 13 treatment-resistant patients diagnosed with comorbid panic disorder and depression, given 20 sessions of high-frequency tra...

Use of 1H-MRS in understanding neurobiology of psychiatric disorders Advances in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methodology and related analytic strategies allow sophisticated testing of neurobiological models of disease pathology in psychiatric disorders. From its earliest days, psychiatry has sought to relate psychological processes to br...

Background: Use of natural opiates is socio-culturally sanctioned and has been widely reported from India. Literature suggests that natural opiates users seems to be a unique population with largely preserved functioning in various domains of life, despite using natural opiates for prolonged periods. However, no study has ever assessed stigma surro...

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder with predominant involvement of cortico-striato-thalamic-cortico (CSTC) circuitry. Though late-onset cases (>35 years) usually show an association with various neurological disorders involving basal ganglia and thalamus, it is not the case with the young-onset patients. There...

Substance use disorders are comparable to chronic medical illnesses and have a chronic relapsing course. Despite being significant contributors to morbidity and mortality, limited treatment options exist. The current narrative review was aimed at providing an overview of yoga therapy in substance‑use disorders and discuss the relevant methodologica...

Background: The type of opioid used influences the severity and complications experienced. Natural opiates (opium and poppy husk) use is a socio-culturally accepted phenomenon reported in India. However, studies on their profile, quality of life, and addiction severity are limited. Objectives: The objective of this cross-sectional, observational...

Background. Reporting guidelines are an important tool for ensuring proper and complete reporting of data of clinical studies. It is also necessary for the translation of scientific results into practice. However, to what extent journals publishing in the field of addiction medicine endorse such reporting guidelines is unclear. Objectives. To asses...

Background. Gambling is a common leisure activity in India, especially during festivals. Previous research indicates that problem gambling commonly co-occurs with substance dependence. However, very few studies report about rates of problem gambling in Indian substance using population. No study till date has reported rates of problem gambling amon...

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic illness with waxing and waning course. OCD is not uncommonly found to be comorbid with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). The course and prognosis of OCD have distinctive features in such cases. Only rarely symptoms of OCD emerge during mania in such individuals. We hereby report a very unusual case...

Background: Gambling, although being a common leisure activity in India, and it has been studied scarcely. There is a dearth of research regarding the rates of problem gambling among substance users in India. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary care de-addiction center in India. Male patients aged 18–65 yea...

Background. Adverse consequences of injecting are greater among female injecting drug users (FIDUs), yet treatment-seeking is low because of stigma, poor social support, and unavailability of gender-specific services. FIDUs, despite being a distinct subpopulation of women substance users, are sparsely studied. Aims. We aimed to study the sociodemo...

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder characterized by episodic hypersomnia along with cognitive and behavioral disturbances (i.e., hyperphagia and hypersexuality). It is commonly seen in a young male. Not much is known about its long-term management; however, many reports suggest the usefulness of anticonvulsants and lithium for the same....

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare slowly progressing neurological illness. Although patients with SSPE initially present with symptoms such as myoclonic jerks, cognitive decline, and personality/behavioral changes usually, rarely pure psychiatric symptoms (e.g., mania, psychosis, and catatonia) have also been reported during the...

Background: Cannabis use and abuse is an important health hazard which has several harmful consequences on person's physical and psychological well-being. Although cannabis use disorder is a common problem across various countries, the effective medications for treatment are still limited. Because of this, the major focus of interventions for canna...

Substance use disorders are among the most prevalent and emergent public health problems in India. The treatment of individuals with these disorders is associated with many ethical dilemmas. Due to the pervasiveness of substance use disorders, the majority of mental health professionals working in the area of addiction medicine face several ethical...

Introduction OCD is a complex disorder with multiple aetiological theories. Recent research points to role of autoimmunity as well as hyperactivity of glutaminergic pathways in aetiopathogenesis of the disorder. It is possible that autoimmune mechanisms may modulate excitatory neurotransmission resulting in OCD. Aims/objectives This study aimed to...

Introduction: Among substance users, women represent a small, unique subpopulation. Studying their socio-demographic and substance-use profile helps us understand their concerns and formulate management strategies. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective chart review, all the available records of outpatient treatment seekers at National Drug D...

Background: Use of natural opioids is socio-culturally accepted and has been reported across various parts of India. Systematic studies assessing the clinical profile, quality of life and severity of dependence of natural opiates users among the treatment seeking individuals are unavailable. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to assess the soci...

Background: Gambling, although being a common leisure activity in India has been studied scarcely. There is dearth of research regarding the rates of problem gambling among substance users in India. Aim: The study aimed to assess the frequency of problem gambling behaviors as well as their correlates among patients with substance use disorders at...

Background/Objectives: Subacute Sclerosing Pan-Encephalitis (SSPE) is a progressive illness with an invariably fatal outcome. Although psychiatric symptoms have been reported in patients with SSPE, such presentations are rare. We report an unusual case of an adolescent with SSPE who presented with prominent positive and catatonic symptoms. Methods:...

Background/Objectives: To study the socio-demographics and substance use profile of the female patients attending National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ghaziabad. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective chart review design was employed. All the available medical records of patients re...

Objective: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), especially the late onset cases are commonly associated with illnesses involving the CSTC (Cortico-Striato-Thalamo-Cortical) circuitry (for i.e. Parkinson’s disease, Sydenham’s chorea etc.). However, such associations are uncommon in young patients. We hereby report a rare case of OCD comorbid with Mi...

Introduction: Elderly women comprise of a unique subpopulation of people who use drugs. However, literature on the profile of elderly women seeking treatment is scarce. Materials and methods: This retrospective chart review included 16 elderly (>60 years of age) women subjects seeking outpatient treatment at a tertiary care substance use treatment...

Swyer-James-Macleod syndrome (SJMS) is a rare disorder characterized by infective bronchiolitis. It typically presents with a history of recurrent chest infections during childhood. Cardinal sign of the disease includes the hyperlucency of the lung fields. Till date, only a few cases have been reported of this syndrome. We report a very unusual cas...

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common psychiatric illness with a lifetime prevalence of 2–3% in general population. The pathophysiology of OCD is not yet fully understood, however over the last few decades, evidence for abnormalities of cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortico (CSTC) circuitry in etiopathogenesis of OCD has accumulate...