Dopaminergic responsivity during cocaine abstinence: a pilot study.
This preliminary study investigated dopamine (DA) function in six hospitalized cocaine-dependent subjects (DSM-III-R) who received 1.5 mg/kg of active cocaine by mouth, t.i.d., for 3 days followed by 9 days of placebo cocaine. During early and late abstinence from cocaine, plasma growth hormone (GH), homovanillic acid (HVA), prolactin, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyleneglycol responses to the placebo-controlled administration of oral L-dopa 250 mg/carbidopa 25 mg (Sinemet) were measured. Sinemet caused significantly greater placebo-corrected increases in GH and HVA during early as compared with late abstinence. Acute abstinence from cocaine may be associated with increased DA responsivity, which normalizes over time.
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
C J
CJ
McDougle
L H
LH
Price
J M
JM
Palumbo
T R
TR
Kosten
G R
GR
Heninger
H D
HD
Kleber
D000328:Adult; D002230:Carbidopa; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*
D015259:Dopamine Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; C009265:carbidopa, levodopa drug combination; D007980:Levodopa; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003042:Cocaine; D002230:Carbidopa; D006719:Homovanillic Acid