Effects of chronic cocaine abuse on postsynaptic dopamine receptors.
To assess the effects of chronic cocaine intoxication on dopamine receptors in human subjects, the authors evaluated [18F]N-methylspiroperidol binding using positron emission tomography in 10 cocaine abusers and 10 normal control subjects. Cocaine abusers who had been detoxified for 1 week or less showed significantly lower values for uptake of [18F]N-methylspiroperidol in striatum than the normal subjects, whereas the cocaine abusers who had been detoxified for 1 month showed values comparable to those obtained from normal subjects. The authors conclude that postsynaptic dopamine receptor availability decreases with chronic cocaine abuse but may recover after a drug-free interval.
Volkow
N D
ND
Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000.
Fowler
J S
JS
Wolf
A P
AP
Schlyer
D
D
Shiue
C Y
CY
Alpert
R
R
Dewey
S L
SL
Logan
J
J
Bendriem
B
B
Christman
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013134:Spiperone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D013134:Spiperone; C039167:3-N-methylspiperone; D003042:Cocaine