Craving for cocaine in addicted users. Role of serotonergic mechanisms.
Very few studies have examined the role of serotonin (5-HT) in the modulation of craving for cocaine in cocaine-addicted persons. The authors evaluated whether the acute increase in serotonergic neurotransmission after the administration of a challenging dose of the 5-HT partial agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) had an effect on spontaneous cocaine craving. Male inpatients (N = 31) who met DSM-III-R criteria for cocaine dependence completed 2 days of testing (separated by 48 hours) that involved the oral administration of m-CPP (0.5 mg/kg of body weight) or placebo in random order and under double-blind conditions. Patients' craving for cocaine was found to decrease significantly after the administration of m-CPP. These data could provide evidence for a modulation of cocaine craving by 5-HT systems.
Buydens-Branchey
L
L
Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, USA.
Branchey
M
M
Fergeson
P
P
Hudson
J
J
McKernin
C
C
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
D010879:Piperazines; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D012701:Serotonin; D003042:Cocaine; C015068:1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine