title: Nimodipine pharmacotherapeutic adjuvant therapy for inpatient treatment of cocaine dependence.
abstract: Recent preclinical studies suggest utility for voltage-sensitive calcium channel blockers (VSCCBs) in the treatment of cocaine addiction. The following double-blind placebo-controlled study examined the role of the VSCCB nimodipine in attenuating cocaine craving in 66 recently abstinent cocaine-dependent patients on an inpatient substance abuse treatment unit utilizing an intensive 12-step milieu-oriented psychosocial therapy. While the medication was well tolerated, the dose of nimodipine used in this study (90 mg q.d.) was not superior to placebo in reducing background or cue-induced cocaine craving over the 3 weeks of the study. There was the suggestion that nimodipine might attenuate the severity of some cocaine-induced brain deficits, as detected by evaluation of smooth pursuit eye movement function. A rationale for evaluating higher doses of nimodipine for the treatment of cocaine addiction is presented. As nimodipine might have anticraving and mood-stabilizing properties and cardio- and neuroprotective properties in the face of cocaine intoxication and might possibly even reverse some cocaine-induced brain deficits, further investigation of the role of nimodipine (and other VSCCBs) in cocaine addiction appears an attractive avenue of future medication development.
authors.affiliation: VA/NIDA Substance Abuse Research Unit, Washington, D.C., USA.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Rosse
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Alim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fay-McCarthy
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vocci
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jentgen
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Deutsch
mesh_terms: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D010919:Placebos; D009553:Nimodipine