The HPA axis in cocaine use: implications for pharmacotherapy.
The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in cocaine use is reviewed within the context of two approaches to developing pharmacological treatments in humans: (1) reducing the reinforcing effects of cocaine and (2) reducing cocaine addict's susceptibility to stress-induced relapse. This review suggests that HPA-axis-suppressing medications are unlikely to block cocaine's reinforcing effects completely but may be useful in decreasing the frequency of use by increasing the addicted individual's resistance to stress-induced relapse. Implications for designing inpatient studies to test the safety and efficacy of candidate pharmacological agents are discussed.
Winhusen
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Cincinnati Addiction Research Center, OH 45220, USA. winhusen@mdru.uc.edu
Somoza
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E
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology