title: Short-term, low-dose varenicline administration enhances information processing speed in methamphetamine-dependent users.
abstract: Long-term, high-dose methamphetamine (METH) use is associated with decrements in neurocognition and, given the association between impaired neurocognition and poorer treatment outcomes in individuals dependent on alcohol and drugs, it is considered to be a neglected area of critical concern. The objective of this study was to determine whether varenicline, a partial agonist at α4β2- and a full agonist at α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, enhances attention/information processing speed, episodic memory, and working memory in non-treatment seeking METH-dependent participants. Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to receive oral placebo or oral varenicline (titrated up to 1 mg) over 5 days during three separate inpatient phases, and 17 completed each inpatient phase. Participants were predominately male (71%) and Caucasian (71%). Varenicline significantly improved reaction time on the n-back for visual stimuli (F(1,47)=5.369, p=0.025, η2=0.103), and a trend was observed for improvement in reaction time for auditory stimuli (F(1,47)=3.141, p=0.083, η2=0.063). For those study participants whose reaction time was in the lower half of the distribution at baseline, the effect was even more pronounced for auditory (F(1,22)=5.287, p=0.031, η2=0.194) and visual (F(1,22)=11.981, p=0.002, η2=0.353) stimuli relative to placebo. In contrast, varenicline did not modulate mean or maximum span of working memory or performance on tests of episodic memory or attention (p's>0.05). Given the potential importance of this finding, it should be replicated in a larger sample over a longer treatment period with a higher dose of varenicline (2 mg).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01571167.
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: ari.kalechstein@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Ari D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kalechstein
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Verrico
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De La Garza
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011810:Quinoxalines; D008694:Methamphetamine; D000068580:Varenicline
keywords: Information processing speed; Methamphetamine; Varenicline