Abstract
Objective:
Recent work has underscored the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in chronic neural adaptations to cocaine dependence. The authors tested for evidence of serotonergic dysfunction during acute abstinence from cocaine, a period of high risk for relapse in cocaine dependence.
Method:
Binding availability of dopamine transporters and serotonin transporters was measured in 15 cocaine-dependent subjects during acute abstinence and in 37 healthy comparison subjects by using [(123)I]beta-CIT and single photon emission computed tomography.
Results:
Significant increases in diencephalic and brainstem serotonin transporter binding (16.7% and 31.6%, respectively) were observed in cocaine-dependent subjects. Brainstem serotonin transporter binding was significantly inversely correlated with age across diagnostic groups.
Conclusions:
These findings provide further evidence of serotonergic dysfunction during acute abstinence from chronic cocaine use. Age-related decline in brainstem serotonin transporter binding may underlie the poor response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants seen in some elderly depressed patients.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Age Factors
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Brain / diagnostic imaging
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Brain / metabolism*
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Brain / physiopathology
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Brain Stem / diagnostic imaging
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Brain Stem / metabolism
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Brain Stem / physiopathology
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Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
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Carrier Proteins / physiology
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Cocaine / analogs & derivatives
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Cocaine-Related Disorders / diagnostic imaging
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Cocaine-Related Disorders / metabolism*
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Cocaine-Related Disorders / physiopathology
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Diencephalon / diagnostic imaging
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Diencephalon / metabolism
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Dopamine / metabolism
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Dopamine / physiology
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Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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Female
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Humans
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Iodine Radioisotopes
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Male
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Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
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Membrane Glycoproteins / physiology
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Membrane Transport Proteins*
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Nerve Tissue Proteins*
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Recurrence
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Risk Factors
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use
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Serotonin / metabolism*
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Serotonin / physiology
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Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / statistics & numerical data
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Carrier Proteins
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Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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Iodine Radioisotopes
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Membrane Transport Proteins
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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SLC6A4 protein, human
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Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
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Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
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Serotonin
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2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane
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Cocaine
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Dopamine