Regional cerebral blood flow during acute and chronic abstinence from combined cocaine-alcohol abuse

Drug Alcohol Depend. 1998 May 1;50(3):187-95. doi: 10.1016/s0376-8716(98)00038-6.

Abstract

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed using SPECT and HMPAO in ten cocaine abusers within 72 h of last cocaine use and then after 21 days of abstinence. In comparison to normals the cocaine abusers had significantly reduced rCBF in 11 of 14 brain regions with the largest reductions in the frontal and parietal cortex and greater rCBF in the brain stem. These perfusion defects appeared to be primarily due to combined alcohol and cocaine abuse and frontal but not parietal defects appeared to resolve partially during 21 days of abstinence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / blood supply
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / adverse effects*
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / adverse effects*
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / drug effects*
  • Cocaine / adverse effects*
  • Drug Interactions
  • Ethanol / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / blood supply
  • Frontal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Frontal Lobe / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Parietal Lobe / blood supply
  • Parietal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Parietal Lobe / drug effects
  • Remission, Spontaneous
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Temperance
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents / adverse effects*

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Vasoconstrictor Agents
  • Ethanol
  • Cocaine