Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1992 Jul;43(1):77-85.
doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(92)90143-q.

Dopaminergic responsivity during cocaine abstinence: a pilot study

C J McDougle  1 , L H Price, J M Palumbo, T R Kosten, G R Heninger, H D Kleber
Affiliations

Dopaminergic responsivity during cocaine abstinence: a pilot study

C J McDougle et al. Psychiatry Res. 1992 Jul.

Abstract

This preliminary study investigated dopamine (DA) function in six hospitalized cocaine-dependent subjects (DSM-III-R) who received 1.5 mg/kg of active cocaine by mouth, t.i.d., for 3 days followed by 9 days of placebo cocaine. During early and late abstinence from cocaine, plasma growth hormone (GH), homovanillic acid (HVA), prolactin, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenethyleneglycol responses to the placebo-controlled administration of oral L-dopa 250 mg/carbidopa 25 mg (Sinemet) were measured. Sinemet caused significantly greater placebo-corrected increases in GH and HVA during early as compared with late abstinence. Acute abstinence from cocaine may be associated with increased DA responsivity, which normalizes over time.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types