Cocaine addiction is a serious health problem with no available medical treatment for preventing relapse. Topiramate, a medication which lowers dopamine levels, may have the ability to diminish cocaine cravings in addicts. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of topiramate in reducing cocaine's rewarding effects in individuals addicted to cocaine.
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is found primarily in the brain. High GABA levels result in low levels of dopamine, another neurotransmitter that is the brain's "feel good" chemical and which plays a primary role in cocaine drug addiction. Cravings for cocaine can be reduced by lowering dopamine levels. This makes topiramate, a GABA-altering medication, a potential treatment for cocaine addiction. This study will evaluate the subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects of topiramate in individuals addicted to cocaine. Potential participants will initially attend a 4- to 6-hour screening session. This will include review of medical and drug histories, standardized psychological questionnaires, a physical exam, and blood collection. Eligible participants will then be admitted to the inpatient clinic. During the first day of experiment, participants will receive instructions and information about the study procedures. They will also undergo a physical exam, an electrocardiogram, standardized psychological questionnaires, and blood and urine collection. A single test dose of cocaine will be administered intravenously to all participants to ensure safety with continuation in the study. Vital signs will be monitored hourly throughout the day. The experiment will last 25 days and will enroll 24 individuals addicted to cocaine. In this three-part experiment, participants will be admitted to the inpatient clinic for an 8-day study session. Following this session, they will be discharged from the clinic for a 1-week washout phase. Participants will then return to the inpatient clinic for another 8-day study session. The two study sessions will be identical. During both sessions, participants will first receive topiramate or placebo for 4 consecutive days. While continuing to receive topiramate or placebo, participants will then also receive intravenous cocaine or placebo for 3 consecutive days.Participants will be monitored by the study physician. Electrocardiograms will be used to monitor heart activity, and blood will be drawn frequently to monitor levels of cocaine and topiramate. Participants will complete standardized questionnaires several times each day to assess mood changes and cognitive function.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
25
the maximum topiramate test dose is 200 mg/d.
University of Virginia CARE Center for Addiction Research & Education
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
UVA CARE Richmond
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Cocaine-induced mood changes
Time frame: measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions
Effects of topiramate on cognitive function
Time frame: measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions
Drug safety
Time frame: measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions
Cardiovascular response to cocaine (measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions)
Time frame: measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions
Physiological response (measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions)
Time frame: measured throughout cocaine and topiramate testing sessions
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