Some patients are successful at recovering from cocaine addiction using traditional methods like group and individual therapy sessions to address the behaviors associated with cocaine use. For some, however, these methods are ineffective and the patient may require additional help.

With information about the specific areas of the brain involved with cocaine addiction, there may be an opportunity to develop medications that target responses in the brain. A new study from researchers at the University of Texas provides a key step to development of more effective treatment.

The study’s findings appear in the journal Neuron and provide information about a brain function that reduces the reward response when cocaine is used. The research involved analysis of a protective function of the brain that represses genes that promote addiction-related patterns of behavior.

The authors of the study explain that any type of drug addiction is highlighted by a change of patterns in the brain related to reward response. It has been believed that some genes are responsible for determining whether addiction takes hold when a drug is introduced to the system.

In recent studies, researchers have discovered that there may be a connection between histone deacetylases (HDACs), which modulate the expression of genes, and the regulation of the response to cocaine. The team that conducted the study discussed here sought to understand the ways that cocaine impacts HDACs and whether the regulation of HDACs might change behaviors related to addiction.

Led by Dr. Christopher W. Cowan from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the team used an animal model to observe how cocaine initiated a unique signaling pathway that affected relocation to the cell nucleus by the HDACs. The cell nucleus is the location of gene expression, and the researchers discovered that the process was required for the cocaine reward-associated pattern to occur.

Dr. Cowan likened the process to putting a brake on genes associated with drug stimulation, which would usually sustain behavioral changes associated with drug use. The discoveries in this study may be useful in understanding the destructive behaviors associated with addiction and may also help explain why some individuals are likely to become addicted to a drug and others are not.

Research Identifies Brain Mechanism Involved in Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, lead investigator of the study and chairman and professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, said that the study shows that the vaccine can protect mice against the effects of cocaine, and could be promising in treating addiction in humans.

He added that the vaccine binds to cocaine molecule before the drug reaches the brain, preventing the effects of cocaine. This effect lasted for at least 13 weeks. Dr. Crystal said that while there have been other attempts to develop vaccine against cocaine, this is the first that likely won’t require multiple infusions that can be costly, and that will move quickly to human trials. He added that there is currently no FDA-approved vaccine for addiction treatment.

The vaccine is made up of a chemical that is very structurally similar to cocaine and components of the adenovirus, which is a common cold virus. The immune system is alerted to the virus and learns to view cocaine as an “intruder.” Once the cocaine is recognized, antibodies to the drug are produced and cocaine is prevented from reaching the brain.

Dr. Crystal said that the immune system doesn’t usually identify cocaine as an intruder, so the researchers engineered the response so that it does. For the study, a team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University in Ithaca, and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, found that a strong immune response was generated against the vaccine.

Mice that received the vaccine were much less hyperactive after being given cocaine than those that did not receive the vaccine. This effect was even seen in mice that were given large, repetitive doses of cocaine.

Dr. Crystal said the vaccine needs to be tested in humans, but thinks that it will work best in people who are already addicted to cocaine and are trying to quit. He added that the vaccine may help people quit because if they use the drug, the immune system will destroy it before it reaches the brain.

Source: Science Daily, Vaccine Blocks Cocaine High in Mice: Approach Could Also Stop Addiction to Other Drugs, Including Heroin and Nicotine, January 5, 2011

New Vaccine Could Help People Addicted to Cocaine is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The researchers found the mutations in more than 40 percent of autopsy brain samples taken from white people who had died of a cocaine overdose. Of white people who didn’t use drugs, only 19 percent had the mutation. One in five samples from the drug-free group had the variant, compared with one in two to three samples from the cocaine-using white individuals and one in eight African Americans. (The gene variant is less prevalent in African Americans.)

The study found that the mutations affect the way in which the brain reacts to the neurotransmitter dopamine (which is released in the brain after certain activities, including using cocaine). Previous studies have shown that cocaine blocks dopamine transmitters from absorbing dopamine after it is released in the brain, which leads to a feeling of euphoria that the brain eventually associates with cocaine and causes drug cravings.

This is the first study to find a strong connection in brain tissue between the mutations and severe cocaine abuse. However, many questions remain, such as whether the mutations increase the risk of someone trying cocaine in the first place, or whether they strengthen the brain’s drug craving, which leads to severe abuse.

Wolfgang Sadee, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology and director of the Program in Pharmacogenomics at Ohio State University, said that their study shows that the gene mutations may impact cocaine abuse, and could help researchers discover new therapies for a range of psychiatric disorders that involve dopamine.

No test currently exists to see whether people are carrying the mutations. Sadee and colleagues are currently examining how these mutations could affect the response of carriers to drugs that act on the gene.

Source: Science Daily, Genetic Trait Could Triple Odds of Whites’ Susceptibility to Heavy Cocaine Abuse, September 22, 2010

Genetic Variant Increases Risk of Severe Cocaine Abuse in Whites is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

A new study examined whether exercise might be beneficial in treating an unexpected disorder: heavy cocaine use. Science Daily reported the results that indicated that aerobic exercise may protect against binge-like patterns among cocaine users. In the study, rats that were given access to running wheels consumed less cocaine than rats that were not exposed to running wheels.

Senior author Mark A. Smith, PhD, of Davidson College presented the research in San Diego at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience. Smith explained that the findings are the first time exercise has been observed as a tool to reduce binge-like patterns of cocaine intake. The results add to and support the trend in studies shown to help improve harmful patterns of drug use

It is important for researchers such as Smith to examine the effects of exercise on binge-like patterns in drug use. Many drug addictions are exhibited in the form of binge-like patterns, which in turn can have dangerous associations. Negative outcomes associated with binge cocaine use include criminal activity, visits to hospital emergency departments and risky sexual behaviors. Strategies to reduce the frequency and intensity of binges could be significant from a public health perspective.

Smith explains that through randomized clinical trials examining aerobic exercise as a treatment for binge-like cocaine addiction studies recently completed show that individuals who are enrolled in exercise during a formal treatment program are more successful at maintaining abstinence.

The researchers believe that exercise therapy may have a broader role in drug abuse treatment. Though the research prevented here is related to binge-like patterns among cocaine users, it is possible that exercise would be a productive part of a treatment plan for any type of drug abuse problem.

Cocaine addiction is an especially difficult problem to overcome. Over three-quarters of patients enrolled in a substance abuse treatment program for cocaine addiction experience a relapse within six months of finishing the program.

While exercise alone may not be the therapy required for treating a cocaine addiction, it can be a beneficial part of the total therapy, just as regular exercise provides a wealth of benefits to the average person hoping to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
 

Exercise May be Beneficial for Overcoming Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Many makers of the patent medicines of the late 1800s time period sought trademarks, but not true patents – meaning their actual ingredients were unregulated and largely unknown to the public. For example, alcohol was a key ingredient in several popular elixirs. Some patent medicines were fifty percent morphine, prompting many serious addictions and untimely deaths of children.

Early settlers brought some English varieties of patent medicines with them, calling them cure-alls for everything from women’s health issues to fussy babies to stomach problems. They were sold by postmasters, grocery owners and various other tradesmen.

Many patent medicines also contained cocaine, especially during the mid 1800s, and were prescribed to children and infants as well as adults. Arthritis and tuberculosis were also among the list of ailments for which patent medicines could be prescribed, even those claiming to increase breast size or help with male sexual dysfunction.

By the late 1800s, communication tools like the newspaper had spread the word through glamorous advertising about these products, which were still sold in an unregulated market. Even reputable, larger-scale pharmaceutical businesses were reported to sell patent medicines with contents unrevealed to users.

Some early doctors and societies were skeptical of these medicines, claiming they failed to resolve medical problems and contributed to addictions. Temperance efforts in the late 1800s helped lessen some of the use of alcohol-containing patent medicines, and preliminary laws asking makers to reveal the medicines’ ingredients and use more accurate advertising were in place by the early 1900s.

However, the new laws were not favored by the patent medicine manufacturers, who threatened to pull their highly profitable advertising from newspapers if the regulatory laws were enforced. Journalists like Samuel Hopkins Adams who exposed the harmful ingredients and false health promises may be credited with saving thousands of lives before the Pure Food and Drug Act was officially passed in 1906.

From “Cocaine Toothache Drops” to Metcalf’s “Coca Wine,” a wine-based product that included cocaine – to medications for infants containing nearly 50 percent alcohol and opium – many lives were potentially destroyed by the patent medicines of the 1800s and early 1900s. Addiction was both unknown and underestimated during this dangerous time in medical history, in comparison to today’s strict pharmaceutical regulations and tailored addiction therapy programs.

Patent Medicines with Addictive Substances Necessitated Food and Drug Act is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

A new study published by the Institut de physiologie et biologie cellulaire (CNRS/Universte de Poitiers) shows that it may be possible to alter environmental conditions to make the treatment of cocaine addiction more successful. Positive and stimulating surroundings, say the researchers, may play a major role in treating cocaine addition.

The study was led by Marcello Solinas and Mohamed Jaber and exposed mice to an “enriched environment” to aid in removing abnormal behavior related to addiction. The environment provided to the mice stimulated their curiosity by providing social and physical activity along with elements of exploration.

The researchers first worked to establish a cocaine addiction in the mice, and then exposed the animals to an enriched environment. The large cages had a small house, a running wheel, tunnels and other toys. The toys were changed each week.

The study used three models of animal addiction. The first was behavioral sensitization, in which the researchers measured the progressive increase in the stimulating effects of cocaine after administration. The second was the location preference, in which the ability of a context was measured to lead to drug-seeking behavior. Third, the researchers measured relapses in cocaine use after a period of withdrawal.

After 30 days of exposure to the enriched environment, the researchers found that the mice exhibited no addiction behavior typical of the three models. The researchers attribute this response to a decrease in the cocaine-induced activation of a set of brain structures involved in dopaminergic transmission and associated with relapse.

The results of the study indicate the importance of evaluating the living conditions of cocaine addicts when they are admitted into therapy. The treatment centers that offer assistance with overcoming cocaine addiction should be evaluated for their environmental conditions.

In addition, when an individual has completed treatment, they can be educated on how to replicate the stimulating effects of an enriched environment in their own living spaces. A home that provides physical and intellectual stimulation may help prevent relapse. Treatment centers may also find effective ways to create take-home versions of stimulation therapy done in an inpatient program.
 

Treating Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Freedom is the goal for members of Cocaine Anonymous, according to group statements, and this can include becoming free from other drugs or substances that alter the mind. Research into the causes and treatments of drug addiction are not part of the group’s protocol, nor or tools including prescribed medical treatments or therapies involving psychiatric assistance.

Instead, C.A. groups adhere to the traditional 12 Step Recovery Program model, which means anyone can join Cocaine Anonymous as long as they want to quit using all types of the drug. Membership is free and there is no affiliation with any other group or organization.

Cocaine Anonymous is not an affiliate of Alcoholics Anonymous, though the steps and tools for recovery are similar. Spending time in service to other people in one’s community or others trying to recover is a primary tool. Another technique is to talk openly amongst each other, believing that this type of communication leads to a greater understanding and strength that cannot be found in other recovery strategies.

The allure of cocaine, for many, is found in its positive effects. Users note marked changes occur when the drug is taken, which are believed linked to its ability to quicken the brain’s functions. Cocaine can create feelings of energy, alertness and excitement combined with a heightened sense of pleasure. Physically, the drug can increase respiration and heart rate. Depression and strong cravings occur when many users attempt to break the habit.
Cocaine Anonymous was founded in 1982 in Los Angeles and now has a global presence with well over 2,000 chapters. For family members coping with a loved one’s addiction to cocaine, Co-Anon Family Groups may be helpful in meeting their emotional needs.

Once someone reaches a point of recovery, their ability and willingness to talk about their experience with others who have are still working toward recovery is invaluable, according to C.A. documents. This process creates strong relationships between members that become a stronghold in the battle against the substance.

Because cocaine users can come from all ages, demographics and walks of life, Cocaine Anonymous groups can be varied and diverse in membership status. One of the group’s strengths, say the members, is that their stories of struggles and success become enmeshed in one combined recovery effort – regardless of the type of cocaine they have used.

With help from Cocaine Anonymous, members hope the drug addiction becomes something of their past lives, and not a piece of their lives yet to come. Even so, like all addictions, the road can be long and complex, and many members of Cocaine Anonymous report committing to four to five meetings weekly as they maintain their recovery.
 

Cocaine Anonymous Unites Recovering Addicts’ Stories is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

With his colleague W. James Ball, PhD, of the pharmacology and cell biophysics department at the University of Cincinnati, Norman is studying the development of a monoclonal antibody, or an antibody derived from a single cell to be used against a specific target) that could work against cocaine. When injected into the bloodstream, the antibody would attach to cocaine and prevent it from entering the brain, which would limit its pleasurable effects. Norman and Bell have previously shown that this antibody reduces the effects of cocaine in animals.

Norman said this grant is vital to their research, and that it will greatly enhance their development of this potential new form of addiction treatment.

NIDA also awarded William Brimijoin, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, Jia Bei Wang, PhD, of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and Daniele Piomelli, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine. Brimijoin and Wang are also researching cocaine addiction treatments, and Piomelli is researching a new treatment for smoking cessation.

NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow said that research has clearly shown that drug addiction is linked to disruptions of brain structure and function, which presents several potential targets for the development of new medications. Presenting the awardees with grants could help quicken the process of finding these much-needed medications for addiction.

Source: PsyOrg.com, Researcher wins $2.5 million award from National Institute on Drug Abuse, September 21, 2010

Researcher Given Grant to Explore Antibody Treatment for Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

“It’s not something I ever want to do again,” she says of the drug. “It made me feel like s***. It became uninteresting to me. I’m hyper anyway and I have that kind of personality so I don’t need something like that,” Lohan told Britain’s The Sun in a new interview.

“I was only aware of cocaine because of my dad. I was terrified of it. But I tried it because I was stubborn, stupid, and wanted to see what it was like.”

Today Lindsay says she is in a much happier place than she has been in for a long time.

She says that when it comes to booze, she “knows her limits” and adds that waking up in the morning after a night of drinking isn’t fun anymore.

She adds: “I’ve made some dreadful mistakes but learned from them—that has probably saved my life.”

Lindsay Lohan Blames Father for Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The singer said that she would use cocaine, LSD, and other drugs to find inspiration for her music. But at the end of the day, she says she was saved by the ghost of her late aunt that lives inside her.

"I realized my father’s sister Joanne, who’d died at 19, had instilled her spirit in me. She was a painter and a poet—and I had a spiritual vision I had to finish her business,” she says.

Lady Gaga dedicated her Fame Ball tour to her aunt Joanne last year, saying, "I never met her, but she’s been one of the most important figures in my life."

In the biography, Gaga says she believes her addiction to cocaine would have killed her.

“My cocaine soundtrack was always The Cure. I would lock myself in my room and listen to ‘Never Enough’ on repeat while I did bags and bags of cocaine. It was about being an artist. I wasn’t a lazy addict. I would make demo tapes and send them around. At the time I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me, until my friends said, ‘Are you doing this alone?’ Um, yes. Me and my mirror.”

Lady Gaga Admits Cocaine Addiction in Biography is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment