EEG and cerebral blood flow velocity abnormalities in chronic cocaine users.

EEG and cerebral blood flow abnormalities have been documented in chronic cocaine abusers. To identify possible relationships between EEG and blood flow changes and their relationship to the intensity of cocaine use, we recorded the resting eyes-closed EEG and anterior (ACA) and middle (MCA) cerebral artery blood flow velocity during systole (V(S)) and diastole (V(D)) by transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography of 99 (76 male, 23 female; mean [SD] age 34.3 [5.

Caffeine withdrawal, acute effects, tolerance, and absence of net beneficial effects of chronic administration: cerebral blood flow velocity, quantitative EEG, and subjective effects.

Rationale: Although the subjective effects of caffeine abstinence, acute and chronic administration, and tolerance are well described, the corresponding neurophysiological effects are not.

Objectives: Caffeine withdrawal, acute caffeine effects, caffeine tolerance, and net beneficial effects of chronic caffeine administration were investigated using cerebral blood flow velocity, quantitative electroencephalography (EEG), and subjective effects.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen regular caffeine users participated in this double-blind, within-subject study during which they received acute caffeine and placebo challenges (1) while maintained on 400 mg caffeine daily for > or =14 days and (2) while maintained on placebo for > or =14 days.

Heavy marijuana users show increased serum apolipoprotein C-III levels: evidence from proteomic analyses.

Marijuana (MJ) is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Its abuse is associated with cognitive dysfunctions and increased resistance to blood flow in the cerebral vasculature. In addition, MJ abuse is associated with increased risks of potentially serious cardiovascular disorders.

EEG of chronic marijuana users during abstinence: relationship to years of marijuana use, cerebral blood flow and thyroid function.

Objective: Marijuana abuse is associated with neurological changes including increases in frontal EEG alpha during abstinence. Research is needed to assess to what extent these EEG patterns are indicative of cerebral perfusion deficits.

Methods: We recorded the resting eyes closed EEG of 75 abstinent marijuana users and 33 control subjects.

EEG absolute power during extended cocaine abstinence.

We examined the effects of cocaine withdrawal on EEG during 3 months of abstinence. Twenty physically healthy cocaine users (80% men, 80% African American, mean (SD) age, 34.8 (4.

Neuropsychiatric alterations in MDMA users: preliminary findings.

The use of marijuana is rampant among 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users. The co-occurrence of abuse of these two drugs has made it difficult to assess the specific residual effects of MDMA alone. As a first step toward identifying the effects of long-term MDMA use, we studied 8 MDMA abusers, 8 marijuana/MDMA abusers, 15 marijuana abusers (matched in marijuana use without MDMA use), and 17 control subjects.

Cerebrovascular perfusion in marijuana users during a month of monitored abstinence.

Objective: To determine possible effects of prolonged marijuana use on the cerebrovascular system during a month of monitored abstinence and to assess how the intensity of current use might have influenced cerebrovascular perfusion in these marijuana users.

Method: The authors recorded blood flow velocity in the anterior and middle cerebral arteries using transcranial Doppler sonography in three groups of marijuana users who differed in the intensity of recent use (light: n = 11; moderate: n = 23; and heavy: n = 20) and in control subjects (n = 18) to assess the nature and duration of any potential abnormalities. Blood flow velocity was recorded within 3 days of admission and 28 to 30 days of monitored abstinence on an inpatient research unit in order to evaluate subacute effects of the drug and any abstinence-generated changes.

Stress hormone responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone in substance abusers without severe comorbid psychiatric disease.

Background: Preclinical data indicate a crucial role of stress in the acute effects of drugs of abuse, maintenance of self-administration, and susceptibility to relapse. Stress system activation may serve as a marker for a neurochemical dysfunction with prognostic significance in patients with addiction.

Methods: We tested pituitary adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) and adrenal cortisol response to ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) to assess the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in seven nonsubstance-abusing subjects, 31 polysubstance-abusing subjects without depressive symptoms, and seven subjects with substance abuse and depressive symptoms.

EEG deficits in chronic marijuana abusers during monitored abstinence: preliminary findings.

Cognitive, cerebrovascular, and psychiatric impairments have been documented with chronic marijuana users. To better understand the nature and duration of these neurocognitive changes in marijuana abusers, we recorded the resting EEG of 29 abstinent chronic marijuana abusers and 21 control subjects. The marijuana abusers were tested twice: the first evaluation occurred within 72 hours of admission to the inpatient research unit; the second evaluation occurred after 28 to 30 days of monitored abstinence.

Methadone treatment induces attenuation of cerebrovascular deficits associated with the prolonged abuse of cocaine and heroin.

Opiate replacement therapy has been useful in reducing heroin use and in keeping patients in treatment programs. However, neuropsychological and neurophysiological effects of this treatment regimen have not been evaluated systematically. To determine whether methadone treatment reduces the magnitude of cerebral blood flow alternations in polysubstance (heroin and cocaine) abusers, we compared blood flow parameters in control subjects (n=26), polysubstance abusers (n=28) maintained on methadone for 24 weeks, and polysubstance abusers (n=22) who were not seeking treatment.

Contribution of substance abuse and HIV infection to psychiatric distress in an inner-city African-American population.

We used Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL90-R) to investigate psychiatric symptom severity in African-American drug-abusing individuals. Three hundred and seventeen African-American volunteers (52 control subjects; 265 drug users) were recruited, 19.2% of whom were HIV-positive.

Cerebral blood flow pulsatility deficits in HIV+ poly substance abusers: differences associated with antiviral medications.

This study examines the influence of HIV-seropositivity and antiviral medications on cerebral blood flow in cocaine abusers. Forty-five HIV negative (HIV-) cocaine abusers, 36 HIV positive (HIV+) cocaine abusers (CD4; mean 378, +/-229) and 27 control HIV- subjects were studied. Blood flow velocity and pulsatility were determined for the anterior and middle cerebral arteries using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD).

Marijuana abusers are at increased risk for stroke. Preliminary evidence from cerebrovascular perfusion data.

We have recorded blood flow velocity in the anterior and middle cerebral arteries by transcranial Doppler sonography in abstinent marijuana abusers (n = 16) and control subjects (n = 19) to assess the effects of prolonged marijuana use of the cerebrovascular system. The pulsatility index, a measure of cerebrovascular resistance, and systolic velocity were significantly (p < 0.005) increased in marijuana abusers compared to the control subjects.

Antiviral medications improve cerebrovascular perfusion in HIV+ non-drug users and HIV+ cocaine abusers.

Antiviral medications have been useful in delaying the time course of HIV infection. Antiviral medications have also been reported to delay or reduce symptoms associated with AIDS related dementia and to improve cortical perfusion. The mechanism for this improvement is unclear.

The regulation of cerebral blood flow during intravenous cocaine administration in cocaine abusers.

Cocaine abuse is associated with heightened risk of life-threatening neurological complications such as strokes, seizures, and transient ischemic attacks. We used transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography, a continuous measure of cerebral blood flow velocity, to better understand the changes in cerebral hemodynamics produced by cocaine administration, which may lead to an increased risk for stroke in cocaine abusers. Heart rate and blood pressure were also measured.

Neurovascular deficits in cocaine abusers.

The nature of the neurological and cerebrovascular deficits in cocaine abusers and whether they persist in abstinence is unclear. Blood flow velocity of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries was measured by transcranial Doppler sonography in cocaine abusers (n = 50) and control subjects (n = 25). Blood flow velocity was measured within 3 days and again after about 28 days after being admitted to an inpatient research ward to determine whether blood flow velocity improved during monitored abstinence conditions.

Cocaine dependence. A clinical syndrome requiring neuroprotection.

Cocaine use has increased the frequency of medical complications among younger individuals. Neurological and neurovascular complications include strokes, seizures, transient ischemic attacks, and headaches. Subclinical deficits in cerebral perfusion and EEG have been noted in this population.

Neurophysiological signs of cocaine dependence: increased electroencephalogram beta during withdrawal.

To determine whether a central nervous system marker of cocaine dependence might exist, the resting electroencephalogram (EEG) of 33 drug-free, cocaine-dependent men (DSM-III-R criteria) was compared with two control groups [nondrug group (n = 10) and drug group who abused drugs, but were not cocaine dependent (n = 20)]. The EEG was recorded from eight sites after about 10 days of monitored abstinence (range 4-15 days) on a closed research ward for the drug-using individuals. The EEG was recorded for the nondrug control group as outpatients.

Cognitive brain potential alterations in boys exposed to opiates: in utero and lifestyle comparisons.

Several studies have observed that intrauterine exposure to opiates results in emotional and cognitive complications for the child, but genetic and postnatal social-environmental factors may also affect the CNS development of these children. To assess the relative contribution of the in utero and social-environmental (lifestyle) effects of opiate exposure, event-related potentials (ERPs) and performance were studied in three groups of 7- to 12-year-old boys: (1) the in utero/lifestyle group (IU/LS) contained 16 boys who were exposed to opiates (in utero and lived with opiate-abusing mothers, (2) the lifestyle group (LS) included 14 boys who lived with opiate-abusing mothers, and (3) the control group (CON) composed of 13 boys. The cognitive ERP components and task performance were recorded in the Auditory Rare Event Monitoring (AREM) task and the Sternberg Memory task (Sternberg, 1975).

Hyperthermia of mouse lungs: technique and control of critical parameters.

A microwave heating technique which combines essential life support, monitoring and heating systems has been developed, and is in use for the investigation of pathophysiological responses of the murine lung to hyperthermia alone and in combination with other therapeutic modalities. The technique enables heating of most of the lung volume to within 1 to 1.5 degrees C of the target temperature.

The use of swine in brain interstitial radiation studies.

Swine offer an excellent, but previously unused, model for brain interstitial ionizing and non-ionizing radiation research. Significant advantages include size, cost, maneuverability, availability and conditioning. The methodology and some experimental results from studies of the effects of interstitial microwave hyperthermia and iridium-192 irradiation are presented.

Progressive hypertension in dogs by avoidance conditioning and saline infusion.

A group of dogs was trained on a free-operant avoidance-conditioning task that evoked acute increases in arterial pressure and heart rate during each of three daily 30-minute sessions. After 15 days of exposure to this procedure under conditions of normal sodium intake, 24-hour mean levels of arterial pressure remained unchanged. Another group of dogs received continuous intrarterial infusion of isotonic saline at a constant rate of 185 mEq/24 hrs for 15 days, but no avoidance sessions.