Publications by authors named "G A Angarita"

Introduction: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a public health issue, with only some having FDA-approved indicated treatments and these having high attrition. Consequently, there has been interest in novel interventions (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Substance use disorders (SUDs), including cocaine use disorder (CUD), have significant negative health risks and impose a substantial social burden, yet effective treatments are limited. Pregnenolone, a neuroactive steroid precursor, has been shown to reduce alcohol craving and normalize stress biology in individuals with CUD, but its clinical utility has been questioned due to limited data on bioavailability and the stability of blood levels in humans. Thus, this pilot study aimed to determine whether twice-daily oral pregnenolone (PREG) at 300 mg/day and 500 mg/day versus placebo in week two of PREG administration led to stable increased plasma pregnenolone levels in individuals with CUD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are severe forms of epilepsy characterized by seizure onset in infancy or childhood. The seizures are typically drug-resistant and often accompanied by significant alterations in the electroencephalogram (EEG). DEEs are associated with neurodevelopmental impairment, which can arise from both the epileptic activity itself and the underlying etiology, which is most often genetic in origin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the effects of calcitriol (active vitamin D) on dopamine receptors in healthy adults, utilizing a randomized, double-blind design with PET scans before and after amphetamine administration.
  • Findings indicate that calcitriol enhances dopamine receptor availability in certain brain regions (ventral striatum and dorsal putamen) and influences dopamine release after amphetamine.
  • These results suggest a potential role for vitamin D in targeting dopaminergic function, which may be relevant for treating disorders with dopamine dysregulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dynamic brain immune function in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder is rarely studied, despite evidence of peripheral immune dysfunction. Positron emission tomography brain imaging using the radiotracer [C]PBR28 was used to measure the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a microglial marker, at baseline and 3 h after administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent immune activator. Data were acquired in 15 individuals with PTSD and 15 age-matched controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF