Lk. Jacobsen et al., Elevated central serotonin transporter binding availability in acutely abstinent cocaine-dependent patients, AM J PSYCHI, 157(7), 2000, pp. 1134-1140
Objective: Recent work has underscored the role of serotonergic neurotransm
ission in chronic neural adaptations to cocaine dependence. The authors tes
ted for evidence of serotonergic dysfunction during acute abstinence from c
ocaine, a period of high risk for relapse in cocaine dependence.
Method: Binding availability of dopamine transporters and serotonin transpo
rters was measured in 15 cocaine-dependent subjects during acute abstinence
and in 37 healthy comparison subjects by using [I-123]beta-CIT and single
photon emission computed tomography.
Results: Significant increases in diencephalic and brainstem serotonin tran
sporter binding (16.7% and 31.6%, respectively) were observed in cocaine-de
pendent subjects. Brainstem serotonin transporter binding was significantly
inversely correlated with age across diagnostic groups.
Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence of serotonergic dysfun
ction during acute abstinence from chronic cocaine use. Age-related decline
in brainstem serotonin transporter binding may underlie the poor response
to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants seen in some elde
rly depressed patients.