Increased CSF volumes are associated with diminished subjective responses to cocaine infusion

We evaluated the hypothesis that ventricular and cortical CSF volume increa ses are associated with reductions in the magnitude of euphoric effects pro duced by intravenous IV cocaine infusion in cocaine dependent (CD) individu als. Eleven CD patients participating in a cocaine-infusion study and eleve n control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two CSF regi ons of interest (lateral ventricles and frontal cortex CSF) and two compari son regions (third ventricle and posterior cortex CSF) were measured. Self- reported ratings of the intensify of euphoric response ("high") were obtain ed from the CD subjects at 3, 20, and 30 minutes after IV administration of cocaine. A significant negative correlation was observed between the volum e of the lateral ventricles and subjective ratings of the "high" experience d at 3 minutes, but riot at 20 and 30 minutes after cocaine infusion. In co ntrast, a significant negative correlation between frontal cortex CSF volum e and the intensity of euphoric response was observed at 30 minutes after I V cocaine. No significant associations were observed between the volumes of the two comparison regions and ally subjective ratings of "high." No signi ficant volume differences were observed between the CD and control groups i n any region. The results suggest larger lateral ventricular volumes are as sociated with a decrease in immediate euphoria while larger frontal cortex CSF volumes are associated with a decrease in the duration? of the euphoria induced by cocaine infusion. The age-related brain volume reductions under lying the volume increase in these two CSF spaces may be the neurobiologica l basis of the age-related reduction in the rates of addiction. (C) 2000 Am erican College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Published by Elsevier Science In c.