Neurobiology of cocaine addiction
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone, MD, MRCPsych.
Medical Director of Seagrave Healthcare and The Seagrave Trust
A growing body of evidence indicates that chronic cocaine administration can produce profound and long-lasting changes in brain neurochemical and neuroendocrine systems with direct consequence in short and long term behaviour. In this presentation recent research studies in the field of cocaine neurobiology will be reviewed, with an eye toward clinical implications and emergent options for treatment innovation
Cocaine's pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action will be described.
The vicissitudes in the dopamine theory of brain reward mechanisms, dopaminergic effects of cocaine, and emerging roles of GABA, serotonin, glutamate, and nitric oxide and its sequelae will also be discussed.
Tolerance, withdrawal, addiction and dependence phenomena will be described.
The clinical basis of reinforcement, behavioural plasticity and vulnerability to relapse in relation to above mentioned biological phenomena will be shown.
Other important topics included are:
The importance of cocaine and alcohol interactions: cocaethylene
The clinical use of neuroanatomic findings elicited with imaging studies using PET and functional MRI
Download Dr. D'Agnone's PWP presentation
Biography
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone is a consultant psychiatrist, member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK and the Medical Director of Seagrave Healthcare and the Seagrave Trust. Dr D'Agnone supervises more than 2500 detoxifications per year in Drug Misuse Units for the High Security Prisons Directorate of England and Wales. He is author of: "Cocaine Addiction" 1996 "Treatment and Prevention of Addictions" 1999.
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone, MD,MRCPsych.
odagnone@seagravehealthcare.com
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone, MD, MRCPsych.
Medical Director of Seagrave Healthcare and The Seagrave Trust
A growing body of evidence indicates that chronic cocaine administration can produce profound and long-lasting changes in brain neurochemical and neuroendocrine systems with direct consequence in short and long term behaviour. In this presentation recent research studies in the field of cocaine neurobiology will be reviewed, with an eye toward clinical implications and emergent options for treatment innovation
Cocaine's pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action will be described.
The vicissitudes in the dopamine theory of brain reward mechanisms, dopaminergic effects of cocaine, and emerging roles of GABA, serotonin, glutamate, and nitric oxide and its sequelae will also be discussed.
Tolerance, withdrawal, addiction and dependence phenomena will be described.
The clinical basis of reinforcement, behavioural plasticity and vulnerability to relapse in relation to above mentioned biological phenomena will be shown.
Other important topics included are:
The importance of cocaine and alcohol interactions: cocaethylene
The clinical use of neuroanatomic findings elicited with imaging studies using PET and functional MRI
Download Dr. D'Agnone's PWP presentation
Biography
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone is a consultant psychiatrist, member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK and the Medical Director of Seagrave Healthcare and the Seagrave Trust. Dr D'Agnone supervises more than 2500 detoxifications per year in Drug Misuse Units for the High Security Prisons Directorate of England and Wales. He is author of: "Cocaine Addiction" 1996 "Treatment and Prevention of Addictions" 1999.
Dr. Oscar D'Agnone, MD,MRCPsych.
odagnone@seagravehealthcare.com