Crack/cocaine chronic use: dopamine transporters availability, genetic factors, and executive functioning

• Grant number: 08/09009-2
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: April 01, 2009 - September 30, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Acioly Luiz Tavares de Lacerda
• Grantee: Acioly Luiz Tavares de Lacerda
• Home Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Neuroimage researches have show changes in the dopamine transporter (DAT) availability after cocaine chronic use. Genetic factors have been considered in vulnerability to addiction and executive functioning plays an important role in the urge to use the drug and the difficulties to leaving the use. Objective: To evaluate neuroanatomic integrity and DAT availability, correlating polymorphisms located in the gene SLC6A3 and the executive functioning in crack chronic users in current and abstinence use, compared with healthy controls. Methods: In a cross-sectional study with 150 users divided into 5 groups according to time of use and abstinence period and 50 controls will be submitted to functional neuroimaging (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging, genetic analysis and neuropsychological assessment. Results: It is expected that: (1) crack chronic users show an increase in DAT availability in the striatum when compared to healthy controls and short-term users, (2) crack users have worse performance in executive functioning tests when compared to healthy controls and short-term users, (3) crack acute users (less than two years) abstinent six months show equal levels of DAT to the control group, (4) crack chronic users present orbitofrontal cortex volume reduction , and decreased corpus callosum integrity in its rostral subregions. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALMEIDA, PRISCILA P.; DE ARAUJO FILHO, GERARDO M.; MALTA, STELLA M.; LARANJEIRA, RONALDO R.; MARQUES, ANA CECILIA R. P.; BRESSAN, RODRIGO A.; LACERDA, ACIOLY L. T. Attention and memory deficits in crack-cocaine users persist over four weeks of abstinence. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, v. 81, p. 73-78, OCT 2017. Web of Science Citations: 4.