Higher levels of CSF homovanillic acid in recently abstinent cocaine-dependent patients.

Roy, Alec; Berman, Jeffrey; Williams, Redford; Kuhn, Cynthia; Gonzalez, Bienvenido · Am J Psychiatry · 2002

case_control · Level III

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Abstract

The authors examined an index of dopaminergic neurotransmission in recently abstinent cocaine-dependent patients. CSF concentrations of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in 30 recently abstinent cocaine-dependent patients and 69 healthy comparison subjects. The cocaine-dependent patients had a significantly higher mean concentration of CSF HVA than did the healthy comparison group. Recently abstinent cocaine-dependent patients may show dysregulation of the central dopaminergic system.

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